Niagara Falls, at its best and at its worst, is about as tacky as it gets. It's a fool's goldmine of sorts. It's flooded with kitschy attractions, seedy motels, greasy spoon restaurant, and shoddy souvenir shops - all touting the best prices in town, and all showing their age through dated design, faded colours, and chipped paint. And if you really concentrate and breathe in deeply, they all give off the faint smell of bad cheese.

I like doing street photography, but I've been feeling a little "Toronto'd-out" lately. I was also feeling the need for a day off work. So witha good photo friendin tow, we hopped in the car anddrove 130kmalong theGolden Horseshoeto the beloved tourist trap.

It'd been a long time since I'd been to Niagara Falls, and I'd never been there in the off-season, on a Friday afternoon in mid-winter. It was pretty ghost-townish, which I suppose enhanced the experience somewhat. Employees weren't busy, and were friendly and talkative. Finding parking was a snap. Dinner arrived quickly. And at no time were we annoyed by crowds.

If you ever head down there in the winter, expect many of the attractions to be either shut down completely, or only operating at limited winter hours (opening on Friday nights and weekends). And if you've ever wanted a Ferris wheel all to yourself, this is your big chance.

Photo slideshow below:

Photos byPhotosapience.