In Niagara Falls, which was one of the brief stops on our way home from the family reunion, I had a nice view of the "Grim Motel" sign from the curb was I was sitting, waiting for David and Luke to finish their round of dinosaur-themed mini-golf. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the sign actually says "Pilgrim Motel" but I think the shortened version definitely suits the general ambiance in that particular area. At our own hotel we were given a map of local attractions, the top of which read "Niagara Falls, One Wonder After Another." I think "Niagara Falls, One Wonder and A Whole Lotta Other Crap" would be more accurate. Luke didn't care -- a space-themed mini-golf course (glow in the dark no less!) was located right across the street from the dinosaur one. I went back to the hotel with a migraine. The Falls themselves? Well, the migraine probably had something to do with it, but I felt they'd been way over-sold. I'd expected them to be about two times as high, like something impossible-looking in a science fiction movie. To be fair, we didn't have time to get too close. I'm sure the Falls look plenty high when you're looking up at them from the Maid of the Mist.
I think it is all about the vantage point. I was there in July, but sadly, missed out on the Maid of the Mist, as it was a crummy day the day we had planned to go. The town has become way more... amreican? somehow, in the last ten years, I think.
The Grim Motel sounds like something from Lemony Snicket or the Eddie Dickens series, doens't it?
Posted by: kittenpie | August 11, 2008 at 06:36 PM