Berkeley to Boston: Day 10 (Niagara Falls)

Day 10 (August 24, 2011): Grand Rapids, MI to Niagara, NY

Today was a big day because we became international road trippers!  Canada is so trippy because you feel like you are still in a pretty similar place, but then there are super weird things that stick out. 

For example, the chip flavors are CRAZY: dill pickle, roasted chicken, gravy, or ketchup potato chips?

I tried the ketchup ones since I love ketchup… but then I almost barfed, so I went and bought some sun chips.  Plus, at Subway, they have ketchup as one of the topping choices, but they didn’t have dijon mustard!!!!!! grrrrr…  LOL my stupid fake smile as I tried not to barf!

After lunch we headed to Niagara Falls.  This was another first for both of us!

Honestly, I am kind of a bad person because I usually get pretty drowsy when I’m just looking at cool/interesting/pretty/historic things, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to go for me.  But it was absolutely amazing.  I could have walked around the park for a long time.  There was also a lot to do and see in the area, in general, but I was really just mesmerized by the falls. 

The US-Canada border is in the middle of the river.  You cross this bridge to go back and forth between countries.  We parked our car in the US and then later walked over the bridge to Canada. 

We decided to go on a boat ride, the “Maid of the Mist,” which takes you under all of the mist at the bottom of the falls.  It was crazy…. and REALLY windy.

From the boat… the American side, which accounts for only 10% of the total water flow!

It got kind of crazy and unsafe for the camera to be exposed on the Canada side because the falls there are shaped like a horseshoe and we went in the middle.  At one point I felt like I was underwater…

I only took a couple pictures because I really wanted to just be present on the boat ride.  There were so many people on the boat that were so concerned with their cameras and the pictures they were taking; I don’t think they even saw the waterfall. 

After exploring the falls for a while, we went to dinner at a Brazilian Churrascaria, which is one of the places where the guys walk around, each with a skewer of a different kind of meat.  My favorite parts were the cinnamon and brown sugar glazed pineapple, the parmesan-crusted pork loin, and the salad bar that has “over 70 choices” including roasted red potatoes, fresh mozzarella, grilled asparagus and zucchini, and all the usual fresh veggies.  OMG.

It was really great food.  But then… the night wasn’t over because when we walked outside, the falls had been lit up for the night!

And then we had a little play time in some of the souvenir stores…

I really loved Niagara Falls!  and we seriously had such a great day together.

Goodbye, Canada!  Next stop: home… our new home!

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