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A newlywed couple's honeymoon has traditionally been the most spectacular time in a young couple's life, and this has naturally been reflected in the exotic locales honeymooners choose to vacation in. Niagara Falls, historically the top tourist destination on the continent during the 19th and 20th century, has also been America's most visited honeymoon retreat until only recently, and consequently a whole industry has been supported by vacationing couples for over 150 years. |
| As Niagara Falls has gradually converted from a natural and exotic wonder to an unfortunately overdeveloped city dominated mainly by tourism and the nearby hydroelectric plant, it's little wonder that more couples choose to spend their first days as newlyweds in such current favorite destinations such as Hawaii or Bermuda, but Las Vegas and Disneyworld (the #1 honeymoon destination in America) are certainly no less commercial than Niagara Falls. One of the most important things all these places have in common is that they're all so famous already that they have reputations that are self perpetuating. |  |
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Niagara Falls, Disneyworld, and Las Vegas, despite how old or how new or how Canadian they might be, all seem to have places in the canon of Americana. What gives these places their marquee, and especially in the case of Niagara Falls, why do couples tend to spend their honeymoons there, and what are its historical trends? What do couples look for in a vacation spot and why they would choose Niagara Falls. Is it the romance, the shopping (duty free at the border), the accomodations or the falls themselves? What currently, and what historically, gives a place such a reputation, as that of Niagara Falls? Looking at the Falls today, it's at half its natural flow and looks nothing like it did in 1850. Declining interest in the Falls as hit the community hard, as they're being economically depleted now. The Falls have lost some it's glimmer. I wonder what the typical visiting couple thinks when they first lay eyes upon it. I wonder if it typically lives up to their expectations. |