Published: July 11, 2008 02:47 pm            

BOOK REVIEW: Falls guide ignores U.S. side

While many locals have no need for a visitor’s guide to Niagara Falls, it’s always interesting to see what outsiders think of our beloved natural wonder.

Dirk Vanderwilt, a self-professed frequent visitor to the region, composed his thoughts on both sides of the border in “Niagara Falls,” part of the Tourist Town Guides series of books.

And in giving his thoughts, his mind primarily strays to Canada. After starting the book with a brief history of the region, he gave an overview of what both sides have to offer.

“However, the Canadian side of the falls is far superior in terms of vista, hotel accommodations, attractions and overall quality. When people visit Niagara Falls, they are almost always talking about Niagara Falls, Ontario, and not Niagara Falls, NY,” he wrote, adding in the many italicized words to further slam the point home.

He repeatedly goes back to the discrepancy of tourist-friendly attractions between nations. In compiling a list of neighborhoods, for example, the Canadian list gave detailed descriptions of Clifton Hill, Fallsview and Lundy’s Lane. Under “American side” he wrote the following: “With little organization ... the American side of the falls is basically a lump of attractions in and around the Niagara Falls State Park”

Little of what he said can be contested, even if it is depressing to those who live stateside (he does give credit to the U.S. side, though, for being an underrated destination for single vacationers). He also was quick to praise U.S. theme parks Martin’s Fantasy Island and Darien Lake, as he gave Marineland a thumbs-down for being too unorganized.

The book gives descriptions of attractions, contact information for visitor bureaus, advice on what to bring and a roundup of average temperatures, as well as the major methods of transport into the area and nearby museums. Honeymooners can even find tips on where to get hitched and how to get a marriage license.

Although it’s a second edition, this book needs a third because it’s already out of date (readers looking for Smokin’ Joe’s Family Fun Center or the Flight of Angels balloon ride, for example, will be disappointed). There are also several typos and missing punctuation marks, which comes off as amateurish.

For those who aren’t so language-conscious, though, there are some positive traits to this guide. It would be more useful if he didn’t ignore the U.S. side so much (he didn’t even give a list of American hotels, calling them inferior to those in Canada and not worth frequenting), so a second opinion might be in order, but this book is good as one resource in a traveler’s cachet of Falls-related information.

Contact editor Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.



IF YOU READ

• WHAT: “Niagara Falls,” part of the Tourist Town Guides series, second edition

• BY: Dirk Vanderwilt

• DETAILS: Published by Channel Lake Inc.; 175 pages

• GRADE: B-

        

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