Niagara Falls is one of the most majestic wonders of the world. Not only its predominant grandeur keeps the visitors spellbound but also its history, freedom from capitalism, anecdotes of hydropower production makes it a monument of glory, beauty, innovation, and environmental conservation.
Packing my bags for another trip after a year-long lockdown was nothing short of a treat- especially considering my thrilling destination and the travel leading to it. Summers is a peak season for traveling in the United States of America so one has to be smart to get one’s hotels, plane tickets and rental cars reserved. Earlier the better! Booking at the eleventh hour will cost a lot of additional charges, hassle, and last-minute changes to one’s plan.
When it comes to travel; it's always a good idea to have early bird discounts, student discount, state discounts, group discounts and being alive discount, whichever applicable!
Coming from a burning Texas state, landing at a cooler Cleaveland, Ohio, after a two hour road trip in a Ground Shuttle and three hour air travel, was a sigh of relief. The rental Malibu premier sedan car by Chevrolet was already reserved for the road travel next day to our destination- Niagra Falls.
The next day was going to be hectic for me. Wrapping my some official commitments took longer than expected. I was accompanied by an another friend Muhammad Saad Zia, a fellow Fulbrigher studying at Georgia Tech University. His fondness in geography and defensive driving helped us follow the speed limits all along the inter-state highways and enjoy the interstate travel. We were racing against time; worried to miss the special illuminations that were to be displayed on July 27th, 2021 at 08:45 Central Time. Luckily we didn’t!
As we parked the car at the Niagara State Park, we ran towards the sound of water coming from a far distance weaving our way through the people. The place was crowded as everyone wanted to see the Fall in its colourful attires-everything looked mysterious and breathtaking under the cover of dark sky and tinny lights suspended in air on the Canadian border.
The first glimpse of the Niagara falls state park:
Niagara Falls is a city on the Niagara River, in New York State. It’s known for the vast Niagara Falls, which straddle the Canadian border. Niagara Falls is in a public location on Niagara Parks land. It can be accessed for free 24/7 all year around.
Dressed in green:
Looks like dancing lush.
Canadian border covered by the Niagara Fall is famous for a better view. The lights in the picture below are on the Canadian border.
It was indeed magical; more than any picturesque scene we had ever watched in our lives or any painting. In front of us played the majesty of one of the greatest wonders of the world. The tiredness that we carried in our bodies due to hours-long travel vanished slowly as we feel engrossed in the magnanimity of the water wall.
Dressed in red:
Looking like an endless bed of roses.
Dressed in blue:
Like skies on the ground!
Dressed in white:
Mysterious white spirit landing on the water.
Maid of the Mist:
A favorite Niagara Falls State Park attraction for more than 150 years, the Maid of the Mist journey begins at the Observation Tower, where guests are given a souvenir rain poncho to wear and board the double-deck Maid of the Mist tour boat. From there, the boat ferries passed the base of the American Falls, and onto the basin of Horseshoe Falls.
Onboard the Maid of the Mist:
The Maid of the Mist boat tour in Niagara Falls, NY has been described by generations of visitors as one of the highlights of their trip. The picture below shows the maid of the mist approaching the horse shoe section of the Niagara Fall.
Ship’s Wheel, Maid of the Mist:
The ship’s wheel is present inside the gift shop located inside the park.
The Rainbow Bridge:
The Rainbow Bridge walk is the route you will take from the USA side to the Canadian Side or vice versa. You do not need a passport if you are only visiting the New York side and are staying in the US. However, you will need a passport if you intend to cross the border to the Niagara Falls Canadian side.
There are three international bridges between the US and Canada within 6 mi/9.6 km of the Falls. “Rainbow Bridge” is one of them. It offers a spectacular view of the Falls. There is no commercial traffic allowed. You can walk, bike, or drive across.
The best time to visit Niagara Falls is June to August. Summer is peak season, and with good reason. Mists and breezes from the waterfalls can make the area feel cooler.
Gastronomic delights!
There is a top of the Niagara Fall restaurant in the Niagara state park famous for its exotic eateries and gourmet. However, we could not enjoy the food there because of time constraints. Coming from Lahore- the city that never sleeps- it is an uphill task to schedule everything in a place where most of the attractions close early in the evening! However, along our way back to our hotel in Cleveland we were able to make a stop at an Iraqi restaurant run by immigrants from Baghdad. It was not an upscale restaurant but talking to immigrants from a war-stricken country who opened a family business was a very exciting story. Lentil soup in the appetizer was just tasted like a Lahori dish.
Cloud maker:
Water evaporating from the water fall can be seen rising above in the form of mist and making clouds as it go higher into the atmosphere.
Coin minting machine:
For a dollar, one can put a penny inside the coin minting machine and can engrave four different types of monuments on it. I selected the Statue of Liberty for myself considering how important is it for an individual to have a freedom of expressions and actions.
The Coin:
Using the coin minting machine, I prepared this coin having the ‘statue of liberty’ on it.
Souvenir:
A souvenir I liked at the gift shop. They are using the recycled paper for environmental conservation.
Niagara State Park attractions:
A man showing his talent for flying giant bubbles in the air using sticks and strings. He expects to collect some donations in return for his performance. In the USA, people who are looking for donations even do not resort to emotional blackmailing and coercion rather they try to sell their arts. We used to have the same culture in Pakistan where snake charmers, portable rides, animal trainers would roam the streets asking for donations in return of their talents.
Train the park:
Hop on-hop off train circumferences the entire Niagara state park. One can visit the entire park riding on the train.
Suicides:
According to unofficial sources, an estimated 5,000 bodies were found at the foot of the falls between 1850 and 2011. On average, between 20 and 30 people die going over the falls each year. The majority of deaths are suicides, and most take place from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Many of these suicides are not publicized by officials.
Ice cream fiesta:
We got two scopes of ‘Mango Crunch & Vanilla with Caramel’ from the ice cream parlor at the Niagara Fall state park. Too big for a single person to finish we ended up sharing it!
Meeting Buddy Corso:
He is a proud Husky dog. His owner rescued him from an abusive environment, in turn he saved his master’s life at the workplace. I had a chance to have a candid photograph with this amazing dog who is lovely and friendly to strangers even.
Nikola Tesla Monument:
Tesla invented alternating current and was instrumental in the construction of the first hydroelectric plant in Niagara Falls in 1895.
Sunset at Lake Erie:
Returning from the Niagara Fall while heading towards the Cleveland we made a short stop at the Lake Erie to view the ending of the day. Sun set was never as spectacular as it was there because of the clean water, endless unobstructed view, colorful horizon and roaring water. Saad and I, got a picture to capture the moment forever and headed back to our car. We still had a long travel ahead!
It is rightly said by St. Augustine, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”