July 24, 2008 - Niagara Falls

After the Whitmer farm, we drove all the way on to Niagara Falls. We crossed the US-Canada border and got there just as the sun was setting. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up finding a hotel, we just barely missed the fireworks show over the Falls (happens once a week on Wednesdays). That would have been really cool. But we were able to see the falls at night. Very cool. The next morning we were able to do some of the touristy things. Primarily, we rode the "Maid of the Mist" boat that goes directly into the main horseshoe falls. The sheer force of that water is amazing. We missed out on a lot of other things that would have been cool: The cable-car ride over the river, exploring the caves beneath, and the IMAX films about the fury of Niagara. There are a lot of things to do there. But I think my dad got it right when he was giving me some advice about the trip: Niagara is more of a couples-thing, not necessarily a kid’s thing. The kids enjoyed it, but getting to some of the other attractions would have been too much for the group. We hope to see those things another time - some day. It was a cool place to visit… So we'll go back some day, I'm sure. I had been there once when I was 9 years old, but going as an adult was totally different and really cool.

Gripe warning: To be honest, by the time we were leaving, man was I ready to leave. It felt like the city was nickel-and-diming us to death. Breakfast didn’t even include water! I just wanted some tap water - please. But no, they said I could purchase bottled water, but tap water is not served. So, if you wanted something wet…anything wet, you had to pay a large drink fee. I think it was $3-ish for a juice. We're talking about 4 adults and 6 kids with our group. That adds up fast. The "cheap" breakfast we thought we were getting ended up being a lot more. It felt like there was a little fee for every little thing… I mean, I understand the tourist trap thing, but sometimes it's excessive and the perceived value just is not there. So I learned a little something while there as well.