Niagara Falls, NY, USA and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
I have included both cities as they are both based on one thing, THE FALLS!!!
Lets get a show of hands who has been here before
.....anyone....anyone.....Bueller...
(Sorry, I laughed so hard when someone else posted that on the CMO thread I had to use it)
I'm not much of a typer so I will be plagiarizing some comments from websites.
There is so much history about the Falls, so much technical info and sites to see that it would just be an incredibally long (and possibly boring) post.
In a nutshell...
"Born around 12,000 years ago, Niagara Falls is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River, on the border between Canada and the United States."
"The Falls are comprised of three separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the smaller, adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. The crescent-shaped Horseshoe Falls is also known as the Canadian Falls as it is located mostly on the Canadian side of the border."
"Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls (which includes the Bridal Veil). The Horseshoe Falls drop about 173 feet (53 m)."
"The American Falls drop about 70 feet (21 m) before reaching a jumble of fallen rocks that were deposited by a massive rock slide in 1954."
"The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (792 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (323 m) wide. The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season is 202,000 cubic feet per second (5,720 m³/s)....Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,832 m³/s) of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,416 m³/s). Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC). Viewpoints on the American shore generally are astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore. Thus, the most complete views of Niagara Falls are available from the Canadian shoreline. It is about a two hour drive from Toronto."
See what I mean....Phew...
"The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s."
Here is a link to a live webcam on the Falls
http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Niagara_Falls_Webcam.htm
"It’s estimated that 16 daredevils have gone over the Falls and five have died. Some have even gone over twice."
"The first person to go over the Falls in a barrel and survive was a 63 year old female schoolteacher."
"High wire tightrope acts used to be performed across the river. Most notably was "Blondin" who once actually carried his manager across on his back, stopping midway to rest !"
More info on Daredevils and the Falls here...
http://www.niagara-falls.name/daredevils.htm
http://www.highlightskids.com/Stories/NonFiction/NF0998_niagaraKnuckles.asp
"The Maid of the Mist boat has been carrying visitors, including heads of state and movie stars, below the Falls since 1846. There is now a small fleet of the boats to accommodate the tourist trade."
Now, you may ask yourself "has the flow ever stopped over the Falls?"
The answer would be YES!!
"The flow of water was stopped completely over both falls on March 29th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river for several hours. This is the only known time to have occurred. The Falls did not actually freeze over, but the flow was stopped to the point where people actually walked out and recovered artifacts from the riverbed!"
"The flow over the American Falls was stopped completely for several months in 1969. The idea was to determine the feasibility of removing the large amount of loose rock from the base of the falls to enhance it's appearance. In the end the final decision was that the expense would be too great."
"Twenty percent of the worlds freshwater lies in the Great Lakes, and most flows over Niagara Falls."
As far as Tourism is concerned there is "Clifton Hill".
"The Clifton Hill Tourist District. This area includes Clifton Hill, Falls Avenue, Victoria Avenue, Center Street and Bender Street.
Today Clifton Hill is the vibrant and colourful heart of the amusement and entertainment center of Niagara Falls. It consisting of many museums, restaurants, attractions and activities for all ages. It is the second busiest tourist sector next to the majestic Falls of Niagara themselves.
At night "THE HILL" as it is known to the our many citizens and visitors, becomes a hub of nightlife activities consisting of pulsating sounds of music and a magical world of sparkling and glittering lights."
Link to Clifton Hill Web page
http://www.niagarafallslive.com/clifton_hill.htm
More Links to Niagara Falls info...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls
http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/
I hope you have enjoyed the little history lesson and tour.
I was last in NF while passing through on our honeymoon 9 yrs ago.
As far as restaurants and other sites, I was there for 1 day and other than the falls, Clifton Hill, and the inside of the hotel room, well...didnt see much else!!!
Before our honeymoon, I may have been 14 with the parental units.
It is really strange how someone can be so close to such a natural wonder and just not go there.
I HAVE gone through at night, or just not stop, in those years in between on my way down south, though!
Part 2 - the road to Toronto, is next.
But I have to get back to chores so it may be a little later on today.
Any more takers? 
)
]. Hmmmm... I wonder if Disney brass would consider opening an ice-show somewhere inside the Parks. 'Sure would make things a lot easier... 
