Falling for Niagara

Monroe, Michigan
Quick post. I know I've been slacking on the blog lately, but there hasn't been a whole lot to write about. I've officially started my journey back West, having left Boston on Sunday, and my plan is to be in Chicago by Saturday.

Boston is a great city, surrounded by history and great architecture and funny accents. I stayed with my friend Danielle, and in keeping with my pattern of bringing bad weather wherever I go, there was thunderstorms, heat, and high humidity most of the weekend. Friday night we went out for a nice dinner and then to Fanueil Hall for a comedy show featuring Gary Gullman. For those not familiar with him, he's currently on the HBO series "Tourgasm" and was a finalist on the first season of "Last Comic Standing." Funny guy, and if you see him in a city near you, I recommend catching the show.

Saturday we walked around Harvard, sneaking our way onto a guided tour. The brick buildings, ivy covered walls, and sense of importance was a far cry from my college experience at University of California at Santa Cruz. I had a good time during my college years and I learned a lot about life and myself, but part of me has always wished I'd gone to a more traditional school. I never would have gotten into a school like Harvard, but I couldn't help but wonder if my life would have been different had I had a more typical college experience. I probably would have joined a fraternity and become a total douchebag, so maybe it all worked out for the best. Hell, had I not gone to Santa Cruz and dropped out to work at KSCO, I wouldn't be where I am in radio! (and maybe that would have been a good thing?)


I left Boston on Sunday and had a toddler intensive day, starting with a stop at the house of an old friend from high school. Lindsay left California to go to school in Boston, where she met Chris, eventually got married, and popped out little Theo. He's 15 months and was a little cranky when I first got there, but eventually he warmed up and we had a nice time catching up on life (me and Lindsay...I didn't catch up with Theo seeing as he can't really talk yet).



From there it was back to New York, specifically the Poughkeepsie area, where I spent the night at Greg, Lisa, and Eva's house. Greg and I worked together at KSFO in San Francisco, and he and the fam moved back East a couple of years ago. Eva is now 3ish and growing up beautifully (except for a little problem with getting ready for bed, but I can't really blame her - I have the same problem). We sat and bullshitted about radio and what a god-awful business it is, and how much we love it anyway, and it was a nice night. Lisa is a gourmet vegetarian chef and was happy to be able to cook for an appreciative vegetarian, and I was stoked on getting a home-cooked meal. The next morning I was off to Niagara Falls.

I spent all of Monday driving and not realizing just how far the falls were, and finally got to the area in the evening. I got a campsite and settled in for the night, ready for an early start on sightseeing. Tuesday morning I was up and out early and at the falls by 9. I bought a combo ticket that gives you admission to several attractions for $24, including the "Maid of the Mist" and the "Cave of the Winds" tour. I left the visitors center and walked down the path for my first look of the falls, and I was blown away. It really is magnificent and inspiring and thunderously powerful, and the first thing I wanted to do after peeing was go over the falls. I can't explain why, but all my instincts were screaming about how much fun it would be. It was really an almost overwhelming urge, and while I don't think I was in danger of being compelled to jump into the river, I really wanted to.

I jumped on the "Maid of the Mist" after putting on my complimentary yellow plastic poncho, which with the heat of the day made me feel like a turkey in a roasting bag, and we set of into the falls to be soaked. "Maid of the Mist" is one of those time honored tourist things that everyone talks about, and in my experience so far, most of those experiences fail to be all that exciting. The "Maid" however lives up to the hype. Sitting on a boat that's driving into the rushing waters of the falls, when every bit of common sense you have is saying to go the opposite way, is truly a unique experience. You get a great view of the American, Bridal, and Horseshoe falls, and you even get to take home some souvenir genuine Niagara Falls water. You can't help but take it home, because even with the yellow roasting bag, you're soaked in it from head to toe. As an added bonus, hot tourist chicks also get completely soaked, so it's like a boat ride/wet t-shirt contest.

After that, I went to check out the Aquarium, which is really just a sad depository for old fish. Seriously - it seems like the place they send all the old fish and sea life from other aquariums around the country. Of the four Sea Lions they had in this small little swimming pool, two were completely blind, and one looked like it had been snacked on by Starr Jones. Inside, the place smelled like rotten fish, which doesn't inspire a lot of confidence coming from an aquarium, and it hasn't gotten a new coat of paint in about two decades. They did have penguins, though, but of course they had to be mental penguins. One woman who goes there a lot told me that a few weeks ago one of the penguins had shed, and since then he spends every waking moment facing the wall and staring at one particular spot with his arms spread out. I saw it, and it was slightly disturbing.

But this time I was dry and ready to be soaked again, so it was off the the "Cave of the Winds" which walks you down to the base of Bridal Falls. You stand on this wooden walkway they built and experience this torrent of water rushing over you, until you remember your phone and camera and wallet are in your pockets. Luckily there was no permanent damage, but I've been paying for things in soggy bills for the past two day. It was better than any water ride I've ever been on, and there's something majestic about it.

I left the area yesterday morning after spending the night at a Mobile station near the Pennsylvania border, and since then driving through the industrial and barren stretches of Ohio and southern Michigan have been quite a contrast from the lush and picturesque landscapes of New England. After Chicago, I'll probably make a beeline for the wilderness of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

More as it happens...