Finally, Niagara Falls! It was about a 1.5 hour drive from Letchworth and we got an early start to ensure good parking and to beat the crowds. We parked on the US side near the Rainbow Bridge at about 8 am and walked across the bridge to Canada. The vantage point from the bridge was a good one and we had a great first look at the mighty falls.

On the Canadian side we walked through the colorful, nicely maintained Queen Victoria Park. We stopped to buy tickets for the Hornblower and continued to the brink of Horseshoe Falls. Quite impressive! On our return we got in line for the Hornblower and were herded like cattle down the ramp, into the elevator, and through the poncho line. I'm glad we went on one of the earlier boats - we never had to wait in line and they kept us moving. We boarded the boat and were off! As we made our way to Horseshoe Falls, we had good views of the falls and other boats in the mist (Maid of the Mist runs from the American side). The closer we got to the falls the windier it became and we felt more water droplets. Once we were completely engulfed in the mist it was like a heavy rainstorm and most people ran for shelter inside the boat. It was pretty crazy! It was a short ride, but more than enough as we were all looking like a pack of wet dogs.

Next up was a walk through Clifton Hill - tourist traps galore and just the thing for Norah. We hit a candy store, Indian food at Guru, and some time in the Adventure Playland (Norah was really lobbying for one of the haunted houses, but we vetoed that). It was a nice break before we walked back across the bridge, cleared the US border, and took a walk on the American side. We initially thought we'd do Cave of the Winds, but we were satisfied with just the boat ride and previously decided not to do it. Good thing. Because when we walked to Goat Island we could not believe how long the line was. It was insane! As Steve said, he wouldn't even wait in a line that long to walk on the moon. Instead we got snowcones and people watched, walked to the brink of the American Falls, and returned to our car.

It was such a beautiful day that we looked for a dinner spot where we could sit outside. We found a place called Dug's Dive on Lake Eerie that fit the bill. It looks like they are trying to revitalize this area and we noticed some bike paths billed as the "Industrial Heritage trail". That is one way to spin abandoned factory buildings! Nevertheless, it was a nice spot and a lovely evening by the water.

It was neat to finally see the iconic Niagara Falls and we had a great day!