We drove the 500 miles to Niagara Falls. At the Holiday Inn Select hotel employee Jennifer Redmond happily escorted Nellie to a locked storage room. After we unloaded, my family and I walked about 1/2 mile to the Falls. After gasping in awe at the Falls, we booked passage on the Maid of the Mist, the famous tourist boat that takes you to the edge of the base of the Falls. The Maid of the Mist may be something of a cliche but it is a must.

We were really impressed with the number of tourists from all over the world, particularly India. There seem to be more international visitors here than in DC. There are so many Indian tourists that some of the street vendors sell Indian food. There are many Indian restaurants nearby too. Maybe they should change the name to Ni-agra Falls. Oddly, there are no McDonalds or Burger Kings in sight.

In order to see the Falls from the Canadian side you need the appropriate visa to cross the border each way. Many international tourists don't know this and get stuck on either side of the border.

Across from the hotel is an immense casino run by Indians of another sort, the Seneca Nation. Apparently, for many people, the casino is the big draw in Niagara Falls these days. A few years ago I went to Las Vegas and was far more impressed by Hoover Dam and Zion National Park than anything in Vegas. I feel the same way about Niagara Falls. I could gape at the Falls and listen to the roar of the water for hours. I'll skip the casino entirely.