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Our group consisted of an older couple from India who didn't speak English, with their adult son in an
inappropriate tee-shirt (I say that because the old F bomb was in bold white letters across his chest and
this is a family place) who did speak English. A young couple on their honeymoon. I took their picture several
times for them. They were really nice. A man and woman from Missouri who had come to Niagara Falls for someone's
wedding, they invited all of us to it and it was at 1700 hours on Saturday, but we didn't go, nor did we
send a gift. They had brought wine from Missouri. I didn't know Missouri was a great wine region. They had a
woman with them that flew in from somewhere, possibly Connecticut. I think she was some relative, eager to
sample the wine. And a family of 5: mother, father, and kids; perhaps some Amish roots. The son was very
interested in going over the Falls in a barrel. He was a blond headed gangly kid of about 14 or 15 who was
just fascinated with the idea of bouncing down the river in a barrel and then the plunging drop to the
bottom. We figured if we heard of some kid trying to go over the Falls in a barrel we would know who it was.
Cheryl and I brought up the drag.
We were taken to the park next to the Three Sisters Islands first. These are three individual small islands
linked by stone bridges that jut out into the Niagara Falls River above the falls. The water begins to pick up
speed here and is rushing to the drop zone.
Lots of gulls fly over and live in harmony with the many ducks and other animals who live off of the lush waters.
In the shade it was so cool and nice, but out in the sun it was hot on your skin with an easy sunburn if
you weren't careful.
After we left the Three Sisters behind, we went to check out the Cave of the Winds and the line was
long so we went elsewhere. Actually I thought with a tour you should be taken to the front of the line. I
guess since this is such a high volume of people they can't do that.
We rode a trolley next and went to the Observation Platform. I have no idea how tall it is or how much
concrete was poured to make it, but this thing towers over the American side of the Falls. I'm just glad it
has elevators to get up into it. We got our first view of the Falls from there. Even that high up every now
and then the mist would give you a sheen of wetness across your brow. Naturally I was having camera problems
so I didn't get a picture of it or any pictures from it--more's the pity--I may have to go back to do it again.
We rode the trolley back to our bus and then lit out for the Falls. We were going on the world famous Maid of
the Mists boats to traverse the turbulent waters of Niagara Falls Rivers at the base of one of the most pictured
Fall areas in the world.
We got our tickets and trash bag blue hooded ponchos that did nothing to keep us dry and eagerly scrambled
on to the boat with 298 other people. Floating up stream gave us a different perspective of the Falls as we looked
up to see the people lining the cliffs like busy little ants scurrying up the trails in search of the perfect
spot to commune with our wondrous Earth.
For the next half hour or more we were treated to a drenching while bobbing along the edges of rushing
waters. We even paid them to do this to us and enjoyed it immensely.
I cannot describe the feel of the boat as it gently rocked us along the pounding waters' edge in mystical
grace. The white water rich mists flushed out our pores with cleansing droplets. The water was thick and thin,
green and clear, mossy and bare. Our knuckles were white on the railing while the boat lingered in the vortex
of the horseshoe falls, bobbing up and down, rocking side ways and back, corkscrewing us in the gentle rhythm
of the Falls wake. It was over way too soon. And I was way too wet.
The boats are interesting as it is against the law to actually parade up and down the river because of all
of the dangerous white water rapids. So every fall they are disassembled and taken out by truck and every spring
they are put back together and carry tourists to the wonders of the Falls.
Our next adventure was to the Cave of the Winds. It was unstable after having gazillions of metric tons of
water rushing over it for millions of years so the park rangers put in elevators. Every year they put out
the "decks" and at the end of autumn they disassemble them and take them in out of the wintry blast of ice and
snow. The decks are a series of stairs and walkways out along the Bridal's Veil part of the Falls on the
American side. The river freezes and it is snow packed across the river to the Canadian cliffs.
It costs $12.50 for an adult and $10 a kid to get wet there. They give you these lovely clear hooded ponchos
that are thicker than the blue Maid of the Mists ones. But they still don't keep you dry. You are also given
this lovely pair of sandals with Maid of the Mists stamped on them so you don't have to ruin your good shoes.
It didn't matter the slant of your eye, the hue of your skin, or even the babble uttered from your throat--we
all had the same shoes on.
They have bins out so if you don't wish to keep your lovely Maid of the Mists sandals, you can throw them
in. They are given to the poor people of Africa. I have this vision of orange robed bushmen traversing the
Serengeti Plains with spears drawn against wild lions all in Maid of the Mists sandals.
