Niagara Falls! As I mentioned previously, I was stumped on places to visit after my exchange semester ended and before I was to fly out from NYC. I actually considered heading up to Maine but then realised that there was literally nothing there to see apart from snow. My hostel had a special and super cheap deal with a tour company for, I believe, $55!! If I was to have organised it separately but with the same company, it was approximately $90.
The drive there on the bus was pretty uneventful, the tour guide was super chirpy and annoying and then I just listened to my music. First stop was a winery to try ice wine. Ice wine is:
is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape must to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine.
I think it was nice that we were able to try two ice wine (red and white) because the other exchange friend went on another tour (which was already a lot more expensive {$120}) and they had to pay extra to try the ice wine). After tasting 5 different wines, I got a little red. Ah well. Story of my life.
We then headed to the actual falls. Oh dear. If I thought Toronto was cold, it was a thousand times colder there. Seriously, I really couldn't keep warm, no matter how fast I walked. I believe it was -20 degrees that day and, of course with the water and wind, it felt even colder.
Because that is normal....
And this too.
It was so warm! Just look at all that snow....
American Falls.
The town itself was so incredibly dull and so commercialised. Casinos, a thousand and one fast food chains; it was just the weirdest, weirdest feeling.
We got back on the bus and the guy drove us around to, truth be told, can't really remember, but a slight detour to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
My Overall Thoughts
Honestly, when I think about my visit to Niagara Falls all I think: it was cold. The Horseshoe Falls were really pretty and quite scary actually, but as I mentioned before, a little bit of a mixed feeling about the place. Niagara on the Lake was quaint, but truth be told, felt too gimicky and touristy. I would recommend people to visit Niagara Falls from the Canadian side since you couldn't really see anything from the American side.
Would I re-visit?
Conflicted. I would have loved to have gone on the Maid of Mist (which goes near the Horseshoe Falls and only operates in spring/ summer). That being said, I wouldn't be able to justify trekking to Niagara Falls purely for that, considering there was literally nothing else there.