Now I know Niagara Falls has a certain reputation for being tacky and relentlessly commercialized, like Atlantic City, New Jersey or Blackpool, only with a better backdrop, but the falls themselves really are an objectively splendid wonder of nature. Back when I had a job, I usually made it a point to do a couple of circuits around them each way before landing in Buffalo, New York, so that passengers on both sides of the plane could see them. Sometimes, it's good to be the Captain. That was always a crowd pleaser and I never heard any grumbling about the extra ten minutes added to the flight.
Maryanne and I had been once before at ground level (the rim), on the Canadian side. We didn't stay long, but found it was nice if we faced the gorge and kept the casinos and hotels behind us.
This time, we took a short car ride to the American side. I am surprised to say that the Americans have done a way better job of showcasing the natural beauty of the area than the Canadians, which was the opposite of what I would have guessed.
This wasn't always the case, of course. Early American industrialism pretty much ruined the falls with smoke-belching factories. This caused several prominent figures, including Mark Twain, John Muir and Frederick Law Olmsted (the creator of Central Park) to demand their removal and the restoration of the area to as close to its original state as possible. Now, the falls on the American side are all New York State Park land, whereas the Canadian side is all private property. That is why the American side as crisscrossed with walking trails while the Canadian side is full of skyscraping hotel complexes.
The Canadians are widely regarded as having the better views as most of the falls face that side. The cool thing about the American side is that most of the water heading for the falls runs through it. Maryanne and I had a lovely walk along the river watching huge volumes of water accelerate toward the falls.
Exploring the park lands on Goat Island, we didn't really need the signs suggesting we do not enter the water - it was already WILD
Our first touristy thing we did was the Cave of the Winds tour. The cave has since been eroded away, but the gist is an elevator ride down to the base of Bridal Veil, over which about ten percent of Niagara's water plunges. Despite being issued ponchos as part of the package, all uncovered areas, like our legs, were completely drenched within the first few seconds. Despite all that, it was great fun to be standing under part of the torrent.
Cave of the Winds attraction sends the tourists down an elevator to the foot of the Bridal Veil falls, where we could then opt to get as close and wet as we wished via the red wooden walkways (and a great chance to see the Ring-beak gulls with their chicks)
Next up was a trip on Maid of the Mist. Again, the Americans did a splendid job. Their new boats are all-electric and super-maneuverable with rotating thrust pods. The boats can be completely recharged in seven minutes during the boarding process. The boat took us so far into the deluge coming over the falls that we completely abandoned any hope of photography as the air was so filled with water. The wind buffeted us around so much that the ponchos everyone had been issued only kept random spots dry underneath. By the time we were done, we were soaked and a little cold, but wearing big smiles.
Maid of the Mist tours have been running since 1846 - now-a-days (since 2019) the boats are electric allowing us to exprience the full roar of the waterfalls and boiling waters
The various information centers were all closed, being renovated and upgraded, the cafe too. We wanted to do a bit of walking. A ranger recommended a bakery (DiCamillo's) a couple miles away along the ridge trail, so that seemed like a good aiming point. We were ready for some lunch.
Maryanne continues to enjoy the bird sightings (wherever we are)
A peaceful trail took us to some great views, an unexpected elevator ride at the Schoellkopf power station, and a great local bakery
It was well off the beaten path in a sleepy little town. We thought we would have the place to ourselves, but as we got closer, we noticed two mini busses parked outside. We opened the door and it was pandemonium as fifty people all tried to buy a takeout lunch in time to leave with their bus in five minutes.
When our turn came, the staff were friendly, but clearly harried. I could see the poor guy at the register wondering how he was going to fill our order in the next thirty seconds, since we were last. The busses were almost full. When they left and he realized we were just a couple of regular old walk-in customers, the strain drained from his face. Since we weren't demanding everything at once, they would be happy to bring an item at a time to our table. Despite the initial tourist throngs, the place really was incredible. Generations of Italian immigrants with a passion for baking delicate, flaky things filled the store with all sorts of delectables. We wanted to try everything, but at the same time were really glad for our waistlines that we didn't live down the street.
We got a car home and decided it had been a long enough day to not be in the mood for cooking. We both think we have been overdue for a good Chinese meal, but there was a Korean/Thai place even closer, so we went for that. The food was pretty good. The owner was friendly and after a bit of chitchat, we learned that they'd only been open for a year, and that he and his wife were from Burma (when it was called that). When we asked how the Thai/Korean menu came about, he explained that his wife had been a chef back in Burma (now called Myanmar) and those cuisines were her specialty.
Before I went to pay, I researched how to say "Thank you very much" in Burmese. At the register, I tried it out on him, expecting surprise or something. I mean, how much Burmese do you get to hear in North Tonawanda? Instead, he just said, "Oh, you're very welcome".
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