New-York - Niagara Falls
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We started our stay in the U.S.A. with the visit of that must-see. We chose a boat cruise with Maid of the Mist on the American side. Indeed, given that the Canadian side is the most impressive with the famous Horseshoe Falls, visitors rush into it, whereas it is a little more expensive and the crowd in the boats is denser. Yet, the tour is almost the same: the American cruise allows us to get close to Horseshoe Falls after having admired American Falls, less amazing but that are worth lingering nevertheless. Moreover, the ticket provides access to a panoramic viewpoint you reach with an elevator, and to the Goat Island wide park, where are some remarkable viewpoints as well, the last of which overlooks… Horseshoe Falls!!! Certainly, that is a lateral view angle, but we are close to the falls and we can admire rainbows appearing within the mist.
So, we crossed the Rainbow Bridge, which links both countries. Naturally, we had to complete registration for entry into the U.S.A. at the border crossing, before we reach the pier. There, we have been given nice blue ponchos with the «Maid of the Mist» logo, and then we embarked for an unforgettable experience. As we were getting close to the American Falls, we caught a spray. But that was nothing compared to the huge and powerful Horseshoe Falls, where we got splashed. Real force of nature, close to which we felt very small, they came crashing down in the heart of Niagara River in a deafening noise that sounded like a relentless tearing. A thick foam formed in front of us. Fortunately, the slight breeze was favorable for it blew from the side and carried the mist away. We came back from that boat ride in that picturesque place full of happiness, aware that we had the privilege to visit one of the most remarkable sites in the world.
Then, we returned to Canada for a few hours to take a ride to the Wine Route, completing with a stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Finally, we reached the American border in Lewiston to continue our exciting adventure for eleven days in the North-East of the U.S.A. The check at the border crossing was not so stringent, given that we had already completed the formalities in Niagara Falls. After we crossed the Buffalo unattractive main motorways, we took U.S. Route 219 through green landscapes and villages full of charm with nice colored wooden houses. We were even fortunate to see Amerindians in one of them. In wooded areas, some deer appeared by the roadside. So we slowed down, for safety of course, but also to admire them, to immerse ourselves with the appeasement that they gave off, and that those landscapes we crossed exuded, more generally. We finally reached Bradford, Pennsylvania, our next stop, which is located a few kilometers beyond the state border.
Published on January, 4th 2019