After checking in, we took the elevator up to the tenth floor to our room, 1003. We ended up with a suite that had a separate bedroom and living room. It had a really big king size bed that was great for the Giantman to stretch out on, and Jill found the updated bathroom had a jacuzzi tub for her to unwind in. Despite all of these upgrades, our view was looking over the business district and not of the Falls, but we were pleased just the same with our accommodations. We decided to walk towards the Falls as we were very close. Our route took us over the American Rapids Bridge, that when constructed in 1961, was the longest single span bridge in the Western Hemisphere. The bridge crosses the Niagara River onto Goat Island, which is the home to Niagara Falls State Park.

It was cloudy, but not raining, as we walked across the bridge. We were amazed at how fast moving the Niagara River was with its many rapids. A trail through the state park led us to the Visitors Center where we got some information and bought some postcards. Then we went to a cafe and shared an expensive deli sandwich and diet coke. The state park operates a trolley line, similar to the one that runs through Pigeon Forge, where we vacationed in the Fall of 2005. We rode the trolley, which includes a guided tour of the state park and Falls area. By this time it had started to lightly rain, so it was nice to be in an enclosed vehicle. After the trolley ride we were feeling like we needed a rest, so we walked the two blocks back to the hotel and took a nap on our king size bed.      After a good rest, Jill was getting hungry and we decided to try the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. It was only a short walk to the restaurant and Niagara Falls was pretty quiet, as it was a Monday evening and early in the tourist season. There is a casino in town, so it probably gets more busy on the weekends. The Hard Rock wasn't very busy and we got served right away. Jill ordered a big burger while the Giantman scarfed down a Cobb Salad.

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