Doing It All In The Falls Part II

Ok, so where’d we leave off? Right… headed to the Hornblower Night Cruise, which I’m sure I described as a Titanic Experience. I know that seems extreme but let me explain. Let me start with why we decided to do the cruise at night. The website completely set the scene. A 45 minute boat cruise under the stars with drinks, & a firework show. We’d get to see the Falls up close and personal while they are lit up in beautiful colors. SOLD! It sound so romantic. I thought it would be a perfect way to end the night. However, let me paint a picture of what the cruise experience truly was for me.

When you arrive at the Hornblower Cruise, you take an outdoor elevator down to the water. When the doors open down near the water, you will be greeted with an unexpected and unpleasant smell. The smell is not intolerable, however it does catch you by surprise. They provide you with a thin hooded poncho prior to getting on the boat, and then escort you on. When we walked onto the boat, of course the first thing we’re thinking is “let’s hit the bar”. The bar menu was very underwhelming to me, but I will admit my expectation was set for more options than Beer and Smirnoff

coolers. The bar is very small and there were only two people working it. So the rush of people coming onto the boat, did make for a slow moving long line. However, we indulged. Once the boat got moving, the wind picked up; which made it a little chilly. Unfortunately the closer we got to the falls, the more the wind blew, causing all the stinky water to smack us in the face. Having a drink and trying to stand on the outside of the boat was a no go. We didn’t want the water getting inside of our drinks. When the firework show began, it was not as beautiful as it was seeing it from higher ground. The show was in far distance, and because the fireworks were being set from the water, where we were, it was like being watching fireworks 4 blocks away from your front porch. Very underwhelming. The cruise itself was smooth sailing for the most part. It was not a bumpy uncomfortable ride. The boat cruised at a steady speed that didn't make me feel I needed to grab a hold of anything to stay grounded. It went back and forth between the falls and was enjoyable when ever we weren’t in close proximity to the Falls and all it’s windy glory. My recommendation if your going to take this cruise would be, to do it in the day time. That way you can actually see the water, and the beauty of everything in natural lighting. I also think the cruise would be more enjoyable under the sun since it is so cold and windy on the water; especially at night time. The cost of the cruise is more for a night ride. Apparently, that’s due to the fireworks show. They do fireworks all week long. Seeing them from higher ground was a lot more enjoyable than seeing them on the cruise. I give the cruise a 3/5 . I would do it again... just to see it in the day time.

Last but not least we tied our trip up with brunch at The Flour Mill Scratch Kitchen the next morning. The menu was not extensive but the brunch was delicious from start to finish. I had the Flour Mill BLT and it was unlike any other breakfast sandwich I’d ever tried. The service was superb, the ambiance was very nice, and most importantly, the champagne to OJ ratio was perfect in the mimosa. Lol It was the absolute best ending to our trip. As we left the restaurant, we were able to take one more cruise past the falls, and soak up the scenery one last time. The trip was Perfect. Niagara Falls has so much to offer from family-friendly activities to things specifically for adults. I would highly recommend anyone considering visiting The Falls to definitely take the trip.