To Niagara Or Bust!!

I have always wanted to get to Niagra Falls, NY. I remember watching a documentary about the men that went over the falls when I was a child (in a history class in 5th grade). I always wanted to see the falls up close and feel the spray from the mist. Well, I can now check that off of my list of things I would love to see in my life. Rick came home one day, a few weeks ago and said that he needed a break. He wanted to go away for a weekend and see something new. We thought about it for weeks and mulled over going to see D.C.. Philadelphia, Virginia, but when he suggested Niagara Falls & upstate New York, I was sold!

We left on a Friday after Jacob got out of School and drove the full 5 hours. We loved the beautiful drive! The fall colors are in full force so we got shots of bright yellows, oranges, browns, greens, oh, it was beautiful! Every turn was a new scene and after we got out of Pittsburgh it was farms and woods as far as we could see. I really do love PA for that!

We showed up in Niagara at about 4:30 pm and checked into the hotel. We realized the last trip out on the Maid of the Mist (the boat that takes you up to the falls) was in 20 minutes so we loaded up immediately and headed over. Unfortunately we got there too late to do the boat ride, but the views were amazing. I don't mind not getting soaked though. The views of the falls from the observation areas were really good, so I don't think we missed too much. I could not take my camera on it if we had either, so 15$pp made it less attractive anyway.

The walk up to the falls was beautiful. they have a park that has bences and tree lined paths that butt right up agains the water. It was super intimidating to get up close to the rails because you really feel like you are one good sprinkling short of a flood! The overlook area at the edge of the falls (level with the water) was breath taking! The sheet power of the falls was unbelievable

I shot the falls from every angle possible and I think I got a few good shots considering I was shooting directly into the sun and serious wind force.

**If you have never been to Niagara, the falls are split between the US and Canada. From the US side your views are only really of the falls on the right. The Canadian side gets the view of both sides of the falls, but we did not have a passport with us to get over. See, the one in the picture below is Niagara Falls, NY. If you cross the bridge we are on and go 1/2 mile over you are in Ontario, Canada and you can see the second falls over on the far right (by the second set of mists). I like the ones we could see on the NY side though. It was plenty of beauty for me!