Living in the southern part of New York, we do not often visit the Niagara Falls area of our state. A few years ago, my wife asked for a four-day mini-trip to see the Falls, since she had never been there. We decided to go on weekdays in order to avoid as much traffic as possible on weekends. We made a hotel reservation, and we went. Using State Route 17 North, the trip takes longer than using Route 287, but the scenery is great and you can visit many small villages that offer excellent antique shops, restaurants and Endicott, restored in 1920 carousel, zoo and exhibits. It took us several days to drive 500 miles to get to Niagara with all the stops and shopping, but we stopped early, before dark, every day, got a room and had a good dinner.
One of the most special places outside the Niagara Falls was our stop at the Corning Glass factory in Corning, New York. Their museum is outstanding, and chandeliers are breath. More glass colors than you can imagine, and more glass objects than you can count. Vases, plates, glasses, airport landing lights, chandeliers, lamps and simply rooms and rooms of displays. There is also an area that displays their commercial performance, as well as insulation and fiber optic cables. Worth to visit.
I was in the fall as a child, but the huge amount of water and sounds was forgotten. We arrived at the hotel around six o'clock in the evening, and from our room overlooking the waterfall there was a beautiful view of the brick wall of the hotel. We paid extra for viewing and a balcony, and we insured us. Hotel somewhat kindly did it. It was the only minor sour note of the trip. We had dinner in the restaurant on the roof of the hotel and it was great. The hotel is connected to the casino, so we spent the rest of the evening donating some money to them.
The next morning is clear and sunny. We took a short walk to the area of tourist shops for breakfast, and for the first time my wife transferred Canadian money to Americans. We had eggs and coffee, and the bill came to something like $ 37. Canadian dollars. She was almost disappointed to see the $ 37 bill, until the waitress explained the difference in dollars. We had a good laugh about it.
The fall of the American horseshoe and, of course, apparently (and heard) almost everywhere in the area. You can stand and watch their watches, and many people do just that. This tram tours of the mansions, which also cost a fee and lasts a couple of hours. The highlight, of course, is a trip on one of the boats, which is approaching the foot of Falls. We went to the Maid of the Mist, and it was worth the waiting line. They give you a plastic rain park that you can wear, and smart people wear it. Many do not, and then a little regret. The boat goes to the old Comstock tunnel networks and to the foot of the waterfalls themselves. The boat captain throws the bow of the boat as close as possible to the falling water from above. The noise from the falling water is incredible and makes any conversation almost impossible. "Fog" is like standing in a heavy rainstorm. Without parks you will be soaked in leather. Many people were, and as soon as you hit the waterfalls, it's too late to put it on. They all took it with a smile, knowing that it was their fault. This is what everyone should do in a bucket with a beloved friend.
Another great attraction is to go through the Comstock tunnels and get behind the waterfalls. There are actually wooden decks that you can see. I could not help thinking of people who dared to build these decks many years ago. Amazing
A visit to the American Museum of Niagara Falls is also a must. Their testimony of all the barrels that people used to go through the waterfalls, for some unknown reason, is demonstrated. Most did not survive the fall and were killed. Walk to the hand guards immediately adjacent to the top of the waterfall to get an idea of how high the falls are and how fast the water travels. It's amazing.
Our four-day trip turned into a seven-day trip, as there are so many places to visit and things that can be seen in the state of New York that we made many other trips.
Pete Eckerson
