This made me wet

In the interest of posting something related to our trip, I'm skipping a few states.  Eventually, I'll share the glorious details of Devils Tower, WY, Mt. Rushmore, SD, The Corn Palace in SD, Madison, WI and Ann Arbor, MI.  

Our story continues as we enter Canada yet again, this time encountering a humourless young woman at the border of Ontario. I thought all Canadians had a sense of fun. Then again, most of the ones I've encountered were comedic performers - Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara - so perhaps my impression is slightly skewed.

Customs girl asked me "Where are you going?" to which I replied "Niagara Falls."

She then assumed an intent interrogatory stance: "What are you going to do there?"

"Um...look at the Falls?" Was this a trick question? Was she unfamiliar with that area and its sightseeing potential? She seemed slightly disgruntled, but waved us through.

We zipped along until we reached Niagara Falls and discovered it had changed a bit since our honeymoon 24 years ago. Huge casinos dominated the skyline; even more tacky haunted houses and wax museums and junky souvenir shops littered the blocks. We got a bit lost, carried out the obligatory finger-pointing blame game, and made it to our hotel. The clerk told us we could take their free shuttle down to the falls area, leaving in 2 minutes, or wait an hour.

We opted to dash to the shuttle.  Once it dumped us out near the Clifton Hill area, we quickly walked through the crowds to the Falls.  If you've never been, you should go.  We watched as the sun set and the light show began, illuminating the water with many colors.  Then we enjoyed a great fireworks display over the Falls.  Back to the hotel for much-needed sleep.

The next morning, we lined up for the Maid of the Mist boat ride.  MotM departs from Canadian docks past the base of the American Falls, then into the basin of Canada's huge Horseshoe Falls.  

Professor X and I had taken the boat almost a quarter of a century before on our honeymoon  Cliched, eh? Humph.  We thought it was pretty neat.  

The kids were excited to get spaces next to the railing on the upper deck of the boat.  We looked just like the travel guide pictures of visitors garbed in our "recyclable souvenir raincoat provided free with admission to help keep you dry from the mist and spray" as the boat left the dock.  We were mighty glad that we'd put on our raincoat hoods, as the seagulls flying overhead gifted us with a shower of white poop.   As the boat moved in close to the Falls, the spray was incredibly strong.  Our faces quickly became water soaked, and the raincoats were washed clean.

We headed down the road for our next adventure.