"Views From The Commercial Side" Niagara Falls by johngayton

Quite a few people here on VT are of the opinion that Niagara Falls isn't really worth the visit except perhaps to grab a few photos and to say that you have been there. The main complaint is that it is too "touristy". Well I suppose that depends on the time of year - I can imagine that the summer crowds totally take the place over. I was lucky then, catching a beautiful sunny day in mid-April, about a week before Easter, when the tourist momentum had yet to build.

One thing that was immediately apparent though, certainly on the American side, was the way the experience was geared-up to rake in the tourist dollars - what with: "The Cave of the Winds"; "The Maid of the Mist"; "The Observation Tower"; the faux trolley-bus tours and etc.

That said however, walking around is free, and to my mind the best way to enjoy the experience is from both sides of the river. The only unavoidable expense I had on my afternoon here was the 50 cents it cost me to get back to the US across the Rainbow Bridge - swimming wasn't really an option!!

For more info on the border crossing and pics from Canada see my Niagara Falls, Ontario page.

• Pros:One of the Natural Wonders of the World
• Cons:Only if you let yourself.......
• In a nutshell:Yep, definitely worth a visit!