Niagara Falls Spontaneous Trip
So, I did something that some might call insane. I have been so excited about my passport that I just got for my trip to London next year, that I just needed to use it! Sooooo mid-morning on Friday I decided that I had nothing better to do this weekend than to go on a trip - to Niagara Falls.
I looked into it a few times before and knew that the 8 hour drive was possible. Once I made the CRAZY decision that this was my weekend plan, my friend suggested to use Hotwire.com for a hotel deal. While kinda risky because you don’t get to look into what hotel it is, and you actually don’t find out what hotel it is until you book, I found a great deal and just decided to wing it.
I left work early to quickly pack a weekend bag and then off I went. Friday after work with a mission to see Niagara Falls.
My plan was to drive as far as I could Friday night and then grab a hotel last minute - that ended up being just Northeast of Cleveland. At that point, I was a tad over halfway to my destination. I woke up early Saturday morning and finished the last leg of my trip.
I have never been out of the country before, so I was extremely excited to have my passport checked. I felt like I was finally in the “in group” - like I was finally a part of a cool community of people who could travel the world. But, to my disappointment, the stationed man at the border wasn’t as excited or enthused. He checked my passport and waved me through - clearly just an average day for him.
My hotel was surprisingly in a perfect spot right on the river. I could walk out the front doors, across the street and see the falls! My goodness were they loud, BUT SO GORGEOUS. After dropping my things off, I set off down the road to purchase one of those boat tour tickets - the Maid of the Mist, such a classic way to see the falls. I kept my camera under my poncho and snapped some great photos. However, being up near the falls cannot be captured in photographs. It’s so incredible in person.
After the boat tour, I took another tour - a tour of the caves behind the falls. Which is something I didn’t even know existed, but was super interesting. Also, did you know that the river flows NORTH? Niagara Falls flows INTO Canada. For some reason (maybe because all other rivers in the US that I know of flow towards the oceans), I thought it flowed into the US. Some other fun facts can be found here.
That evening, I checked out the downtown scene, which is honestly like a tiny Las Vegas. So very commercialized and touristy. I had a great meal and chat with the bartender, then set off for bed. Sunday morning, before I left, I decided to do another boat tour. I mean, WHY NOT? I was only in Niagara for a little longer.
And I then drove 8 hours all the way back to Louisville, KY. All in one day, only with myself. Traveling alone wasn’t too bad!
Can you see the cave?