Satisfied. I centered this trip around seven units of the national park system, none of which are located in New York. A secondary goal, however, was to hit as many states along the east coast as possible in the time I had, and really, New York wasn't that much farther than Pennsylvania, plus could I really pass up a visit to the quintessential tourist trap that is Niagara Falls? I also had a friend living in Toronto, which pretty much solidified my plans to go to the state; cross another one off my list, visit another Great Lake, see the falls, and catch up with a friend.
Niagara Falls isn't technically on a lake but instead rests on the Niagara River connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. I'd stopped at a little state park on the shores of Lake Erie on my way to New York, and meandered up to Lake Ontario while killing time waiting for my friend to be available, meaning I approached Niagara Falls from the north. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend a drive along the Niagara Scenic Parkway, taking the time to stop at all the little state parks that dot the road. There's just something about looking across a canyon and knowing another country sits
right there, right across the deep canyon and startling blue-green river.
Now, none of the giant, iconic falls sheltered by Niagara Falls State Park are actually called Niagara Falls. No, that's the name of the city that sprawls on both sides of the US-Canadian border. Goat Island splits the north-flowing Niagara River into three falls, named Bridal Veil Falls, American Falls, and the more famous Horseshoe Falls. Both the Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls sit on the American side of the border, while Horseshoe Falls spans the width of the river between countries. I had done the bare minimum amount of research when looking into this stop along my way, just enough to get me there and tell me there was no camping in the area, so I had no idea the river flowed north, that there were actually three falls, and that none of them were called Niagara. I felt like I'd been lied to my entire life, but looking back I have no idea where I got my preconceptions.
I spent the entire evening at the park, wandering its paved trails, taking countless photos, and generally letting myself get swept away in the flow of tourist traffic. I had no real desire to get tickets to the river, where I could either get wet by walking to the base of Bridal Veil Falls or take a boat to the churning pool of Horseshoe Falls, but instead stuck to the overlooks including the glass observation deck which was as close as one could get to an aerial view of the falls without actually leaving solid ground. After a frankly ridiculous wait at the United States border my friend finally made it through and met me at the park, where we retraced my steps and revisited all the views before it got dark.
She and I headed into the city on foot to find some dinner, and would it really be a visit to New York without pizza? We found a vendor and grabbed a table, chatting the whole time. The fireworks began as we were eating, and we made our way back to the falls to catch the show. We wandered back to the observation deck and watched as the falls were lit up in a cycle of red, white, and blue from floodlights on the Canadian side of the river. Again, I had no idea they lit up the falls, and I am still so happy we decided to stay in the area until late. The longer I spent there the happier I became, pleased with myself for being in that spot on what was basically a whim. I should probably open my future travels up a little more to allow for memories like these.
