Yes, folks, those CrAzY Pickles are traveling again, checking off places on our Bucket List travel before we kick the bucket. We have left you and yours in the rainy Southeast Texas region for the natural wonder of Niagara Falls. Prior to Harvey, Iguaza Falls in Brazil/Argentina was not only on the list, but we had our yellow fever shots, hotel reservations and flights along with a cruise down the Amazon in the travel queue…but Harvey kinda washed those plans over the dam…then Covid…so, NF became the new Iguazu Falls with the Canada/US border the new South American border like destination, and of course, Covid shots replaced the yellow fever shot card, and a cruise down the Amazon became a drive down the shoreline/River Road to Niagara on the Lake. A lot has happened in the last 5.5 years…Niagara Falls seemed more reasonable and less physically demanding than rainforest and piranhas.
We departed at noon Monday on an Air Canada flight to Toronto, escaping what I understand will be a wet and stormy week at home. Sounds about right. Water tops the lower dock when we are traveling…think Tax Day, Memorial Day flood prior to Harvey. PTSD?…just a little. We arrived on schedule and got our 10,000 steps (no bathrooms along the way) in from the plane to customs and immigration. IAH needs to take notes. Toronto and Vancouver have a nifty Arrive Canada app…if you read the instructions when you are checking in for your flight…makes the entire process painless…I took us longer to find a bathroom than it did to get through that process. Despite the instructions, most were stuck it the queue… Hint, hint..read then follow the instructions….it is a phone app. Bathroom, then luggage carousel #10, bags arrived just about the same time we did. Another 2,500 steps to the rental car desk and we were on the road by 5:30…with just our Apple Car Play to tell us how to get to our destination. Eddie did good, not great…great would have been no wrong turns and rerouting by our Lady of the CarPlay…
In planning our trip, a choice had to be made—-so we stay on US side or Canada side. Canadian side has spectacular views of the Falls-both of them- Horseshoe and American Falls…and for a price you can have a room overlooking the Falls. US side has a tribal casino and hotel…period. Decision made. We tend to eat our money not gamble it away…we want something to show for our Canadian Dollars. So, Maple Leaf it is. All the regular hotel chains are here, not the high end stuff, Embassy Suites, Sheraton, Hilton, Doubletree, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn…the usual. Mom and Pop places, too, some B&Bs on River Road- it is all about location, location, location. We decided on a Fallsview room on the 35th floor of the Embassy Suites…with Full Valet Parking available for $100 a night…Niagara’s little gotcha. We opted for the Off Site $35 Canadian parking lot, with shuttle service. Even Eddie has his limited on needless spending. By 6:45 (5:45 CST) we were overlooking the View from our bedroom window. It is spectacular…while the Niagara River is not the Amazon, it is breathtaking beautiful. Actually considered in of the 8 wonders of the world…when that was a thing. The Canadian Park service has everything flowered and cleaned for the summer season…May is considered the shoulder season.
I have heard about Niagara Falls since I was a kid…thanks to the Three Stooges…”Slowly, I turn, inch, by inch” yeah, you tube refreshed my childhood memory of that. While I am sure that that would be ban on TV today, my sister, Kathy and I spent many hours watching a vaudeville trio slap and hit each other. I remember random news reports of people attempting to go over the Falls in a barrel-not a high success rate. Wallenda’s daring tightrope walk across the falls- I think it was in ABC Wide World of Sports. There have been tons of pictures, references to it, but I was really not sure what to expect in terms of the towns and things around it. Well, frozen in time…not exactly, but not a Disney like experience either. It is all about the Falls. The visitors old and young seem to get that. Surprisingly few people have their heads down watching their phones (US citizens without Canadian cell phone plans, I guess). They are not snapping Instagram pics in high fashion…that would not be on message for this destination. The fashion is interesting, kinda like COSTCO meets Amazon with a side order of WalMart. The tourist mix here is unlike any mix I have seen in some time…Japanese tourists (check), old people on bus and casino tours, check, tons of Indian and Middle Eastern families, check, lots of Amish families - now there is a surprise, but check. Not a lot of US families with school aged kids-reasonable as school is back in session, but lots of preschool aged kids with parents and grandparents. There are a couple of casinos on the Canadian side along with Stage acts to include Tom Jones, The Monkees - as in Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkees—which I think is down to only Mickey…and Peter Noonan of Herman’s Hermits. A Vegas like lit area called Clifton Hill which is more about the arcades, speedways and putt putt golf courses…total family fare. Like I said, we are in a 1960 time warp. Gee, I left my go-go boots at home.
Nighttime at Niagara Falls is pretty spectacular. Starting around 8:30 each evening the Falls are lit with colorful LED lights that keep the falls illuminated until 2:00. Starting next week there is an evening fireworks display. The various hotels and areas are mindful of the view and arrange everything from IHOP pancakes, to ice cream, drinks or a fancy steak dinner with a view of the Falls at night. Tomorrow, I will share what we did on Tuesday and the real reason Niagara & Falls is so special-isn’t that right, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. Learn something every day.
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