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Niagara Tourism Board Confused, Troubled By Adult-Themed Family-Branded Auto Show

At first the Dream Toys Show & Expo rolling into Niagara Falls on January 30-31 seems like a straightforward car, bike, and boat show. There are vendors and displays where sellers will hawk their wares and exchange pleasantries with customers. There are shows in between to keep people amused, including contests like "Best Muscle," "Best Custom Bike," and "Hot Bikini Contest" ($500 1st place!) There are seminars on tattoos, bike maintenance, car audio, plus a bunch more. There's even a karate contest.

The convention, though, also has a skeezier aspect. In the back of the hall there's a VIP Gentleman's Club that kicks off at 6pm Saturday night. The club, such as it is, includes a burlesque show, a "lingerie show," and live music. It also has pole dancers and a bar. Details are sketchy about the degree to which the lingerie remains intact while the live music is playing, but the overarching concept was enough to raise concerns with the Niagara tourism board.

The entire expo, you see, is also being billed as a family event. There's a bounce house set up. The juxtaposition has engendered in board members what psychologists like to call "cognitive dissonance." Or in Internet terms, they were all like wtf:

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Tags: Ferris-Wheels-of-the-World / Ferris Wheels / Niagara Falls / Tourist Attractions / Videos / → All Tags

Ferris Wheel Travel: Flying Over Niagara Falls

Even with the warmer weather on the way out, Niagara Falls is still a great place to take in some of nature's beauty in cooler temperatures--especially within heated "pods."

The Niagara SkyWheel, situated on the Canadian side of the falls within Clifton Hill, rises more than 175 feet into the air as it slowly rotates to give riders a view of the falls.

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Tags: Summer-Vacations-With-An-Edge / Summer Travel / Clifton Hill / Niagara Falls / Waterfalls / → All Tags

Summer Vacations with an Edge: Niagara Falls? Really?

Yes, you've seen Niagara Falls before, but have you ever ventured over the edge in a barrel? No? Here's a tour that's the next best thing--and probably a lot safer.

Available on either the Canadian or American side of the border, Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours offer a ride in the rapids just before you would otherwise plummet to your death below. The 1,500 hp boats go up to 65 mph during the tour, and stop just short of the falls at a rough patch of class six rapids. The less adventurous can choose an enclosed vessel for the 60-minute journey, but for the full experience take one of the "Wet Jets" and get soaked.

The ticket will set you back $56, but they're hiring for the summer season so maybe you can work for some free rides. After you've changed into some dry clothes, go grab a bite to eat at one of the, uh, "wonderful" restaurants on Clifton Hill.

Related Stories:
· Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours [Official Site]
· Summer Vacations with an Edge coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: wjklos]

Tags: Tourist Traps / Clifton Hill / Niagara Falls / → All Tags

Tourist Traps: Niagara Falls' Clifton Hill

What better way to complement one of (arguably) the world's great wonders than with celebrities carved out of wax and overpriced fajitas? While the website bills it as "fun by the Falls," many consider Clifton Hill an eyesore.

The tourist attraction winds up a narrow hill near the horseshoe falls on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. The street is a condensed Times Square, with all the fluorescent bulbs and name brand shopping/eating. After contemplating man's mortality beside the crushing natural wonder, travelers walk uphill to patron the arcades, haunted houses, and wax museums. After working up an appetite on the golf course (the kind with wind mills), they dine between Marilyn's wig and Elvis' guitar at Hard Rock or Planet Hollywood.

Related Stories:
· Tourist Traps [Jaunted]
· Niagara Falls Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]

[Photo: jamb]

Tags: Niagara Falls / Attractions / → All Tags

Niagara Skywheel: The Falls in Rembrandt Lighting

Monday, we climbed deep into Niagara Falls to stand beside the crushing weight of 212,000 cubic feet of water pouring over a cliff every second. Today, we rode the Skywheel on the Canadian side of the falls to catch a birds' eye view of the action.

The angle and distance makes the site seem serene. Like the girl from Clueless said, the Falls is a total Monet: pretty from far away, but up close, it's a big mess (and by mess, we mean a cacophony of awesomeness).

For $10, visitors can take a break from the wax museums and arcades lining Clifton Hill and take a 10-minute ride on the 172-foot wheel.

Don't be fooled by the photo on the Skywheel's website, however, it's much farther from the main event than depicted.

Over at HotelChatter, we learned the Marriott's ad designers also got a little carried away with Photoshop.

The only thing missing from this picture is a superimposed leprechaun and maybe a unicorn flying over the falls. I'm sure, for $50, the people from Louis Tussaud's (Madame's estranged brother?) up the street could make that happen with a little clay and some fishing line.

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Niagara Falls [HotelChatter]

Tags: Niagara Falls / Attractions / → All Tags

Cave of the Winds: Showering in Niagara Falls

We'll forgive the false advertising. Because the caveless Cave of the Winds on Goat Island in Niagara Falls gets us a few safe feet away from crushing death.

Although the name is a bit misleading -- a rock fall in 1920 made the cavern behind the falls unsafe for tourists -- the site still lives up to its hype. While visitors now stand in front of the falls, they can still climb atop The Hurricane Deck while the rushing water and 68 mph wind makes the enormous blue ponchos that come with a ticket purchase completely useless. The water from Bridal Falls, the lone chute that's part of the United States-side falls, drenches anyone who makes the trek.

In a refreshing break from most tourist traps, admission only costs $10, and the ticket includes the poncho and a pair of rubber sandals.

Impatients and clausterphobics beware. The major drawback: Prepare to wait in a winding line for up to three hours before finally taking the crammed elevator 175 feet below ground to the floor of the falls.

Related Stories:
· Hotels in Niagara Falls [HotelChatter]

Tags: Sienna Miller / Movie Set Travel / Niagara Falls / Attractions / → All Tags

Sienna Miller Goes Bareback At Niagara Falls

Sure Niagara Falls will always finish number two behind southern Africa's Victoria Falls when it comes to sheer water volume, however until Victoria Falls can produce a photo of Sienna Miller in a red wig on the back of a blue horse with a bunch of agape tourists as a backdrop, it is Niagara Falls 1, Victoria Falls 0.

We know some dude once tried unsuccessfully to go over Niagara Falls in a jet ski, but as far as we know no one has ever tried to clear the falls on the back of a blue horse.  

Sienna Miller and James Franco are currently filming "Camille" in Toronto and Niagara Falls Ontario.

One more photo post jump.

[Photo: GossipRocks]

Related Stories:
· Niagara Falls Info [TripAdvisor]
· Daredevils of Niagara Falls [Niagara Falls Live]

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