| For years Niagara Falls has been one of the | | | | young adults to retirees, most had begun |
| most popular tourist destinations in the | | | | their trip in either New York City or Boston, |
| United States and Canada. Visitors from | | | | and most had gone to the Falls on a bus |
| abroad and North America cannot seem to shake | | | | tour.) |
| their desire to visit this dramatic aquatic | | | | |
| spectacle. But why exactly? The falls are not | | | | Here is a summary of the feedback: |
| particularly convenient to any major U.S. | | | | |
| city (apologies to Buffalo), which means | | | | Was it worth visiting? |
| visitors to the US will need at least two | | | | |
| days to fit in a visit to Niagara. | | | | A resounding yes. Most respondents |
| Furthermore besides the actual falls | | | | acknowledged that the eight hour trip from |
| themselves, there is little in the way of | | | | New York City was long, but surprisingly few |
| cultural or natural points of interest in the | | | | seemed to mind. Several people expressed how |
| area. That is unless you consider a visit to | | | | much they enjoyed seeing the countryside and |
| 'Ripley's Believe it or Not' to be a cultural | | | | getting a sense of the "real" United States. |
| experience. Finally, the climate in the | | | | Those who included a visit to Niagara Falls |
| Niagara region is rather daunting for much of | | | | as part of a tour of Canada were the least |
| the year. The area gets a lot of | | | | likely to complain about the distance. Only |
| precipitation throughout the year and winter | | | | one respondent expressed regret that he made |
| is definitely rugged in that region. | | | | the trip. He said he just did not find the |
| | | | falls themselves that impressive and did not |
| The short answer to why Niagara Falls has | | | | think it was worth the long bus trip. |
| such a following is good PR. People from far | | | | |
| and wide have heard of Niagara Falls. I | | | | Most recommended attractions? |
| recently asked a friend from Taiwan if she | | | | |
| had heard of Niagara Falls before moving to | | | | Hands down the Maid of the Mist boat tour was |
| the states. "Of course!", she replied, "we | | | | suggested as the must-do activity. Several |
| learned about Niagara Falls in grade school." | | | | people also pointed out that this was the |
| She went on to explain that most people who | | | | best way to view the falls for those who were |
| grew up in Asia consider Niagara Falls to be | | | | not able to go to the Canadian side because |
| one of the most important sites to see in the | | | | of visa re-entry issues. The Cave of the |
| U.S. Its reputation is also strong throughout | | | | Winds tour, which takes you by elevator to |
| Europe and India. The thought of missing | | | | the bottom of the falls, got high marks for |
| Niagara Falls is akin to missing the Great | | | | those who preferred not to take a boat ride. |
| Wall or the Taj Majal on a visit to China or | | | | The helicopter tour also got raves, but only |
| India respectively. | | | | one person in the survey took a helicopter |
| | | | tour. The nighttime illumination of the falls |
| The real key to Niagara Fall's enduring lure, | | | | got mixed reviews, with some calling it |
| however, may be simply that it does not | | | | "stunning", while others found it "tacky". |
| disappoint. The falls themselves have an | | | | Several people who traveled with children |
| undeniable dramatic beauty. Furthermore, the | | | | also recommended exploring the town of |
| ever popular Maid of the Mist boat ride that | | | | Niagara Falls, Ontario. It offers typically |
| takes tourists directly into the falls is | | | | touristy attractions that are sure to please |
| truly thrilling. Beyond that, the town of | | | | kids. |
| Niagara Falls, Ontario has a certain | | | | |
| dilapidated charm. As you stroll along Queen | | | | How long should you stay? |
| Victoria Park facing the falls on the | | | | |
| Canadian side, you cannot help but get a | | | | Almost everyone answered either one or two |
| sense of what it must have been like to visit | | | | days. A few people thought only a few hours |
| in more innocent times; before we were jaded | | | | were sufficient to see the sights, and no one |
| by extreme vacations and adventure tours. To | | | | suggested staying more than two days. |
| think of someone actually climbing into a | | | | |
| barrel and heading over the falls in 1901 | | | | When should you go? |
| (actually done for the first time by a 63 | | | | |
| year old school teacher) still captures the | | | | This is a little hard to decipher. Not |
| imagination. | | | | surprisingly most people visited Niagara |
| | | | Falls in the summer. The few who did go in |
| To get more insight into what impression | | | | the winter said they were impressed by the |
| Niagara Falls makes, I interviewed 40 people | | | | falls surrounded by ice, but expressed regret |
| who had visited the Falls in the past several | | | | that they could not go on the Maid of the |
| years. The survey, taken from a semi-randomly | | | | Mist (it stops running in October). In short, |
| selected sample, is patently unscientific. | | | | it seems like you should not go to Niagara in |
| However, the results are interesting | | | | the winter unless you are prepared for the |
| nonetheless. (A few words about the sample: | | | | cold. A few also recommended going in the |
| most respondents were not born in the US but | | | | fall to enjoy the foliage in Upstate New York |
| were living here, the age range was from | | | | along the way. |