Niagara Trip IV

We also timed our trip to Niagara Falls to see the fireworks display---for most of the year, each weekend there is a fireworks display over the Falls at night (schedule here).  Despite being shot off from the Canadian side, the fireworks appear over the American Falls (we had mistakenly thought they would be over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, so we had the camera all set up in the wrong direction).   It was actually a pretty good fireworks show and they turn out pretty spectacular over the illuminated Falls.

Overall, what was nice with the whole trip was that it was a good time to travel.  It was past tourist season so there were few crowds---there was no wait for the boat tour or the butterfly garden and even the crowd watching the fireworks wasn't that large (so we were able to move the camera and still get some decent pictures).  The weather was slightly cool at night, but was perfectly fine and sunny and not to hot during the day.  I can only imagine how crazy the place is during the summer.  I'm now starting to see why it would be better to take your summer vacation during the fall instead (and just pull your kids out of school for a week, they'll manage).

Niagara Trip III

One of the cliche things to do at Niagara Falls is to take the Maid of the Mist boat tour, which takes you pretty close to the Falls.  This is another case where there's something to the cliche---as a testament, when you get to Niagara Falls you receive coupon books for all of the cheap and cheesy tourist attractions desperate for attention (e.g., the Skywheel is a bust) except for the boat tour.  Still, a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat is not too expensive so it's definitely worth doing if you're there.  We were warned that you would get pretty wet even with the free ponchos, so we ended up sitting on the bottom deck of the boat where we were mostly shielded from the water.  Despite that, we still got pretty wet when we got close to the falls and I only dared to use a cheap small camera to snap some pictures.  We were lucky that the sun broke out right when we got onto the boat, which provided for some dazzling rainbows.

American Falls

 American Falls

 Horseshoe Falls

 Horseshoe Falls

 Horseshoe Falls

Niagara Trip II

As I mentioned before, Niagara Falls is probably one of the few touristy spots that deserves tourists.  The Falls themselves are incredible and you can walk right up to the edge to see them.  And not just see them, but you can also hear and even feel the rush of the water washing over.  It can be humbling to experience the power of the Falls and just let it wash over you (literally in some places).

Note, it's worth noting that Niagara Falls is split into an American side as well as the Canadian side with the Horseshoe Falls.  The Horseshoe Falls are larger and higher, but as a result the amount of water going over causes a giant plume of spray that can obscure the view.  Both Falls face the Canadian side, so it's the significantly better place to stay (the American side is pretty shady with run-down motels...)  Sadly, you now need a passport just to get into Canada---I remember when you could just flash a driver's license, but at least you don't have to worry about currency exchange as most places take American dollars since the exchange rate is nearly equal.

American and Bridal Veil Falls

Horseshoe Falls

 Niagara Falls Panorama

American and Bridal Veil Falls at Night

American and Bridal Veil Falls at Night

Moonlight Over Horseshoe Falls

Niagara Trip I

My mother-in-law came to visit from Hong Kong last week so we finally took a vacation.  It had been a long summer so it felt good to get away from everything---get away from the house, get away from work, get away from Jersey.  We drove up to Niagara Falls for a couple of days.  I had visited Niagara Falls before, but that was years ago and so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I guessed it would be super touristy and outrageously expensive.  And part of it was---there were the usual souvenir shops, wax museums, and chain restaurants.  But Niagara is probably one of the places where there is something behind the cliche. 

The Falls themselves are impressive.  But besides the Falls, there are also other attractions worth visiting, such as the Butterfly Conservatory.  It's only a short drive from the Falls, but it's worth the effort.  It's essentially a large greenhouse that holds hundreds of different species of butterflies.  The butterflies are freely roaming throughout the Conservatory---once you enter, they can flutter all around you.  I don't think I've ever been so close to so many butterflies at the same time.  We ended up just sitting there for a while and letting them land on us.  It was a pretty peaceful moment and we could have sat there for hours and forget about the world.