16 April, 2016

N is for Niagara Falls


Niagara Falls is huge. And wet. As a college student, I only did the cheap activities available.

Twice. (Two trips, I mean. I didn’t do all the cheap activities twice.)
But I can't find any of my pictures. Sorry.

I’ve never been on The Maid of the Mist – the famous boat tour that takes you near the base of the falls, and gets you soaked. It was out of my college price-range.

I’ve never crossed the falls on a tight rope, or rolled over them in a barrel.

I did go under them. There’s (or was) a walking tour that takes you down, to a point where you are looking out through a sheet of water. It’s very wet.

Raincoats and umbrellas are for sale everywhere, because you will get wet.

Beautiful parks, multiple overlooks, all to catch a glimpse of every nuance of the view, and the rainbows floating in the mist at the base of the falls.

Downtown – restaurants, shops where you can buy a proper Niagara Falls macintosh, Madame Tussauds (oddly enough), and Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum.

Seriously, I don’t understand why these random, man-made tourist traps work in a place with such natural beauty as Niagara Falls. I get the tourist shops – everyone wants a souvenir, or to send a postcard home. But Madame Tussauds? What does she have to do with a giant waterfall?

Maybe some people just don’t like getting wet.

Moral of the Story: Bring a raincoat.

14 comments:

  1. A bunch of people looking to spend money congregated in a small area is the place to set up shop. They will spend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe you're right some folks don't want to get wet. We visited a Madame Tussaud's, but it was in Gettysburg, and the wax statues all had to do with the Civil War. Amazing stuff. Were there that many folks who went over the falls in barrels or walked across on tight ropes? Maybe that's the subjects in wax? But true, folks want something to do, especially with the kids in tow. Couples can amuse themselves just fine, family's find it harder to keep the kids amused.
    Happy A to Z-ing :)
    Ninga Minion @YolandaRenee from
    Defending The Pen
    Parallels
    Murderous Imaginings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think one person crossed on a tightrope and one went over in a barrel - Houdini maybe? Nah.

      I'm not sure who they put in the Niagara Falls Tussauds. I've only been to the one in London. THAT one made sense to me.

      Delete
  3. I've been to Niagara Falls a couple of times and was always too poor to do any of the tourist stuff. It's pretty damn amazing on it's own without all the silly trappings though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've always wanted to go. I believe The Maid of the Mist was what Jim and Pam got married on in an episode of The Office.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That could well be. I wonder if being on the boat and getting up close and personal makes it any more exciting.

      Delete
  5. I didn't want to get wet, plus I went with my parents and my brother. I suspect they didn't want to get wet, either. That was a long time ago. We just stood on the U.S. side and marveled at the falls. I like your image "the rainbows floating in the mist at the base of the falls." That pretty much says it all. Thanks, Red.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I went there once, also on a college student's budget. All I could think about was how mind-blowing the place must have been before it was rendered safe for tourism. Like, can you imagine being a Native American or pioneer or whatever and just stumbling on the falls? MIND. BLOWN.

    Also, I kept hearing the Canadian side was way cooler than the American side. I'm not sure why, but maybe because they had no Madame Tussauds?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Canadian Falls are the giant horseshoe that's always photographed. The American "half" of the falls look pretty wimpy by comparison.

      I don't think many people try to view the American falls from the Canadian side... in fact, one of my two visits was with a friend from Canada. We were camping on the Canadian side, but drove over into the US to see the Canadian falls!

      Delete
  7. We went there when I was little, but I remember when it came time to put on the raincoats, they terrified me. I refused to put it on, so my brother and my dad went and my mom had to stay with me. I still remember how much they scared me, but I have no idea why.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afraid of a raincoat, huh? Maybe if you were little, they seemed too big?
      Or maybe it resembled a plastic bag too much, and you were cautious of putting a plastic bag on your head?
      I wonder if there's a named phobia for raincoats.

      Delete

I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.