Niagara Falls has been a living as a punch line to jokes for so long that it is hard to shake the 1950′s stereotype. A quaint place for a honeymoon if you live in the 1050′s but a collections of small town amusements and motels by 21st century standards. Tacky trinket and t-shirt shops, moth chewed wax museums and photo opportunities going over the falls in a barrel with your head sticking through a plywood cutout with peeling paint. Who wants to go somewhere like that?

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Photo Credit: stevendepolo

The problem with stereotypes is that they are usually horribly out of date and were never that true to start with. Niagara Falls never really was that stereotype, it has always been an impressive amount of water falling over a cliff. In case you are wondering, no, they do not turn it off at night. The beauty of nature is not all there is either. Just check out the impressive cliff view entertainment that can be found around the Days Inn Niagara Falls without the cost of flying to Vegas. A full casino across the road, restaurants abound to match any fancy and some indoor water slide fun for the family because the Falls are not a water slide or an amusement park ride.

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Photo Credit: Alberto Mari

Back to the star of the show and the real reason to take the time to visit, the Falls themselves. With impressive parks that stretch almost the entire way from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, the area is a great place for strolling, packing a picnic or to pedal along at a leisurely pace. Things are pack tight around the Falls specifically as everyone jockeys for the best pictures, selfies, family vacation portraits or quirky group poses. Once the necessary pictures are taken, put the camera and phone away and just be impressed by all of that water, feel the mist which will be very refreshing in the heat of summer. That same mist makes for a special treat in winter after a few days of deep freeze it forms natural ice sculptures all around the Falls and lights up really nicely for cold evening viewing.

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Photo Credit: bgilliard

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