Niagara Falls--The American Side Adventures

After not a whole lot of sleep last night due to the late hour I went to bed and my seeming inability to make the air-conditioning work properly (I finally figured it out this morning), I still managed to pack in quite a day. It started with picking up my rental car and driving to Niagara Falls, which, mind you, is an entire state park, and America's oldest state park at that. Also a massive, sprawling enterprise that has extended into numerous hotels and businesses surrounding the park and trying to cash in on its glory. I didn't realize this until I arrived and found myself swallowed up in buildings and signs and cars and buses. I managed to follow one giant red arrow into a parking structure and from there followed the herds until I got to the visitor's center and a nice woman there gave me a map and marked out what she thought I ought to see.

I exited and headed straight for the roar, which you hear before you can actually see any water. You walk through this lovely parksy area, and then there it is--the rush of all those Great Lakes swelling towards the falls. But first, there are these impressive rapids.

After that, I headed for the first of the three falls you can see at Niagara, the simply named American Falls, which you can see are stunning. Also refreshing on this hot, sunny day as sprays of water kept misting us. And then there was the wind.

I took a little break by watching the 30- minute movie Niagara: Legends of Adventure, which dramatically enacted all the folks who have plunged over the edge, like Annie Edson Taylor, who was a retired teacher trying to raise funds for her twilight years and went over in a barrel (I take it unions and pensions weren't a thing then). Or Roger Woodward, who was on his very first boat ride with his sister and a friend of their father's when the engine struck a rock and died, causing them to get caught in the current and head straight for the falls. The sister was pulled out just before going over, the man went over and was killed, and Roger, only 7, managed to survive going over in only a life jacket. I wonder if he ever went on a boat again.

All that drama pumped me up for some drama of my own so I donned the special sandals and yellow plastic poncho provided, and headed down to the Cave of the Winds, which basically allows you to get up close and personal with a couple smaller falls, getting soaked and pummeled in the process. I only wish my hotel shower this morning had even a fraction of that water pressure.

At that point, I was ready for something a little more low key, and I found it exploring The Sisters Island, which was more woodsy and tranquil even with the rapids flowing past.

By the time I'd finished all that trekking, I was pretty wiped, so even though I'd planned to also do a Maid of the Mist boat tour, I decided to betray my American roots and do the Canadian version (the Hornblower, which apparently does the exact same thing with newer and nicer boats) tomorrow instead. I got back in my car, crossed the border, got interrogated quite thoroughly by the border guard, which always makes me feel guilty of something even though I'm not, and made it to my next hotel.

Some reviews I'd read said the deluxe falls view rooms here at the Marriott are totally worth it. I must concur.

Going to enjoy relaxing a bit, then hit the hay. All that beauty and walking and shrieking children and the Asian lady who pushed me out of her way on one of the viewing decks have plumb wore me out!