Smoky
Well-known member
June 22 ? Niagara Falls
This thread has a subject so huge (450 photos to winnow down) and so complex, that I decided to take an entirely different approach than I did with the Adirondack log. Instead of a chronological walkthrough, I decided to group the experience into 5 subjects:
Maid of the Mist
Horseshoe Falls
Rainbow and Bridal Veil Falls
Canadian Side
American Side
Without question, and I think most previous forum visitors to the second largest falls in the world would agree, the single most exciting and breathtaking experience in a visit to Niagara would be the voyage on the Maid of the Mist which goes right up inside the spray and foam of the falls. I will say more about that in a moment.
At the outset, I want to shoot a forum rumor right squarely in the foot. Many feel that the American side is the better side. Well the Admiral and I are here to tell you that in almost every possible way, the Canadian side far surpasses the American side. Why do we see it so differently?
Well, maybe one thing we did to give us this perspective was to sign up for a full day tour that explored both the American side and the Canadian side. We even had the interesting experience of passing through customs via the tour bus? a very unique experience. But in retrospect, the tour fee we spent for the two of us to do this tour was some of the best money we ever spent.
Now I am almost ALWAYS opposed to guided tours. But when I reviewed all the possible places to visit at Niagara, I became overwhelmed with the combinations and permutations of what was available. Because of this, The Admiral convinced me that some professional help would sort things out. And she was right. We probably saw three times as much in a 7 hour period as we would have seen had we tried to stumble around on our own. The tour was efficient, hit the right spots, and was packed with dynamite and unbelievable breathtaking experiences.
The Canadian side has the most beautiful architecture by far. The American side is obviously in a depressed economy, and other than a few good natural sites to visit, it is crumbling. Forget looking for a fine restaurant or a really nice place to stay. The entire Niagara Falls Boulevard is crumbling and filled with closed businesses and for sale signs. We did not see a REALLY attractive man made thing on the American side. Perhaps the Tesla monument was the best.
The Canadian side has had a reputation of being a honky tonk area. While there is one street that has a lot of souvenir shops and fast food places, the majority of the Canadian side is sleek, modern, filled with the finest of everything including finely manicured gardens, and the most magnificent scenic views.
I also had occasion to talk to RVers who have camped on both sides and those who have always recommended the Canadian side. We camped on the American side at a ?so-so? campground known as Niagara Falls RV Campground. It boasts as being the closest to the falls and it is, but still a 20 minute tour bus ride. It does easily handle big rigs, has a postage stamp size pool that is not well manicured, a doggie exercise ground, fire rings at each slot, poor sat reception (we got Direct TV but no Internet), a crummy office and store, nice owners, and lots of attractive big rigs, fifth wheels and on down to popup tents and van campers.
I will begin uploading pictures in the next few messages, beginning with the Maid of the Mist.
As an appetizer, here is a shot of the tour boat we were on, but taken later from a perch high up on the Canadian side.
This thread has a subject so huge (450 photos to winnow down) and so complex, that I decided to take an entirely different approach than I did with the Adirondack log. Instead of a chronological walkthrough, I decided to group the experience into 5 subjects:
Maid of the Mist
Horseshoe Falls
Rainbow and Bridal Veil Falls
Canadian Side
American Side
Without question, and I think most previous forum visitors to the second largest falls in the world would agree, the single most exciting and breathtaking experience in a visit to Niagara would be the voyage on the Maid of the Mist which goes right up inside the spray and foam of the falls. I will say more about that in a moment.
At the outset, I want to shoot a forum rumor right squarely in the foot. Many feel that the American side is the better side. Well the Admiral and I are here to tell you that in almost every possible way, the Canadian side far surpasses the American side. Why do we see it so differently?
Well, maybe one thing we did to give us this perspective was to sign up for a full day tour that explored both the American side and the Canadian side. We even had the interesting experience of passing through customs via the tour bus? a very unique experience. But in retrospect, the tour fee we spent for the two of us to do this tour was some of the best money we ever spent.
Now I am almost ALWAYS opposed to guided tours. But when I reviewed all the possible places to visit at Niagara, I became overwhelmed with the combinations and permutations of what was available. Because of this, The Admiral convinced me that some professional help would sort things out. And she was right. We probably saw three times as much in a 7 hour period as we would have seen had we tried to stumble around on our own. The tour was efficient, hit the right spots, and was packed with dynamite and unbelievable breathtaking experiences.
The Canadian side has the most beautiful architecture by far. The American side is obviously in a depressed economy, and other than a few good natural sites to visit, it is crumbling. Forget looking for a fine restaurant or a really nice place to stay. The entire Niagara Falls Boulevard is crumbling and filled with closed businesses and for sale signs. We did not see a REALLY attractive man made thing on the American side. Perhaps the Tesla monument was the best.
The Canadian side has had a reputation of being a honky tonk area. While there is one street that has a lot of souvenir shops and fast food places, the majority of the Canadian side is sleek, modern, filled with the finest of everything including finely manicured gardens, and the most magnificent scenic views.
I also had occasion to talk to RVers who have camped on both sides and those who have always recommended the Canadian side. We camped on the American side at a ?so-so? campground known as Niagara Falls RV Campground. It boasts as being the closest to the falls and it is, but still a 20 minute tour bus ride. It does easily handle big rigs, has a postage stamp size pool that is not well manicured, a doggie exercise ground, fire rings at each slot, poor sat reception (we got Direct TV but no Internet), a crummy office and store, nice owners, and lots of attractive big rigs, fifth wheels and on down to popup tents and van campers.
I will begin uploading pictures in the next few messages, beginning with the Maid of the Mist.
As an appetizer, here is a shot of the tour boat we were on, but taken later from a perch high up on the Canadian side.