The Falls

Originally we were thinking of heading to the Adirondacks but the 4^th of July holiday weekend was coming soon. It became apparent that all the RV parks in that area were full.  We opted to go to Niagara Falls.  How is it that I made it this far in life without seeing them? 

We found the small Daisy Barn Campground on the shores of Lake Ontario near Wilson, NY.  The daisies growing around the barn were in full bloom when we arrived.  It also has great views of the Lake Ontario with spectacular sunsets. The skyline of Toronto  was visible on a clear day and silhouetted by an orange sky at sunset.  Rolling hills, fields of grapes, old Victorian houses and sailboats, that describes the area.   The roads were bigger and no carriage dodging either.   Yup, I think this will suit us fine to wait out the holiday weekend.  Did I say wineries?  Plenty of them to visit as well.

Daisy Barn Campground

One of the days we took a drive to the nearby town of Lockport on the Erie Canal.  You can walk along the locks or take tour boat of the locks.  It is an interesting bit of our nation’s earlier industrial days.   Another day we drove down to the nearby town of Newfane and Olcott Beach.  It has a fun little pier with a few shops and a small amusement park that has a carousel and old fashion band organ.    They do have size restrictions and it is strictly for the kiddies but all the rides are 50 cents.  What a deal! Our hats off to the town of Newfane for preserving a little bit of Americana.

Wilson Boat House

We opted not to visit Niagara Falls till after the holiday weekend but we did drive to the area and checked out a few of the smaller state parks and towns. We were about 18 miles from  the town of Niagara Falls and it was an easy drive via the Robert Moses Parkway.  Seriously, there was hardly anyone ever on the parkway and it is a straight shot to the Falls.    It would have been a beautiful day to see the Falls but the closer we got to Goat Island the more the traffic gridlocked.   We found a small coffee shop in a nearby town instead and enjoyed the weather.   We also got few tips from the locals about how to see the Falls. 

 The 4^th itself was a day for a barbeque and watching fireworks. Oh, and some of that local wine.    The RV park had an impressive fireworks display right on the water and it was fun to meet some of our fellow RV’ers.   Just a very nice day indeed! The next day Jack and I celebrated our 11^th wedding anniversary.  We had dinner in nearby Wilson at the historic Wilson Boat House Restaurant.   It was hard to decide whether to eat in or out.  The restaurant is beautiful!  We opted for outside dining and sailboat watching.  Very good food too!  Yum!

That's me getting wet on Hurricane Deck!

Ok, it was finally time to see those Falls!  I was getting impatient.  We ended up going on just about the worse day weather wise.  It was a cloudy day that turned into a very rainy day!  But it did not matter we were going to get wet one way or the other.  And walking in the rain under a shared umbrella over Rainbow Bridge was romantic. Right?  Well we ended up getting really really wet!  Here is the way we decided to see the Falls.  Everyone says the best view is from the Canadian side and that is true but it is also about twice as expensive.
 We went to the American side as we were told the parking at Goat Island is best for big oversized pickup trucks. Parking is $10.  You can ride a trolley around the area for $2.00 each and get off at various viewing points and attractions.   You can pay for each attraction separately or purchase a pass that will get you into all the attractions for about $36 dollars.    It is a much better deal than the Canadian side where parking is $20 and the bus pass is $7 each  and that does not include any of the boat rides or attractions.    We opted for doing the Maid of Mist and Cave of the Winds.

Jack on the Maid of the Mist

  Later we walked over to the Canadian side via the Rainbow Bridge to see the views and eat lunch. We also ended up buying  two of those pricey Canadian bus passes and an umbrella to boot, eh, because by that time it was raining waterfalls. Don’t forget your passport to cross back and forth.  And keep a few quarters handy for the crossing back into the USA.  It cost 50 cents per person.   They are magnificent any way you do them! Even in the rain!    You must see them for yourself, pictures and words do not do them justice.  We went back the next night to see them illuminated and caught part of the fireworks show over the falls.  Again it turned out to be an easy drive and parking was free at night.  It was worth staying up past our bedtime!

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