It is a trek to go down the decks, not for bad knees. Slippery when wet…
Between the rungs of the steps the water will be falling in great rushing gulps and at other places it drips
lazily off stringy moss to crawl down the cliff.
I thought we were rushed through the Maid of the Mists gift shop. Both Cheryl and I wanted to spend more
time in there so we went to the one on the Canadian side the next day and shopped and shopped and spent our
hard earned money.
Next we were taken for a 'break' to a cheesy gift shoppe. Sorry, but the stuff was cheap looking and they
were out to make money. It had to be owned by the tour company we were with. I base this on the fact that they
had tee-shirts for sell with the companies name on them and also the woman at the counter knew the other salesman
back at the tourist place, Rick.
Naturally most every one bought pop and snacks--more money to line their pockets.
It was one of those Pepsi places--luckily I had a COKE with me and enjoyed my bubbly.
We were driven to the down river part of the falls where the Niagara Falls power authority makes some of the
electricity for the eastern seaboard. It was a big gray building and sorta ugly. Personally, I wouldn't have
included it in the tour. We did a drive by so it wasn't as if we set a foot against one of the big turbines as
they whined up and let her rip.
A park overlooks the vortex of the river where the river is more sedated and thick green. The suspended tram
on the Canadian side looked very interesting, but Cheryl has this thing against heights.
The park is home to lots of black squirrels. They look like skunks without a proper stripe.
Also available helicopter rides at $75 for 10 minutes ride over to the Falls and back. The helicopter can't
really get down into the Falls due to the updrafts would pull it in and you could make news going over the falls
in a helicopter--a new concept to an old idea.
The attraction of the helium on the American side "Flight of the Angels" costs $50 for about 10 minutes of
being 400 feet in the air. We didn't go--it was that height thing again. Cheryl would have set on the bench and
waited on me but I thought it might be impolite to barf on the people below.
We were going to stay at the casino--it was booked. All 450 beds--taken. We started trying to get a place to
stay and we went to 3 hotels before we got a room. I had stated I wasn't staying in any cheap hotels--so Cheryl
takes this suite for $349 a night. Okay, it was nice. Large flat screen TV, fridge, microwave, even a shoe horn.
We did go across the street to the casino and gambled. Or rather lost money. We ate our supper at their buffet.
It was marvelous. It was pricey at $20.98 a person--but they had everything on that buffet,
like 8 different
kinds of pizza, steaks, lobsters, crab legs, all sorts of surf and turf items. It was divided up into ethnics
too--they had all of the Asian foods grouped together, all of the Italian foods, American foods, salads, desserts,
etc…it was such a culinary delight.
The next morning we went to the Canadian side. The Canadian woman who charged us $3 to cross the bridge was
very business like. Her face might have broken if she would have smiled.
We went to the Hard Rock to get more tee-shirts and a beer glass that Cheryl collects.
Then we walked over to the Falls Park and the view is far better from the Canadian side than the American
side. The area is lined in little shops to get our money out of our pockets and so we walked, took pictures,
and spent money.
We set on the cafe out side in the shade and watched the water tumble from the cliff with refreshing drinks
in hand.
Then we were done and headed back to Ohio. We did stop in New York wine country--I guess it is well known for
its wines too, I didn't know. So we bought wine from this winery ran by some probably gay guys.
And that was my latest adventure…
Step lively, the world will not wait
Peg, Girl Adventurer
1905, 1906--I was standing in an archway over the highway in Upstate New York on my way to
Niagara Falls. It was really neat. |
1908, 1909--This is the skyline of Niagara Falls looking across at the Canadian side of Ontario, Canada. It was
really beautiful. |
1910, 1911--This is a fun thing to do when up in Niagara Falls. It is a huge helium balloon that happily carries
you 400 feet up into the air aptly named Flight of the Angels. It was $50 for 10 minutes up there. Cheryl, the
other nurse I was with, didn't want to go, but I would have if I would have had someone go with me--course I
might barf, but I would have gone. Maybe next time! |
1913--There were a lot of Indian cuisine places to eat and they eat traditionally. I took this man's picture
because he was eating with his hands, as they do it that way. They sop the bread into curry rich gravies and
the aroma is so mouthwatering. I have never had any Indian cuisine and one of these days I am going to go
eat some. |
1914, 1915--These are the first of three bridges that we walked across. They take you to three islands named the
Three Sisters. The man who actually owned them and gave them to the National Park system had them named after his
three daughters. They were so lovely. Rocks were strewn with the gulls overhead providing a racket trying to talk
to each other over the loud thunder of the rushing water as it picked up its pace heading off to the magnificent
drop up river. |
1918, 1919--These are pictures of the toe paths along to the Three Sisters. It was cool in the shade, but the
sun beating down was warm. |
1920 to 1928--Pictures of the rushing whitewater--actually the shallow water was clear and when
it rushed over the submerged rocks covered in moss it was green water. Very beautiful. |
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1931--This is Cheryl, another nurse in our resource pool that I have worked with for about 7 years. We were RCG
together, sold out to Fresenius and then she went over to DSI a few months before I did. |
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1936, 1937, 1939--These are more pictures of the little rapids before the grand falls. The water rushes by so
fast. It is against the law to wade out into it as you could be swept away very easily. |
1940 to 1970--These pictures are actually further down the Niagara Falls River as I was having
trouble with my camera. I had new rechargeable batteries and they kept going down on me and finally I ran out of
juice. I didn't know they needed to be charged before I used them and I took them right out of the package to use.
