Guided tours behind the falls provide a closer view..

ast summer our answering machine kept telling people we were "either on the phone or visiting Niagara Falls". No, we're not gamblers hooked on gambling. We were busy entertaining almost 70 international visitors to Canada for our daughter's wedding to her Australian beau. And, yes, you guessed it, when we asked our guests from Down Under what they wanted to see most, the message was unanimous: "We must see Niagara Falls!"

Sometimes, it's easy for folks who live in the vicinity to forget that the Seventh Wonder of the World is just down the Queen Elizabeth Way from Toronto.

The explorer's option
If you haven't been for a long time, you'll be startled by the army of hotels; all the big chains are either here or building. They all seem to specialize in whirlpool bathtubs, indoor pools and very reasonable buffet breakfasts.

Aside from the spectacular Falls, there truly is something for everyone. The downtown area, known as Clifton Hill, is as commercial – some might say tacky – as you'd expect. Yet, somehow, with the majesty of the Falls and the fabulous Niagara Parkway, it all seems to work.

We usually opt for an Explorer's Passport, which provides all-day transportation aboard air-conditioned People Movers as well as admission to the Journey Behind the Falls, Niagara Spanish Aero Car and the Great Gorge Adventure. The Explorer makes it easy to sightsee, enabling us to hop on and off at whim. Our guests loved the elevator ride down to view the thunderous Falls up-close, shrieked as the Aero Car suspended them over the rapids, the Whirlpool and the Gorge, and thoroughly enjoyed the awesome 305-metre promenade along the river's edge.

The Maid of the Mist transports sightseers to the base of The Falls.

The crowd had heard of The Maid of the Mist and many wanted to journey through the crashing waters, around the American Falls and past the Rock of Ages to the basin of the Horseshoe Falls. They got wet despite the raincoats and loved every second of it.

Beyond the Falls
Some of our crowd headed off to Casino Niagara, to try their luck at its 123 tables that offer blackjack, roulette, baccarat, several different poker games, plus 3,000 slot and video poker machines. One member of our gang won several thousand dollars at the slot machines and had to be dragged out to sightsee, which just goes to prove that water isn't the only thing visitors watch falling at Niagara; cards and chips have their own appeal.

Adventure-seeking Australians put the Niagara Jet Boating experience at the top of their list. We watched videos of them in the powerful jet boats that tour the majestic river canyon, famous rapids and legendary Whirlpool. This is not recommended for chickens like me or anyone with a bad back or neck.

Prepare to get wet as you journey through crashing waters.

Meanwhile, families took the kids to Marineland to watch performances by killer whales, dolphins and sea lions and for a ride-of-a-lifetime on the Dragon Mountain roller coaster. History buffs explored Mackenzie Heritage Printery, McFarland House and the Laura Secord Homestead, and thoroughly enjoyed the Daredevil Hall of Fame. Golfers cheated on their strokes at the scenic Whirlpool Golf Club while others took in the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.

The gardening enthusiasts seemed to be the same ones who wanted to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake to take in a performance of the Shaw Festival and to do some serious shopping. This group also loved the Niagara Steamship SS Pumper, North America's only wood-fired steam tour boat – a pleasant way to spend an hour on the water while sipping a drink.

Our guests, along with 18 million other visitors to Niagara Falls last year, had a wonderful time, and so did we, no matter how many times we visited. Even our honeymooners couldn't resist a day in the Honeymoon Capital of Canada.

For general information, call (800) 56FALLS or visit www.tourismniagara.com. For accommodations, call (888) 669-5566. For information on the Shaw Festival, call (800) 511-7429 or visit www.shawfest.sympatico.ca. There are many activities waiting to be experienced at Niagara Falls. Among them are The Maid of the Mist with prices ranging from $6.25 for kids 6-12 to $10 for adults; Marineland, from $23.95 for kids and seniors to $26.95 for adults (lower rates apply May to June and September to October); Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, from $4 for kids to $8 for adults; the Passport Plus Package, from $10 for kids to $20 for adults; the Whirlpool Jet Boat, from $38 for kids under 16 to $48 for adults; and the Steam Boat, from $5.50 for kids to $14 for adults.

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