Niagara Falls is an interesting combination of many things. An intersection of countries and a juxtaposition of activities. I went to Niagara Falls for the first time last weekend, and although I had an awesome time, I'll admit, it was not what I was expecting. Albeit, I'm not exactly sure WHAT I was expecting.. So, anyway, here is a list of things I learned about Niagara Falls (the Canadian side), and the surrounding area, that I did not expect..

1.The falls themselves are lit. Pun intended. They actually do light them up at night.

2. They also have boat tours that depart from both the Canadian and the American side every 15 minutes, and although slightly overpriced, they are an absolutely amazing way to experience the falls.

3. If you're lucky enough to get a spot at the bow of the boat, you will be greeted with a majestic view of the falls, as well as a faceful of mist. Which is another thing I wasn't expecting. Again, maybe I did not put enough thought into it before, but I did not think about the fact that there would be an insane amount of mist, especially by the horseshoe falls. It made it almost impossible to see the falls in their entirety. Which was fine, there was still plenty to see, and added to the intensity of the falls, but it was something I didn't expect!

4. There is an insane touristy area of Niagara Falls, at least on the Canadian side, that I had no idea existed. Like Wisconsin Dells type stuff. Gift shops, Ripley's Believe it Or Not...those kinds of things. These kind of places are always fun to walk though, but when I was going to Niagara Falls, I will admit I did not expect for a natural, beautiful landmark, to be surrounded by this kind of stuff.

5. Casinos! Everywhere! I guess this was common knowledge...?

6. Tim Horton's are absolutely everywhere around Niagara Falls. And also amazing. Everywhere you turn there is another restaurant or someone drinking something from there. It's intense.

5. The falls are even more breathtaking in person. Seriously, despite the touristy things, and the casinos... you cannot take away the awe I felt when I saw them for the first time, or when I went done the incline railway (also an interesting experience), to the balcony next to falls and saw the magnitude of the rushing water. They truly are an amazing feat of nature and you should probably go at some point.