Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers. ~George Carlin
Have you ever opened a can of soda only to have it spray all over you then realize you have nothing with which to wash it off and spent the next few hours feeling sticky, sickly sticky? This is how we felt about both the Niagara towns on opposite sides of the Falls, Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Canada. They were an icky coating we could not wash off, a wad of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe deeply embedded in the tread.
The Falls themselves were beautiful, powerful, loud, mesmerizing. However, everything thing that grew up around them was like a really disgusting carnival that has decayed over time and needs to be swept off the face of the earth.
The Journey
We had not been on a long road trip since we visited Smoky Mountains National Park early in our relationship so figured it was about time for another car trip. We drove from our home in Chicago to Niagara on the US side then back through the Canadian side.
US Side
B&B
Our US accommodations were in the Hillcrest Bed & Breakfast. Staying at a B&B was first for us and we chose a dandy. The hostess, Cassidy, was amazing and the general use rooms on the first floor were beautiful. There was a bottle of liqueur for sipping in the evening and cake available the entire day. The breakfast was a very flavorful omelet along with fresh squeezed orange juice and, of course, coffee and tea. The sun room provided a view of the Niagara River feeding the falls.
The bedroom had a comfortable bed. With the windows open, we could hear the roar of the falls. The roar was a constant companion wherever we went in Niagara.
This was by far our favorite place on either side of the Niagara Falls not counting the actual Falls. It’s a place we could stay for a few days. I imagine it would be comfy cozy for a Winter visit.
Falls
Canadian Side
Niagara on the Canadian side felt like rolling up all that was slimy and gross on the US and pumping it full of steroids. Walking to the Falls the first time, we decided to walk through the town. It was a bit longer than skirting the town but, we figured, we should get a look see. Within a few hundred yards of the hotel, we couldn’t wait to get out of the town. It felt like a nasty carnival.
There were cheap money stealing attractions lining every street that were so bad they were not fit for the Wisconsin Dells or Pigeon Forge Tennessee. It was overcrowded. There was trash everywhere. Our feet stuck to the sidewalks from all the spilled food and drink. We knew right then we could not stay a second night in this area and would leave first thing the next morning.
Conclusion
The car ride itself all 1000+ miles was the highlight. We had ample time to put the busyness of life aside and connect through extended conversation. A primary topic on the way home was the awfulness of both Niagara cities and how we will never go there again. It took the entire 10 hour drive home and a hot shower to cleanse our traveling spirit of the icky sticky coating.
This was definitely a live and learn trip. We learned we will never again visit Niagra Falls. (The memory of the trip was so vile, it took me months to write this because I did not want to relive the memories.)
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