We have totally enjoyed Niagara Falls. We have been there 3 of the 4 days we have been in the area. The only thing that took us away from the Falls was a baseball game in Toronto. We are avid Red Sox fans and the idea of seeing a game in the stadium of a team in our AL Division was too much to pass up. Admittedly, it was the Blue Jays vs. the Orioles and not as grand as if the Red Sox had been in town. (But, if they had we would not have been able to just walk up and buy good seats, day of game!!) The game was great and we enjoyed the stadium - it is a great place to watch a baseball game. I think when we came back into they US, the custom's agent was a Yankees fan - he asked who we had rooted for - and we said it was hard to decided because we are Red Sox fans. He than said that "we all have our down sides". Sounded like a Yankees fan to me!! Anyway, I tried to root for the Blue Jays - they were the home team. But, I found myself rooting for Kevin Millar and Jaye Payton - both ex-sox players and currently Orioles. In the end the Blue Jays won in the 10th inning and it was a great game.
Back to the Falls - we have seen the falls at night from the US side and the Canadian side. They are spectacular with the illumination. We rode the Maid of the Mist which is a boat that takes you along the bottom of the American Falls and to the base of Horseshoe falls (CAN). It is impressive to feel that much water surging into the boat. Makes you realize that nature and its forces are just spectacular. Taking pictures is difficult; when you rais your arms to take the picture a torent of water runs down your arms. If you forget to roll up your paints; well you can guess what happens.
We ate lunch one day on the US side overlooking the American Falls and one day overlooking the Falls on the Canadian side. We did the Cave of the Wind attraction on the US side. It has walkways that allow to walk to the base of the Bridal Veil Falls. It is just amazing to be in the midst of all of that water. And the wind created by the water is impressive. We then went over to the Canadian side and did the Journey Behind the Falls, which takes you behind Horseshoe Falls. You can look out into a wall of water that roars and looks more like sheets of watery Mylar that Disney might use than tons and tons of water. But, they are both superb attractions.
So can we answer the question - which is better the Canadian side of the falls or the US side? Absolutely not. They are both fantastic. But, they are very different. On the US side the falls are surrounded by an National Park - the first one ever. There is lots of open space and lots of opportunities to see the head of fall, the rapids approaching the falls, and all sorts of wonderful things. The Canadian side seems more commercial. But, very well maintained. The view of the falls from that side is spectacular and provided a more panoramic view of all of the falls. But, I still can't say that one is better than the other. Try them both. We did.
You can drive from the US to Canada and back over the Rainbow Bridge. Cost is about $3.50 US and about 25 minutes or more in traffic. You can walk to Canada from the US in about 25 minutes. But, you do have to pay $.50US to return. And if you don't have change, the change machines seem not to want to make change. So you have to visit the Duty Free Shop. And, unless, you are well disciplined, who can resist. So, the cost to get back into the US is about $30US.
During our 4 days here, we visited Canada almost every day. On entering Canada, the question was always "Why are you visiting Canada." Why did it seem so obvious that I wanted to see the Falls!! The typical question on returning to the US was "How long have you been in Canada?" Why was I always embarrassed to say 2 hours?
If any of you are going to visit the Falls, here are a few pointers. Realize that you WILL get wet. You may not want to; you may wear those very stylish ponchos. But, you will get very wet. Enjoy it. And if you are planning to do the Cave of the Wind and The Maid of the Mist, do the Cave first. They provide you a poncho and some very comfortable waterproof sandals for the tour. Use these for the boat, as well. Then you feet, shoes and socks will be dry. Ours were not!!
We are off to Cooperstown tomorrow. We will write more.
