Restaurants, bars, casinos, entertainment, attractions and a whole bunch of touristy things
↑ Maid of the mist, checking out the falls from up close
Being so close to Toronto, I have been to Niagara falls about half a dozen times, including thrice on my bicycle. It’s a great sight, especially from the Canadian side. The walk upstream the Niagara river starting from the Rainbow bridge (which is a bridge to USA) to the Horseshoe falls (also known as Canadian falls) is about 1.5km long and quite popular. All along the promenade, you can see the American and Canadian falls and also get sprayed with mist from the great falls.
The layout of this area is quite interesting. On the eastern bank of Niagara river is USA, American falls, and just a random building or two. On the western (Canadian) side of the bank is the busy walking trail hugging a densely packed, loud and bright commercial zone.
↑ Loud, noisy and bright entertainment zone
A large number of restaurants flourish in this area, serving all kinds of international foods. Entertainment parks with attractions such as ferris wheel, roller coasters, magic shows, amusement themed stores etc. coexisting with a battery of dessert and icecream places. Niagara is also a popular gambling destination and I thought that it was a good opportunity to spend 50 bucks on blackjack and slots. Guess, I was a little lucky and brought home a couple of hundred dollars. Besides that, there are a number of party halls, bars and clubs spilling with people on a summer weekend. Overall it seems like there are lots of fun things to do, if you are into that kind of thing.
↑ Inside a casino
But since (as you guessed) I am not the noisy tourist, I prefer to hang out on the bike trails in the niagara region, and confine to relatively secluded places to sleep. This place is very close from the US border and many people cross the bridge to this Vegas-like paradise. The food in most of the restaurants in the commercial zone (I have eaten at many places) is mediocre, even by liberal standards, and I am definitely not an all-night party person. However I did generally tend to make some money in gambling.
Just be prepared for this, is all I’m saying. 🙂
I remember! We should have played some more 🙂
haha yes, perhaps next time!
I totally agree. It would be so awesome without that commercial spectacle. I don’t go anymore unless I welcome a visitor who has never seen The Falls. Often, I send people alone, warning them, as you just did.
Hi Claude, great people think alike – haha! 🙂 Have you visited Las Vegas? Maybe if I go there, Niagara Falls will seem like nothing!
I was a bit shocked the first time I went there because Canada is not a “glitter” country if you know what I mean. This is not really Canada actually… just a small Canadian Vegas 😉
The falls are still impressive and the entertainment zone is okay for a night or two. Not my kind of stuff though but a great place to take night pictures nonetheless!
Hi Zhu,
I think that’s true – and perhaps it has to do with the US border being so close and influx of large number of tourists who like the glitter? It seems to be working though, the area is flourishing.
Ah.. all I had seen were pictures and pictures of the fall itself. No one every makes a mention of these.. 🙂
Hi Arun, that’s true. Perhaps its due to the fact that this zone is shitty compared to the falls. Or perhaps its because going to a commercial zone like this is nothing unique or distinguishing thing about Niagarra falls.
Amazing photo of the falls!! Sounds like a nice idea to bike there.
Hi Sofia – indeed it is a very pleasurable bike trail in the area, very different from this commercial village!
[…] side) but you do not get a grand panoramic view. On the Canadian side, there is an extensive tourist infrastructure and a very memorable view of the American falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the beautiful Horseshoe […]
[…] from all over the world. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls offers excellent views of all falls and American-style tourist infrastructure is at its full glory here. Great to time a couple of times, but now I just avoid this busy place. […]
[…] ride. I like the falls and numerous bike trails that cris-cross this region, but tend to skip the Niagara falls attractions in the Vegas-like part of the […]