I was born there and go there all the time to visit relatives. Skip the NY side - pure ghetto, except for the casino, which is nice - and Gawdoski's bar which has great food, but only on Friday nights. Canadian side is touristy but fun. Go to Niagara on the Lake and spend a day there going through shops, etc. On the American side, if you are stuck there, take a trip to Lewiston - see the hydro power plant and eat at the restaurant overlooking the river in Lewiston. From there Old Fort Niagara is cool. Then take a drive up to Wilson or Olcott on Lake Ontario - not much there, but cool little towns on the lake and lots of fruit stands depending on when you go..