I woke up around 6am today to the sound of rain falling on the car. I had left the windows slightly cracked open when I went to bed, since it wasn’t too cold outside and the fresh air is nice. Because of this though, rain would soon be getting into the car, and so I had to quickly get up, remember where I left the keys, turn on the cars power and roll up the windows. I promptly fell back asleep and woke up again at 10am, late, but not too late in comparison to when I’ve been waking up recently.
I hung out at the OnRoute for a little bit, brushed my teeth and washed my face, before getting back on the road to head to Cambridge, only 15 minutes away. I wasn’t planning to do much in Cambridge, but I did want to get a photo with the big sign near city hall. I was born in Cambridge, England, so it was kind of fun to be in Cambridge, Ontario.
On my way to the sign I walked past a small farmers market they had set up in one of the city squares that looked to mostly be floral and fruits/vegetables related. I also found out they were doing fire safety week right behind the Cambridge sign, where they were discussing fire safety and showcasing the numerous fires that shaped downtown into what it is today. Inside, they had a showcase of more of the history of Cambridge and information about the city archives, along with representatives from local museums talking about what their museums had to offer.
After looking around, I drove a few minutes away to a Starbucks where I used the wifi to catch up on some blog posts and do some work. The next destination is a little more exciting: Niagara Falls! I went to the falls when I was very, very young, and well before I could remember anything, so this is realistically my first time going to Niagara Falls and I was definitely looking forward to it. I wasn’t planning on staying very long there, as it’s quite a touristy place and I don’t have much interest in that when I’m traveling by myself.
I arrived at around 5pm and went to look for parking. The first place I went was the largest lot near the falls on Google Maps, but upon arriving it said it was $20! That felt way too much for a quick walk to the falls, so I drove around a bit more and found a lot that was $10. Still not cheap, but not as bad as the first one, and it was for 8 hours which gave me more than enough time to see what I wanted to see.
I walked about 10 minutes to the edge of the river (though still well above it) where I could see the American side of the falls, but my mum suggested I walk another 15 minutes up the river towards the Canadian falls, which are more grand and let you get much closer (since the American falls are well, on the American side). It was raining a little bit, but not too much and I had my rain jacket on keeping me nice and dry. There’s definitely a lot of tourists around, and I can only imagine what it would be like in the summertime when the weather is nicer.
The American falls, an objectively less-grand waterfall than the Canadian falls.
I got to the Canadian falls and it definitely is a lot more intense than the American side. You can get right up to the water, within 10 or 15 feet, which really emphasizes the sheer amount of water going over the falls. It made me think of the story of the man who almost got swept over, but managed to hold on to a rock long enough to get rescued, which is an incredible feat given the force of that water.
After admiring the falls for a bit, I walked into the little shopping centre nearby to use the bathroom and get out of the rain for a bit. Afterward, I started the 25 minute walk back to the car, where I took the road a little further from the falls to avoid the crowds and puddles. About half way back, I for some reason decided I didn’t really want to sleep in the car tonight, so I checked local hotels to see if they were outrageously expensive, or if I could find a good deal. The first hotel I found was about $100, but when I called and asked about parking, they said it was $50 extra, which seems crazy. The second place I called was $110, and when I called she said parking was only for guests, which is when I had to clarify I was asking about it for a guest, to which she then said parking was included in the price. Breakfast was also included, and it looked like a decent place, so I made the reservation online.
I kept walking back to the car, stopping at a Popeyes (my latest obsession, though quality varies a lot depending on location) on the way. There was only one person in front of me in line, so I stood and waited. Little did I know at first, this person was ordering over $100 worth of food, and didn’t realize they didn’t have enough cash to pay for it. It ended up taking almost 10 minutes for them to sort it all out by paying with three different payment methods: Canadian cash, American cash, and a debit card. But, they eventually got it and I was able to place my order.
After placing my order, waiting for it, and getting my food in less time than it took the other person to find the right money, I walked back to the car and watched some of my downloaded YouTube videos in the car (I figured my food would be cold if I waited to eat it until I got to my hotel). After my enjoyable meal (though I’m not a huge fan of the biscuits) I drove to the hotel and got myself checked in.
I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching videos, before heading to bed and getting a good nights rest in a proper bed.