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You can hear the raging waters quite some time before you see them.  I was thrilled with the anticipation of what they would look like.  This was my first visit to Niagara Falls and I had no idea what to expect, as usual the reality far exceeded my expectations.  What an amazing sight!  There were millions of gallons of water rushing over the side of the deep crevice, flowing into a magnificent river wider than anything seen in Southern California were we live. 

We stayed at a quaint  boutique Hotel, “Michael’s at the Falls”  It is an older hotel, but the friendly atmosphere and beautiful suite were just what the doctor ordered..  The women who employ the front desk were some of the nicest we had come upon on our ten day road trip.  They were very helpful and informative.  They knew quite a bit about the area.  When we opened the door to our room we could hardly believe our eyes.  Since we are Referring Travel Agents we were given a substantial upgrade to a Beautiful Jacuzzi room.  We couldn’t wait to fill the Jacuzzi and soak for a while.

The next day we were up early, ready to see all there was of this magical place.  Our day started with a trip to the fitness room, which was fairly well equipped for a small hotel, after that it was time to grab some breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  The ladies there were just as hospitable as those at the front desk.  Our Server, Veronica was full of great tips and things to see.  She suggested we take a trip down the highway away from the falls to the little artist’s community of  Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Even though we were only staying at the hotel for one night Michael’s allowed us to keep our car parked there for the day.  After seeing what the price was for parking near the falls we were very grateful for this little perk. It was only a short walk to the falls from the hotel. We would highly recommend this hotel; Michaels at the Falls.

There was so much that we wanted to see and really only had a day to see it in, so we purchased the adventure pass.  This gave us admission to four attractions for only one low price ($39.95).  This also gave us unlimited use of the “people mover” (the shuttle) for the day.  The first, and in my opinion, most exciting, attraction we went on was the  Maid of the Mist boat ride where we experienced the falls quite close up. I don’t know if I ever felt so small…standing there in this tiny boat surrounded by total majesty.  It is difficult to describe the awe I felt.  From there we walked to the TableRock Center which sits right next to Horseshoe Falls.  Here we took an elevator, descending more than 100 feet into the rock.  We were taken literally behind the falls. We could stand in a couple spots where the rock had been cut away and this allowed us to see the velocity of the water falling.  There was a precipice built that allowed us to walk out right next to the falls.  We stood for quite some time just taking in the magnificence.  We could have stayed all day just standing there staring at the falls, except for the fact that my husband was wearing glasses and really could not see a thing due to the spray of the falls.  We very much wanted to have lunch at the village Veronica told us about at breakfast so we walked back to Michael’s, grabbed the car and started on what turned out to be a very beautiful 20 mile drive.  This little town was every thing our waitress said it would be and more.  Horse and carriages meandering down the street , lovely little shops with just about anything you can imagine, including a shop just for those of Scottish ancestry and one for those from Ireland.  I will have to warn you however, both the merchandise and the food are a bit pricey.  We had a couple of sandwiches at a little café and paid around $30.  After walking around the town for an hour or so we were back on the road to discover the last two activities on our pass. About half way back to the Falls is the Butterfly Conservatory, I have never seen so many butterflies in my life.  There are more that 2000 butterflies flying free in a setting like a tropical rainforest.  We had to watch where we were stepping to avoid squishing one of these beauties.  I think my husband took a picture of every butterfly in the area.

We finished the day with a walk along the rapids a little downriver from the falls. These rapids are amazing. Class 6 and considered unridable. There are some pretty interesting stories of people who risked their lives trying to navigate the rapids, only a very few were seccessful.

We spent the night at the Sheraton on the Falls, with a fabulous view of the falls from our room. This hotel is beautiful, complete with shopping on the main level. It doesn't have the cozy feeling that Michael's did, but certainly a view that is breathtaking if you have a room that overlooks the falls.

And around the corner, Clifton Hill. A shopping and experience district. All kinds of attractions and things to do, as well as 'shop til you drop' cool stores to check out.
 
We were very sorry to have to leave so quickly. There are many things to do here, and we could have easily spent a week.
                             

So you're going on a cruise huh? You're going to need a lot of little things to go with you. Shampoos, sprays, crèmes, various other toiletries, hair bushes and combs, shaving gear, etc. etc. And don't forget about makeup!

Well, where are you going to put it all? You don't have much counter space, and who wants to look at a cluttered table when you are relaxing in your cabin at the end of the day.

So, buy a plastic shoe holder that hangs over the door.  Use this in the stateroom bathroom to hold all your wares.  This keeps toiletries in their place, makes it incredibly easy to find them and frees up already very limited counter space.

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