Originally intended to document my experience of DeLorean ownership, focus is often radical and strange, boring and obtuse.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Drinking In Niagara Falls

Canoes and Curious George's paper hat boat are no match for the falls.

Suz and I spent our Anniversary visiting one of the great wonders of the natural world, Niagara Falls, not to be confused with the seven natural wonders of the world - which we could see from our "Fallsview" room on the sixth floor of The Brock Plaza hotel.

Suz was in charge of booking the trip. The reasons for this are numerous in amount, none of which I am talking about today.

The Brock is old, and totally classy. If you plan on staying in the Brock, there are 2 important things you need to know. 1. The Fallsview rooms are the only rooms with two beds. 2. The rooms that do not face the falls are way tons much cheaper - but only have 1 bed. And all beds in the hotel are doubles, so if you're used to a King, you're probably gonna want 2 beds, which forces you to take a Fallsview room. And if you've got kids, it's the same deal.

The view from our room was amazing. To the left was the bridge into the good ol' U.S.A., and to the right was Niagara Falls. Further to the right was a small table with a coffee machine and a lamp on it. Continuing looking right came a dresser with a TV on it, then our door.

Directly beneath our window (the building in the bottom left) was the Duty Free. Suz and I naively walked into the store hoping to purchase some super-cheap drunk-making juice for the Halloween party. The first question the cashier asked, "are you heading back to the States tonight?" took me by surprise.

"Uh, no." I answered.

"You have to be going to the States to purchase alcohol here. It's for export only." she said. Another employee standing behind me asked, "so, when ARE you planning on heading across the border?"

"We're not." I answered. Both employees burst into a mild laughter while Suz and I walked away, stabbed in our collective back by their unprofessional laugh-daggers. I realize the rules and operation of a "duty free" store, but am baffled as to why a Duty Free store has
open public access when walk-in traffic is not allowed. All the other Duty Free stores I've been to are fenced off with no access except to those already in mid-border cross.

We left disappointed, but in a much more dignified manner than the employees were presenting themselves.

The rancid feelings were vanquished when we ate dinner that night in the Rainbow Room Fallsview Restaurant, atop the Brock Plaza. We went all out with the dinners as our room reservation came with a two-for-one dinner coupon, something typically marketed only by fast food McRestaurants. The only small disappointment was that there was no discount on my McGin & Tonic.

6 Comments:

Blogger Jerry Bowley said...

I think I'm going to have to take Chana there one of these days. I know we've both been talking about how much we'd like to finally see a small table with a coffee machine and lamp...

2:23:00 PM

 
Blogger Monogram Queen said...

You make is sound so... kitschy! LOL Shame about the duty free chuckleheads...

4:40:00 PM

 
Blogger Vicki said...

Ryan and I went to Niagara not too long ago as well! We did a Niagara-on-the-Lake / Niagara Falls combo.

7:33:00 PM

 
Blogger TheatreChick73 said...

I gotta say the duty free store there at the Rainbow Bridge has some of the rudest staff members ever. I've never once had a pleasant experience at that location.

Bunch o' meanies!

9:01:00 AM

 
Blogger Martini said...

Theatrechick - probably because they're constantly telling everyone they can't buy alcohol there. I bet it's an hourly occurance, what with all the pedestrian traffic. It's a very poor set up and I'd bet the staff is probably fed up with it.

11:56:00 AM

 
Blogger Vengelyne said...

Did you snap the photo? It looks so beautiful... nature at the top of it with civilisation below -- cars, buses.

Looks like a lovely place.

8:07:00 PM

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

 

This many people accidentally stumbled upon my site
...while searching for porn.