You’ll see all kinds of people strolling along Fallsview Boulevard and the Niagara River Parkway on a Thanksgiving long weekend, most of them carrying an umbrella because it was supposed to rain, and almost all of them not dressed for the weather because it was really hard to tell how hot, cold or windy it would be close to the misty Horseshoe Falls.

It’s been a warm fall. On Thursday night, I was still wearing shorts but I was packing sweaters, a rain jacket and a sleeping bag for our three-day trip. There would be no smooth transition into fall—30°C on Thursday, 10°C and rain for the entire weekend.

Some tourists got the memo, others didn’t. It wasn’t that bad on Saturday—cool and windy but warm enough.

Okay, maybe not warm enough for sandals, shorts, or… is the lady over there wearing a swimsuit?

As I said, you’ll see all kinds of people in Niagara Falls. It’s this kind of city. After all, it’s a border town and an entertainment destination with eclectic options that offer the best access to a fascinating world-famous natural wonder. It can’t possibly be normal.

Fallsview Boulevard is a bit weird, expensive and tacky. It’s part of the experience, just embrace it—this is your small “wow” moment before the big “WOW!” moment in front of the falls.

The light was amazing—the perk of a cloudy fall day.

And once you’re done marvelling at the belligerent roar, plumes of mist and unstoppable flow of rushing water, take a look around you for a fun people-watching experience. From big Southeast Asia families to American farmers in overalls (no pitchfork, though), from hip urban couples on their honeymoon to Amish getting off their horse-drawn buggy, everybody wants to get as close as possible to the falls and take the best pictures.

Meanwhile, people are staring at us because I’ve just picked up Mark and I’m carrying him like a baby for a few seconds—I once told him that being a mother gave me the superpower to carry him no matter how big he gets, so we test it once in a while.

So yeah, we’re as weird as everybody else, I suppose.