Niagara Falls – Ontario, Canada
Oct 27, 2017 9:14:35 GMT
Post by lugg on Oct 27, 2017 9:14:35 GMT
Of course we had to visit the falls during our recent trip to Ontario – we stayed for one night only, but arrived early which was about enough time to see what we wanted and also see the falls illuminated at night. I was prepared for a tacky tourist trap but actually it is not so bad and the falls themselves – wow. I imagine there is so much else to see in this area, I would have loved to have seen Niagara On The Lake for example, but not this time unfortunately.
I guess the falls need no introduction really but here are just a few facts;
Made up of 3 sets of falls –Bridal Veil, American and Horseshoe which forms the border between Canada and America. The largest and highest are the Canadian Horseshoe. The combined flow is the larger than any other falls in the world – water flow is controlled and diverted to hydro -electric stations but the amount allowed is curtailed during peak tourist season. It estimated that in 50,000 years the falls will be no more due to erosion.
If you travel by train from Toronto as we did – photo ID is essential as the train travels on into the US. (We did not know this and had to dig open our cases to get out our passports which was a pain) Security prior to boarding is tight and travellers are escorted from the station to the train. We bought our tickets a couple of days in advance and got a cheap rate which I think was about 25 Canadian dollars for a single fare on the one direct train a day which leaves early a.m. and gets into Niagara Falls in just under 2 hours at about 10.15 am
The falls have on occasion been a magnet to daredevils and (idiotic) stunts some of which included animals. There have also been also a few accidental tumbles, some with happy endings, some not so. A little more of both later but here is a fuller account www.niagarafrontier.com/devil_frame.html
We stayed at the Embassy Suites and had booked a high floor to be guaranteed a great view of the falls, the room and the views were great and overall it was probably worth the expense despite the really dire breakfast.( plastic plates etc ) The hotel is the tallest building in the middle of the photo below
Views from the room
Looking to American and Bridal Veil
Horseshoe
Night views from the room,
First stop was to go to see what we could see standing just above Horseshoe Falls, as you might imagine the air is full of spray and the noise makes your heart thump
I guess this was an old pumping/ hydro-electric station?
We had previously decided that there were 3 things we really wanted to do whilst we were here and bought a pass that covered all 3 plus a film about the falls which we would not have chosen to see otherwise but was actually really interesting and fun. It also included the transport between the various sites .
The first “Journey Behind The Falls “ was a bit of a disappointment, nevertheless we did get a little closer to the falls and got to wear our first waterproof in a fetching yellow
And saw one of the 2 Hornblowers
We also read about one of the accidental “fallers over the falls “- an amazing survival of a young boy and his older sister,
On our way to the next stop
Next stop …“ The White Water Walk “ passing close to the whirlpool rapids . We all loved this, the power of the water as it passes through the gorge after coming over the falls is breath taking . Here are a few facts that we read as we walked along the banks ,
…although she did not seem to be too bothered by any of this
A few pics of what we saw,
One of the staff members told us that this was a test run that was supposed to have taken place up –stream; certainly there was a grim look of concentration on the two guys as they were swept past us or maybe I imagined it
We also read about the sad fate of one ill -advised stunts woman, Maude Willard who died in 1901 and the survival of her pet dog that she had taken with her in a barrel. They got caught in the whirlpool rapids for 6 hours – when the barrel was finally brought to land Maude had suffocated but the dog survived by pressing its nose to an air hole.
oakwoodniagara.org/maud-willard/
Next, on to our final stop and the highlight of the day,
….waiting to board the Hornblower in our fetching red waterproofs At this point I was becoming anxious about using my camera.
… and off we set for our up close and personal view of the falls passing by US and Bridal falls first
Maid of the Mist seems apt name when you view her like this
It seems that if you travel on the US boat you get to wear a fetching blue. Well if we fall into the water at least it will known what side we left from
….closer and closer to Horseshoe falls , now feeling extremely anxious about my camera
--and then a nifty turn passing by Maid of the Mist again on the way in /out (yes we did all wave at each other) to have a closer look at the American and Bridal Veil falls
Did my camera survive for the next stage of our journey to PEC, Ontario ? Well yes it did, thankfully, and I took these from the hotel room very early next day before we left.