Niagara Falls: The American Side

We took a much needed mini-vacation to Niagara Falls.  It was on our to-do list before we moved out of the New England area as it is only a 7 hour drive.

I was so excited to see the falls that we drove straight there after checking into our cabin.  I was able to see the mist from miles upriver when we were crossing on the bridge.

The falls did not disappoint.

We got there right before dark, but to our surprise they light everything up at night, including what is called the American rapids (the rapids right before the American Falls.)    

Just look at the sudden drop off.... INTENSE.  Ryan was constantly contemplating how he would survive the rapids and get to the edge before going over.  The trolley tour guy told us that these rapids before the falls were classified a 6 out of 5, meaning certain death if you fell in.

The colors were changed up every 5 minutes.

Here's the layout of Niagara Falls:

We don't have passports, so we had to stick to the American side.  On the drive in, I kept thinking I'd accidentally take a turn and end up in Canada or be questioned by the border police on what I was doing.  Luckily, I didn't make that mistake.
The Rainbow Bridge into Canada:

We did "The Cave of the Winds" to get right next to the American Falls.

and we went on the Maid of the Mist past the American Falls and right into the center of the Horseshoe Falls.

While boarding the boat, an old man stopped to tell us that there really is magic in the mist.

No one has ever survived going over the American Falls (due to all the rocks on the bottom) but a few have going over the Horseshoe Falls.

More from our trip in upstate New York to come soon!
xo