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Published: December 6th 2008
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Note: The Canada blogs have been rewritten and reposted due to requests for anonymity. Ahhh Sunday! The perfect day to sleep in, particularly on the last leg of your four-month vacation and round-the-world trip. So why in heavens am I up at 5:30am again??? It is what it is. I check craigslist for apartments and do other online errands, then crawl into bed to try to get more shuteye with no success. When the house is astir, I get up and join them for pancakes and eggs before we make a late morning departure for the Falls.
Niagara Falls I have never seen it, so this trip is mainly for my benefit. My aunt has seen it many times and Leroy has been here once or twice before. I’m a little dubious, however, because I visited Iguazu Falls in South America in 2000 and if Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed “Poor Niagara!” upon seeing Iguazu, what will I say when I see our North American falls? It only takes about an hour to get there. My first view is from the car, and it is beautiful. I’ve always found water mesmerizing - its form, power, and ability
to change from tranquility to absolute rage. After parking, we make a beeline for the nearest restaurant, which happens to be Table Rock Restaurant near where the Journey Behind the Falls “adventure” lies. Food is mediocre, although my aunt loved her prosciutto sandwich. Our hosts have spoiled us with their home-cooked meals!
After grubbing, we walk along the Falls and giggle (well, Leroy wasn’t giggling) as the spray from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls coats us with dew. It’s tough to get a good shot with all the droplets around, but it is clear that Canada won the coin toss for the part of this natural wonder. It must be said, however, that the lesser known Iguazu is much grander and greater in scale. Or maybe I’m just being critical because I’m sleep-deprived and irritable. Everyone knows that Victoria Falls is
numero uno in the waterfall department, but Niagara’s fame overshadows Iguazu. Anyone who loves looking at magnificent places like this should go to Iguazu now, while it’s still not overrun with tourists. On the Argentine side, you can walk along numerous smaller waterfalls as well as enjoy the surrounding rainforest. I’ve never seen it from the Brazilian side, but
they say that is where you get the panoramic view. For a comparison of all three Falls (you know, millions of liters per second and such), go to Wikipedia.
We take photos of the Maid of the Mist boats, then get tickets for the Journey Behind the Falls. My aunt has wanted to do this before but no one would go with her, so we oblige and put on our yellow plastic bag hoodies and check it out. They have information on the history of Niagara Falls, including erosion data, the sole survivor of an accidental fall over the Falls, famous visitors, and pictures of the Honeymoon Bridge collapse.
We want to see the Clifton Hill area and all its entertainment (wax and Ripley’s museums, fast food galore, no less than three Starbucks, and lots of shops), so we take the Incline Railway toward Falls View Casino. That was our mistake, because we end up farther from Clifton Hill and must walk longer in the humidity to get to our lattes. But the walk is good for us, and we stroll quickly through Clifton Hill. It seems like a great place for kids and spending lots of money.
Walking back to the car, I take another look at
best part of visiting - gazing at this natural wonder. It puts our small lives in perspective. I would like to see it in winter when it’s iced over.
He Does it Again Dinner is
arancini (Italian rice balls with cheese and meat),
cannelloni, and salad, accompanied by Masi red wine, and followed by
asiago cheese. The
arancini is nothing less than scrumptious. I’ve never had it before, but I’d like to have it again! Sublime. The
cannelloni, is light with a perfectly sweet and tangy tomato sauce and three kinds of cheeses inside. The red wine is one of the house favorites and it is lovely. Of course, we had to put it out there.
My aunt is concerned about us going out, so I postpone my plans with Dre until tomorrow when Michael will be free as well. The rest of the night is spent watching the Democratic Presidential Debate and packing a suitcase full of presents with my two backseat packers (you’ve never had so much oversight in filling a bag). It’s early yet, but I run to the bed hoping for just one good
night of sleep before our vacation ends.
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melee
leroy and melissa
Reposted Comments
June 5th 2007 - Dre: hiya / Hey Guys, So nice seeing you last night! That food Tito cooks is fit for kings. Let him know if he ever needs an eating partner...I'm there! Safe trip home! XOXO