World Travel Guide: Travel destinations - "Touring Niagara Falls & Surrounding Area"Friday, 30 July, 2010 |
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Niagara Falls has certainly grown over the last thirty years. When I was a kid, I remember that it was Niagara Falls itself as the only real attraction here. This natural wonder of the world consists of two main falls; the semi-circular shaped Horseshoe Falls where daredevils in buckets have thrown themselves off and the smaller American Falls to the left of it.
The Floral Clock, Maid of the Mist boat rides that take visitors up close to the falls were already there as well as the cable gondola over the whirlpool just minutes up north but that was about it. The Minolta Tower was also there but the newer Skylon Tower had not been built yet. Niagara Falls was still known as a honeymooner's destination with hotels that had heart shaped jacuzzis and other romantic features. Today, the Maid of the Mist and other original attractions are still there but the city of Niagara Falls has exploded with growth in hotels and tourist attractions including a large casino added in recent years.
Niagara Falls is 30 minutes from the Buffalo airport and 90 minutes from the Toronto airport. Although there are hotels on both the US and Canadian sides, most tourist facilities and attractions are on the Canadian side. The best views of both falls are from the Canadian side as well.
There are hotels and motels that suit every budget from large hotel chains, smaller well known motel chains down to independents. The same with restaurants as there's lots of fast food outlets up to the classiest restaurants with views of the colored lit falls during the evenings. Attractions now include high tech rides, an Imax theatre, power jet boat rides and much more. Some folks say that the growth of the touristy side of Niagara Falls has made the destination a bit tackier with the addition of such attractions as mini-golf, was museums and Ripley's Believe It or Not. This is part of Niagara Falls trying to be something for everyone including families.
Close by is Marineland which is the Canadian equivalent of the Sea Worlds in Florida and California. This attraction is probably the best of its kind in Canada with both marine and land animals. In addition to excellent shows with the standard killer whales, dolphins and sea lions, Marineland added Beluga whales from the high Arctic.
One often missed attraction is the nearby town of Niagara-on-the-Lake which is an easy 10 minute drive north. This town of quaint, elegant boutiques and the home of the Shaw Festival theatre is totally different from the busier and more touristy Niagara Falls. One should definitely pay a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake to enjoy a nice break from the crowds of the falls area. For cyclists and inline skaters, there's a wonderful trail not to be missed nearby.
For wine enthusiasts, there are numerous wineries in the surrounding Niagara area in Ontario. Many of these wineries are open to the public for taste samples as well as tours of their orchards and facilities. The Niagara area is where the famous ice wines of Ontario are made. If you haven't tried this premium dessert wine made from frozen grapes picked in the middle of the Canadian winter, there's ample opportunity to do so here in the Niagara region at both the wineries that make them as well as the many restaurants that feature them.
Niagara Falls is still a great attraction but there's much more to see and do besides the usual touristy things so heavily promoted. If you haven't been to Niagara Falls, it's definitely worth a visit, especially if added on with a trip to Toronto. For those who have been to Niagara Falls but haven't been for many years, a return visit will reveal much more than ever before, especially in the surrounding areas such as Niagara-on-the-Lake that might have been missed out on prior trips.
| ©2005 Clint Leung. All rights reserved. |
This is Paris and it is raining, which is as it should be. Paris rain is not as the rain of other cities. It is softer, benevolent. It caresses, rather than soaks.
First let us nail a lie. Parisians are haughty, stand-offish, have no time for people who do not speak perfect French. This may have been true when Jacques Tati starred in M Hulot's Holiday and the Beatles
were appearing in Paris as a support group for the main star Johnny Halliday. It might have been true then. It is certainly not true now. Parisians are not stand-offish. Certainly not
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Nature teaches me, and that's what I write about. My first great lesson from nature was in the summer of '88 while on a weekend motorcycle trip with my new husband, Leonard. We visited Brownville and Auburn Nebraska, known for Indian Caves, local theatre and antique shops.
We stayed in a small locally owned motel adjacent to Rotary Park,
which was a gift from the local Rotary Club. It has a small
wandering lake surrounded by grass, trees, park benches and
ducks. We walked out to the park with journals in hand to have
quiet time to write and relax. I took a park bench near the
water's edge. Although
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One of the ports of call for our Royal Caribbean cruise ship during the week of November 28/04 was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Probably the most famous site in the region is Dunn's River Falls and we chose to tour it on our own rather than through one of the cruise ship tours.
Once we disembarked from the cruise ship, there
were cabs and shuttle buses available at the pier. Cabs to Dunn's
River Falls were $22 US for a return trip. Cabs allowed 1-3
people per vehicle. We were also told at the pier that small
shuttle buses also go to the Falls at $5.50 US per person.
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Do you remember the line from Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" movie? Clark, in frustration utters to his wife Ellen, "Worse? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell." Does that movie remind you of your last family Christmas vacation?
Maybe it is time that you try something unique, different and fun. Try something new, exciting, and romantic. Have some fun in the sun. Vacation at a clothing optional resort this holiday season.
"But, I'm not a nudist," you are thinking. No problem! More and more, nudist resorts have gone
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A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we’ll focus on luxury cruises here.
Radisson Seven Seas is a luxury carrier in the small cruise
line category. As such, a small number of passengers (only 198
to
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