Niagara Falls, Still Spectacular and Well Worth the Visit

Tuesday October 07, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Despite the seductive performance of Marilyn Monroe in the film noir "Niagara" (1953), the days of Niagara Falls as the favorite honeymoon destination in the USA are long past, but by no means, does that mean the falls are not well worth the visit. The first time I had seen them was with two of my brothers, way back in 1960; that may give you an idea of how old I am. It was a trip before I went on to grad school and had its own string of interesting events that I will save for another day. As for the falls, they of course are much older and have changed and weathered many a season and many a century while maintaining their own splendor.

Time is needed to fully take in the falls and their natural setting; slow down and go at a leisurely pace. Plan on spending a couple of days; for you have to see the falls under different conditions and at different times in day and night to get their full effect. In the evening they will have colored spotlights play on the cascading water for an hour or so that is well worth the wait.

Goat island, accessed from the American side is well worth a day and evening's visit. Stroll all around it; see the rapids, the flora and the fauna. Relax and take it in, the falls and surrounding setting will grow on you.

As for museums etc. they are there aplenty and at different locations; there is even an aquarium. A special discount pass gets you into all at a very economical price. You will get a history of the falls and the area, the geological formations and even accounts of people who have gone over the falls in barrels or not and survived. Also worth the visit are attractions such as the Maid of the Mist ship that goes up below the Canadian Falls and the Cave of the Winds, which brings you smack dab a few feet away from the falling water. For each tour, they will give you a protective raincoat, but I guarantee that even with it on, you will get wet.

Pictures are worth a thousand words so allow me to let them do the talking. For some photos of the falls and the surrounding area click on here or go to the bar on the left and click on Niagara. You will find some 28 shots to entice you to go. And to get the full effect of the swirling waters in some of the photos, move the cursor around until the words "full resolution" appear, then click there for a blow up of the picture. My only regret is that Monika's lack of Canadian visa did not allow us to go to that side to see the glory of the Canadian Falls.