Published: October 15, 2008 11:01 pm      

KEPPELER: Tourism needs youth vote

Thanks to parents/in-laws wonderful or foolish enough to take on our two little monsters for the night, my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to take a belated anniversary trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario, this past weekend. After dinner at our favorite restaurant, we went for a stroll around the falls and eventually through the glorious tackiness that is Clifton Hill.

Confession: I love Clifton Hill. It can be loud and somewhat obnoxious, but you can’t deny its energy or its sheer brazen spectacle. The people-watching is an attraction in itself.

It was a gorgeous autumn day and the streets were teeming with people well into the evening — from tourists taking photos of nearly everything to semi-local casino-goers to drunk-but-amusing Montreal Canadiens fans.

And children. Lots of children.

It was easy to see why. Even in our refreshingly temporary child-free state, we kept noticing things our almost-4-year-old would love, from giant colorful arcades to the kid-friendly eateries (and lots of hockey merchandise, but that’s just Canada for you). Even the baby would enjoy the lights, colors and people-watching. We started planning a trip with the kids right then.

I wish I could say we considered visiting the U.S. side. We didn’t.

Lots of people have written lots of things over the years about why Niagara Falls, N.Y., is a shadow of its former self while Niagara Falls, Ontario, thrives. I don’t pretend to know or understand all the reasons that’s the case.

But let’s be honest. Niagara Falls, N.Y., has ... the falls.

And don’t get me wrong, they’re a wonderful thing. I’ve spent many an hour walking around Goat Island, taking photos and tourist-watching. But for children? Not so much.

To see the falls in New York, you pay to park and then walk a good bit to get to a decent vantage point. Little ones can’t even get particularly close, and certainly can’t attempt the Cave of the Winds or Maid of the MIst.

And then ... what? I will always love the Aquarium of Niagara, but it’s one item that’s not even within easy walking distance, an important consideration when you’re hauling kids about.

I’m sure they’d be fascinated by the casino, but that wouldn’t be a good idea even if they were allowed in. It may be a good thing in general for the area — that’s still up for debate for many — but it’s undeniably an adult-oriented attraction. Unsurprisingly, most of the plans I’ve seen for the area involve that sort of thing.

Maybe that’s a mistake.

In these days of recession and financial concerns, destinations like Disney World are out of the question for many. Sights have to be set a little lower. Maybe that’s a niche just begging to be filled — a low-key, low-cost destination for families with small children.

If it were easy to fix the tourism problems of Niagara Falls — or this area in general — someone would have done it by now. But even during dark days, people like to do things for their kids. Maybe we should make it a little easier for them to spend money doing in it in Western New York.

Jill Keppeler is a page designer at the Tonawanda News. Contact her at keppelerj@gnnewspaper.com.