These pictures are of the river as it meanders around to the power authority that gens enough juice to light up
New York city among other places and other states.
This area has the whirlpool effect in the water. During the day it goes one way and at night when they aren't
diverting the water for the power company it goes the other direction.
On the Canadian side they had a tram stretched across the gorge above the water to give expensive, but fun, rides
from one side to the other. I didn't get the opportunity to go on it. What a sight it must be to crawl along a
cable several hundred feet above swirling water. |
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1971 to 1973--These were shot the next day after I charged up my batteries and we went over to the Canadian
side. The helium balloon was up and we could see how they would have a birdseye-view of the Falls. The skyline
of Ontario, Canada was interesting. Cheryl collects Hard Rock Cafe stuff so we went to both Hard Rocks--the one
in Niagara Falls, USA and the one in Ontario, Canada. If you don't know about it, places like the Hard Rock have
All Access Passes. When Cheryl flashes that and we are in line we automatically are the next ones to get a
table. She also gets discounts on their merchandise and stuff for her birthday. I am going to start asking other
restaurants chains if they have those cards too.
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1974 to 2000--These are pictures of the American Falls taken from the Canadian side. The best pictures are from the
Canadian side. The far end of the American Falls is an area that is like a separate falls all of its own. That is
the famous Bridal Falls. It is where all of the honeymooners go to get their pictures taken or even married there.
Down at the bottom of the falls is a wooden deck they have built along so you can actually walk up next to the falls.
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You get a neat plastic poncho that does nothing to keep you from getting drenched and special sandals to wear so you don't ruin your good shoes. It is like walking in a very bad rain storm with water coming at you from all angles and even up from the deck as it hits your feet like a firehose.
They call this place the Cave of the Winds, but the cave was crumbling away so they filled it in with an elevator and it drops you down about 750 feet a second or so it seems as your stomach hits your knees.
It was awesome down there to trudge along in total wetness.
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1988 to 1994--Walking on the Canadian side the area is full of shops and other money grubbing
getters--this man was actually blowing glass and making these fabulous glass vases and characters. I was very
interested in watching him mold the glass into this vase he was making. I should have bought one.
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1995, 1996, 1997--The boats are all called the "Maid of the Mists" be it I, II, III, IV, V, etc. There are at
least 3 boats in the water at all times giving up close and personal drenching of the falls. The Canadian boats
hold 600 people and the American boats hold 300 people. You get these lovely, fashionable blue hooded ponchos
that have the same thickness as a trash sack. It cost $12.50 for an adult $10.00 a child to go. You are on the
boat about 30 minutes or so. So worth it!
It is incredible to be floating around the Niagara Falls River at the base of the Falls. The roar is so loud,
the mist seeps into you, the bigger drops splatter you, at times you can't hardly open your eyes as it is like
trying to open them in a running faucet. I had my sunglasses on and that helped. A lot of the women looked like
raccoons as they forgot to wear waterproof mascara.
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1998, 1999--This is the famous Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. It is a huge dugout bowl of cliffs with
millions of gallons of water pouring over the edges in a crescendo of noise, watery mists, and this feeling of
being rocked by mother nature. In the bottom on the boats when you are in the horseshoe you can't see anything
as the mist is so thick it is like a wet fog reaching out and engulfing you. Then
when you get through the mists
you are splattered by the real water. |
2002 to 2005--Sights along the touristy section of the Canadian side. They have it all to entice your money
from your pocket. Right now the international exchange is only about 20%, but still--go on your plastic as the
banks make the exchange for you and you don't have to worry about it. Eah.
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These pictures were taken by Cheryl.
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