Niagara Falls - US and Canadian sides

Just a few hours after we left Erie, PA we passed through Buffalo, NY and arrived in Niagara Falls area. We had initially thought that the toll roads approaching Chicago were a little brutal but New York has managed some brutality of its own -- and more. We paid nearly $10 to travel on the road coming around Lake Erie to Niagara. Then we got hit with another $2 toll near Buffalo… then an $8 fee to park on Goat Island right near the falls on the American side. After that, pretty much anything beyond looking at the falls from the walking trails cost money (which we chose not to spend). To our surprise, there was very little "free" information about the falls -- even at the Visitors Center. We asked and were told we'd have to pay for most things but eventually found a wall display with some geology and historic information with pictures. We were surprised to learn that this was America's first State Park. The majesty and power of Niagara Falls cannot be adequately described -- or even photographed -- to capture the amazing volume of fresh water that pours every second of every day over the falls. We joined thousands of tourists marveling at how 20% of the earth's fresh water is located in the Great Lakes and here is was pouring out on it's way to the St Lawrence river and out to the ocean. This was the place where the continental divide we'd seen in Glacier National Park in Montana had separated out the rainfall from those mountains and east beyond to fall over these falls in front of us. Just amazing... We did as much free walking and looking as we could before deciding we'd set up camp on the Canadian side of the Falls for a few days. Paying (yet another) toll to cross the quarter-mile bridge that allows us to exit America and enter Canada, we forgot that we were carrying firewood until asked by Canadian border patrol. They quickly turned us around to return the wood before coming into Canada. We joined a long line on the American border patrol gate and finally were able to ask an official what we should do with the wood (assuming this was a fairly common occurrence -- as we'd been told -- and they'd have a place for it). Apparently not. We had to drive around Niagara Falls town looking for a bin to deposit our firewood. A half hour later we were back at the toll booth to go across to Canada pleading that we'd only recently paid the $6.50 -- showing receipts and paperwork to prove it. Our pleas and petitioning were met with bureaucratic head shakes and an extended hand -- not of friendship but of another toll collection. Grumbling, we paid another $6.50 and continued on. We selected an RV park not far from the falls, set up camp and called it an early night. The next day (Sunday 9/28) we got some home schooling done, made some calls and Ruth even "skyped" a friend back in Seattle. After lunch and two family rounds of mini (or putt-putt) golf at the park, we caught a shuttle bus into see the falls from the Canadian side. As everyone told us, it is more beautiful. From the Canadian side you get a better angle on the 2 main falls and the vista is more complete. We strolled along the park that overlooks the falls then decided to grab a meal before heading back later in the evening to see the light show that creates a color wash on the falls at night. Finding a dinner location took us up Clifton Hill Road and an abundance of crassly commercial outlets with their bright colors and lights and alluring sounds - a wax museum, ice cream stores, a huge Ferris wheel, movie theaters, pubs, etc. The girls kept looking around at all the distracting sites. Returning to the falls, we watched as the smaller Bridal Veil falls was washed in a blue then purple hue while the same effect was delivered in different colors across the American and Horseshoe falls. Kind of cool but not captivating enough to watch more than 10-15 minutes. We returned home on the shuttle bus and were in bed late that night. Today we are planning to begin our trek toward Quebec City, Quebec. We figure we'll get half way to Montreal in a day, passing by Toronto. Then to Montreal in a day, and Quebec in another day. But we're weighing whether to stay 2 nights at each stop to enjoy the local surrounds -- weather and mood will dictate. We had our first sprinkle of rain the other day but otherwise it remains quite warm during the day, cooling off at night. Now that we're in Fall/Autumn, we're starting to see some color making its way into the trees and look forward to seeing more of it on the road.