Niagara Falls is only around one and a half hours bus ride from Toronto and on arriving into the Terminal we promptly got into a cab for the 10 minute drive to our Best Western hotel which was conveniently located only 5 minutes’ walk (all downhill) to the famous falls.  Yay! The room was about four times the size of our room at the hostel and although it doesn’t have cooking facilities or a fridge, the hotel has a heated indoor swimming pool and we are happy enough to remain here for a few days before moving on to Washington DC.

We buy some provisions (cereal, bakery items, fruit) that don’t require cooking and as necessity is the mother of invention we use our snow covered balcony as the fridge (it is around 1 degree outside anyway) to keep milk, juice, cheese etc. Coupled with the occasional meal out, we live very comfortably for the next few days.

It is bitterly cold though, and the famous ‘Maid of the Mist’ boat that runs up close and under the falls, is still up on its slip as the river is mostly iced over. Nevertheless, Niagara Falls itself is very impressive, though the town definitely wasn’t. Like a (very) mini Las Vegas there are Casinos and other such activities to keep people occupied, and out from the tourist strip it is a old run down town that has seen better days.

So, apart from a few walks to the falls by day and night, we take a trip to the wonderful Butterfly House at the Niagara Falls Botanical Gardens which was surprisingly interesting, and keeps us occupied for a good few hours one afternoon.

After three nights in Niagara Falls and not having enough notice for a cheap flight onto Washington from Buffalo we have no other options than to take an overnight bus onto Washington DC – Noooooo! It has been a long time since I have had to take an overnight bus but having willed ourselves into thinking it can’t be too bad (time can make you forget lots of things!), we check out of our room and spend the afternoon doing some schoolwork in the hotels lounge until it is time to head to the bus terminal once more.

We cross the Niagara River Gorge via the Rainbow Bridge, the steel arch bridge that connects the cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada to Niagara Falls, New York State, United States, saying goodbye to Canada and Hello to the ‘ol US of A .