Grady's Bachelorette Party

Life as a chauffeur is always interesting. When you pull up to a client's house, you never know exactly what you're going to find. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to host a group of young ladies who were celebrating the impending marriage of their good friend, 'Grady'.

We started out at a favorite local bar in Kenmore. Then we really accelerated the fun by heading to the Chippewa district in our 10 passenger stretch limousine. There were many highlights including Grady's attempt to ride the mechanical buffalo, as well as the dancing that transpired on top of the bar at the Bucking Buffalo Saloon.
We had a great time and made it home safe and sound. If there was a theme song for the night, it would be "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

More Foreigners find the Falls Fantastic

The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend the Falls looked more like the United Nations. I dropped off my group and then parked the Limo Bus. I couldn't park in the main lot (a first, as far as I know), so I had to park on the South end of the island and make my way back to the group. Along the way I saw people from all around the world and from several states.
The Niagara Gazette made note of the large crowds as well:

"Changes in foreign visitors to Niagara
By Don Glynn

Stroll through Prospect Park any day of the week — now that the prime tourist season is under way — and you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that there’s indeed a revolution in tourism.

In the travel industry, they’re known as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and they’re coming by the bus loads — via the charter flights — to Niagara Falls. At present, it appears visitors from India rank No. 1 of the Big Four.

Not that the natural wonder here has just been discovered by the international set. Foreigners have been a major segment of Niagara tourism for more than a century but the UK no longer leads that list, tourism operators generally agree.

Locally, it’s virtually impossible to track the influx.

A large group from India or China may descend on the state park at any time and they often move swiftly — guided by a tour leader — to a specific attraction or vantage point.

Still, after you’re in the park for a half hour and maybe had a chance to observe the exodus from the Prospect Park tower, you’ll be convinced that some of the 47 million Chinese traveling abroad this year have included the Falls on their itinerary. And visitors from Indian and Pakistan are all around as well.

Of course, there was the credible threat that many Americans had been planning to cut back on their vacations this year because of the high gas prices.

That didn’t happen here, at least over the Memorial Day holiday. In fact, attendance in the state park was up more than 8,000 for the comparable weekend a year ago.

If you check out the license plates in Prospect Park and on Goat Island, you would have found visitors from as far away as Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Oregon — a lot more than a tankful away.

That combination — foreigners and Americans determined to go on vacation despite the gas prices — provided for a good start to the season.

Meanwhile, hoteliers and bed-and-breakfast operators will tell you that many foreign visitors — even some U.S. citizens who think the new passport regulations are already in effect — are reluctant to cross the international bridges because of the unwarranted concern they won’t be allowed to return.

It’s an ironic twist from the days when visitors couldn’t wait to clear customs because they were always told the view was better from that side."

My words of advice to people who are thinking about visiting Niagara Falls...DO IT! The American side, the Canadian side...the cultural attractions all around--there's plenty to do. Be certain to check out the Falls in a chauffeur driven stretch Limousine or Limo Bus from Buffalo Limousine. It's a great way to see the attractions and have a customized agenda.

Lower Airfares Attract Canadian Fliers to US Airports

Posted below is an excellent article on why Canadians are heading to Buffalo for cheaper airfares. I've included portions of the article, but the entire piece is well worth reading:

Fare Better South Of The Border

By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2008

TAMPA - When Kimberly Hartley wanted to fly between Toronto and Tampa to attend a conference here in January, the best round-trip airfare she could find cost $1,185 on Air Canada.

Then, Hartley researched fares between Buffalo and Tampa and found one for $475 on Southwest Airlines.

So Hartley did what an increasing number of U.S. and Canadian travelers are doing. She bypassed the steep charges that the Canadian government adds to flights using Canadian airports.

Airports in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, N.Y., have emerged as gateways to the burgeoning Toronto-Hamilton, Ontario, corridor, while airports in Burlington, Vt., and Plattsburgh, N.Y., are marketing themselves as alternatives to flying into Montreal.

Families Can Save A Lot

But the cost savings can mount, especially for parties larger than a single traveler.

"It is not unusual for families to save $800 or more on tickets to or from places like Tampa," said C. Douglas Hartmayer, director of public relations for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which oversees the Buffalo and Niagara Falls airports.

The savings also matter to business travelers like Hartley.

"Should I pay more for a little more convenience," said Hartley, a Pinellas County tourism consultant who lives 30 miles west of Toronto in Oakville, Ontario, "or should I take an easy drive and get a less expensive fare?"

If you live in Ontario and are flying out of the Buffalo airport, check out our main web site for the cost of airport transportation service from your door to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.