  It's a long way to Niagara Falls and back to Boston, you know. A map told me it was around 462 miles to Buffalo, the nearest city to the Falls&nbsp;that's still on the US side.
But we thought we'd try to go anyway. So on a Friday afternoon (thanks to L.E.K. 's summer hours in the US), Annie, Elaine (a friend of Annie's) and I set off on the long drive ahead to Buffalo... &nbsp; &nbsp; * OFF TO SEE A BUFFALO * &nbsp; Now I've never driven on the right had side of the road.
Nor had I driven a car larger than a small hatchback, but this time, I had the chance to drive a beige Chevvie across two US states. Tricky at first (I couldn't really feel how fast the car was accelerating and more worrying, how fast it was under braking), I managed to drive down to Buffalo without too many mishaps. Except we got lost on the way in Albany. Twice. &nbsp; After some extra speed (I admit, I did surpass expectations, if you know what I mean...), we did make it into Buffalo, or rather its suburbs late, at night.
An early morning rise come about as we seek what we came a long long way for. &nbsp; &nbsp; * NIAGARA FALLS * &nbsp; The falls are one of the most amazing sights one would ever see. Sitting on the River Niagara and straddling between US and Canada, the falls are actuually two. The American Falls are more of a traditional straight edge waterfall, whilst the Horseshoe Falls are as the name suggests and curved.
Due to the shape of the falls (which are probably around 240 degrees around a circle, the water falls down and a mass of mist arises from the pool below, to a height probably around 20 feet above the top of the falls. &nbsp; A series of boats&nbsp;( The Maid of The Mist ) go down to the base of each of the falls, taking tourists and soaking them.
But if that wasn't enough wetting, the Cave of the Winds allows you to travel by elevator to the base of the American Falls. Four platforms can be climbed, the third of which is called The Hurricane and an apt name it is too. You get totally drenched! &nbsp; The American Falls are a fantastic sight at night, but the Horseshoe Falls are more of a disappointment, mainly because the mist obscures much of what you can see of the falls.
&nbsp; &nbsp; * WHERE HAVE ALL THE BUFFALOS GONE? * &nbsp; In the middle of our day and night visits to the Falls, we decided to go into Buffalo for some Buffalo wings, of course. Having made it into Buffalo, though, it was very much a ghost town. Barely a soul was in sight, no shops were open, and we had to travel a little further uptown to find a bar serving the said wings.
&nbsp; But it was amazing that the town could be so empty. Where do all the kids and teenagers go? One person suggested we go to the Galleria Mall close to our hotel, which we did, but still not many people were there? So what do Buffalos do on a weekend? &nbsp; &nbsp; * ANNIE'S WEDDING LOCATION * &nbsp; Annie's found her wedding location. Our journey back from Buffalo was a more relaxed affair. Taking a detour from the I-90 highway, we decided to take US route 20 to visit the Finger Lakes.
Our first stop was at Canandaigua, a little town on the edge of the lake of the same name. A beautiful lakeshore greets you with gazebo that reaches out into the water. Now Annie has picked a place, all she has to do is get married! The rest of our journey took us through the Finger Lakes region and a few extra sights to see. It was a very good trip and the 1,050 miles were worth it. Not a bad weekend at all!
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