Part 5 - Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
Day 1
Niagara Falls
Day 2
Niagara Falls
Day 3
Next Day - Its onto Part 6 of our adventure and off to New York
"The Big Apple".
Chicago Illinois to Niagara Falls Canada - flight.
Woke to another lovely day - although we weren't really able to make the most of it as we spent the majority of it travelling or waiting at the airport!
Luckily we didn't take the receptionists advice of last night, and booked our taxi for 10 am not 9 am as she suggested. We still arrived at the airport with more than 3 hours to spare! Having negotiated self service bag labelling, we checked in and made our way through security.
Following our flight to Buffalo we got a taxi to take us to Niagara Falls, Canadian side which meant showing our passports at the border and having them stamped. We checked into the hotel and set about waiting for Rachel and Adam, who we had exchanged texts with along the way from the airport. They eventually arrived, after a few phone calls as they got a little lost! We had a lovely meal of ribs and a good catch up with them.
Surprise surprise .... No photos today. However we have totalled up our round trip Chicago to Chicago via Route 66, West Coast and Salt Lake City and it adds up to 6393 miles and two cars. Along the way 7548 photos were taken.... Let's see what the next two and half weeks bring!
Niagara Falls Canada - Day 1
We strolled across the road from our hotel for our first views of the Falls (apart from seeing them from the taxi coming in) Wow! We found the incline railway nearby and took this down, going into the large Visitor Centre below, where we activated our Niagara Passes.
Our first trip was to Behind the Falls, where we descended in a lift to tunnels built into the rock face. First of all we were all kitted out with bright yellow ponchos, a necessity, but not very flattering! There were 2 viewing decks outside, where the spray from the falls and the thundering roar greeted us - but what a fantastic sight. Having enjoyed this for quite some time, we then went through other tunnels that went behind the Falls, with a couple of viewing areas, where all you could see was a mass of white water thundering down, and spray coming in.
In the afternoon we had booked our helicopter ride, so we took a taxi from the hotel as it was some way out of Niagara Falls - about 17km. We had already had a couple of phone calls to ensure the flight would be taking place. The taxi took us to the local helicopter base, but this was not where we should be! Luckily we had enough time to get to the correct one in time for our flight.
Following a quick safety briefing we boarded the small helicopter , along with another couple and the pilot! We were soon airborne and off for our 20 minute flight over the Falls. What a spectacular sight, the skies were blue, the sun was out and the water glistened and was very white as it poured over the edge. It certainly was a trip to remember.
We returned to our hotel for a brief rest, and then took the incline railway back down to the waters edge to overlook the spectacular natural phenomenon of Niagara Falls in the sunshine, displaying a fantastic full arch of a rainbow. We spent a long time admiring, and photographing this view.
Having strolled along for a while, we found a restaurant - Edgewaters at Queen Victoria Place, with a open verandah with great views of both the Canadian and American Falls, so went and had our evening meal there. A very nice meal, with superb views.
We then walked further on to Clifton Hill adventure area. We decided to wait until it was a bit darker, so played golf at the Dinosaur course, complete with erupting volcano! Following this, it was quite dark so we went on the Sky Wheel to get fantastic views of the bright lights of Niagara Falls, the American side and the lit up Falls. We then walked back to our hotel - which seemed further away than we imagined!
Niagara Falls - Day 2
Wow!! What another fantastic day of sights and sounds of Niagara Falls. Following a leisurely breakfast and sorting out, we met at the edge of the Falls at Table Rock. From here we caught the shuttle bus along the Parkway to the Aero Whirlpool. We boarded this metal open box, the Aero Car, strung on 6 one inch thick wires, and made our way across the gorge, viewing the whirlpool below. At the far end we all swapped sides so that on the way back we could view the Niagara river and the rapids going into the whirlpool. Certainly a spectacular trip.
We then made our way down to the White Water Rapids, where we could walk about 1/4 mile along a boardwalk down beside the river, with fantastic views of the Grade 6 (un navigable) Rapids. No one has tried to ride these Rapids since the 1970's, and even if you were mad enough to try, and lived to tell the tale, you would be fined $10,000! This walk certainly showed the power of the water, and the waves in places were 5 metres high!
Having marvelled at the White water at the Rapids, we proceed South, back towards the Falls, and went on the Hornblower cruise, into the mouth of the Horseshoe Falls. The trip started nice and dry, although we were all kitted out in our pink ponchos. As we went past the American Falls, a spectacular sight in itself, we encountered a little spray and wind. We continued into the mouth of the Horseshoe Falls, the wind increased, the spray got up, and it certainly was wet. Although what an adventure! You could certainly tell, and in some respect feel the force of the Falls, with the boat at full power to maintain its position. The photographs try to show this, and some certainly show how wet it was!
After 5 or 6 minutes the boat turned away from the Falls, and we quickly went to the stern to get the last few pictures coming away from the Falls. We were somewhat wet, but the most spectacular experience so far!
Having had a short rest, shower and change of clothes, we took a taxi to the Skylon Tower, where we had dinner reservations for the Revolving dining room. The trip to the top is via a lift that goes up outside the Tower very quickly - brilliant. We were shown to our table, and spent the next 2 hours enjoying the spectacular views across Niagara and into Canada and the United States, a bit of a sunset and the skies getting darker and the lights coming on. The food was superb, along with the service. After the meal we went up 2 more floors to the top of the tower - the Observation deck, and enjoyed the fireworks over the Falls. After a really great day and evening we returned to our hotel - exhausted!
Niagara Falls - Day 3
Yet another bright and sunny morning, with blue skies and brilliant sunshine, although once we got outside we found there was a bit of a chilly breeze.
After breakfast we once again went down the Incline railway to the Falls, and then caught the shuttle bus North down to the Floral Clock. Here we had to change buses in order to get to Niagara on the Lake, a very pretty town on the edge of Lake Ontario. The buildings here were all kept in an early 19th Century style, reflecting on the time many were built and the influence the neighbouring Fort George had on the area.
We strolled down the Main Street and to the lake and were able to pick out the skyline of Toronto in the distance.
Arriving back at the Falls and Table Rock, we admired the rainbow over the Falls again and then 'participated' in The Niagara Fury, a 4D history of Niagara Falls. This time we had blue ponchos, as the 4th D meant we got wet!
We managed to get a window table in the restaurant at Table Rock and so yet again had a lovely meal with fantastic views across the Horseshoe Falls.
Another lovely day in Niagara enjoying the spectacular scenery, although as it was Saturday, it was much busier today.
