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From Pennsylvania we drove north towards Buffalo, New York. Then crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada and continued on to Niagara Falls where we checked into the Marriott for two nights.


We were on the sixth floor overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. However, a call to the front desk led to an upgrade to the 20th floor with a much better view. Something we would enjoy morning and evenings alike.

 


Niagara Falls are really two sets of falls. The large crescent shaped Horseshoe Falls to the right (mainly on the Canadian side where we were) and the smaller American Falls seen in the distance. The island in between is Goat Island named by John Stedman, an early pioneer and miller, who kept a herd of goats on the island. The animals all died in the winter of 1780, but the name remained. Just some trivia about Horseshoe Falls; length on top 2600 feet, height 167 feet, average flow 600,000 gallons per second.


After we had settled in, we were surprised by an outside visitor. He was almost finished when Sharon pointed out a couple spots he had missed. Like a good fellow he did the whole thing over again. Later we learned that these fellows wash the windows once a month and we just happen to be there at the right time.

 

 

 

There are several hotels along the Canadian part of the river. A raised pedestrian boulevard stretches along this side with good views of the falls. We walked north and down a street that led to the road right next to the river.

 


 

 


We had seen the white boats with people in blue rain gear going up to the falls. This is the Maid of the Mist and we decided to definitely do that the following day; perhaps in the afternoon when the mist was not as thick.

 

Near sunset we had a much clearer view from our room and after dinner enjoyed the night spectacle as the falls were lit up with multi colored spotlights. I had been here once before in the winter and remembered huge icicles glowing with these bright colors - a bit tacky but still interesting.


The following morning we had more sunshine. It looked like it was going to be a nice day.

 

However, when we made our way down to the water front it was pouring rain. Actually it was the heavy mist from Horseshoe Falls and as we went further north, the "rain" stopped.



We got a little wet but this was nothing compared with what happened on the Maid of the Mist. We were told at the hotel that there might be a long wait to get on; it was their ploy to have you sign up for a much more expensive tour. When we arrived at the ticket booth there was virtually no wait, an elevator took us to the dock and we boarded the next boat.

 


We passed the American Falls with all the huge boulders at its base. Then we headed for the large fall where most of the "mist" would hit us hard.


 

 

The ride had been fun with lots of hollering and whooping by the passengers like us on the top deck. But despite the blue poncho, my pants were soaked. I had tried to protect my camera by hiding it underneath the plastic cape. The camera was fine but my legs were not.

After we landed on firm land, we headed up "The Street of Fun", found a place for lunch and dried up with a hamburger and a glass of beer.

 

 

 

Then we took a ride on the large Ferris wheel. This gave us a different view of the falls and some time to relax.

There is one more thing about the American Falls that might be of interest to anyone of you who plans to go there. There is a way to descend towards the bottom of the falls on either side. Notice the bridge near Bridal Veil Falls on Goat Island and how people are getting soaked down below. Some wore blue, others gold ponchos (a reminder of our great Cal football team; GO BEARS).

 

From Niagara Falls we headed further north along the Niagara River towards Lake Ontario and the little town of Niagara on the Lake. At one point we stopped to see the river make a sudden turn that created this whirlpool in the hillside below.

 

Another stop was at this tiny church (supposedly the smallest in Canada). There was barely enough room for four people inside as Sharon signed the guest register. It occurred to me that this could be the cheapest place to have a formal wedding.

   

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a small town with lots of charm and shops. It is a bit like Carmel in California; however, without the beach and grand scenery we are used to. Although there are many hotels and B&Bs we were not able to find a vacancy and ended up at a Holiday Inn in the next town. It was a weekend and US and Canadian tourists were everywhere.

 

 

 

Of course, Sharon had to do some shopping as I tagged along and tried on another hat.

 

 

We stopped for lunch at this "English Pub". The food was good, but when I asked a couple from England (he took our picture there) what they thought of the place, they smiled politely and replied that it was not quite like home.

 

The area started growing grapes a few years ago and wineries have sprouted up throughout the peninsula. We stopped at some for some wine tasting and decided that our California wines are superior. The reds were blah, the sauvignon-blanc tasted bitter, and a new one to us called gamay-noir tasted like fermented Tabasco sauce. The only noteworthy wines were a riesling and a late harvest white referred to as "ice-wine". No wonder, it is just too cold up here in Canada.

 

 

 

All and all I thought Niagara-on-the-Lake was, although "charming", a bit over touted. The Canadian dollar had increased in value and it was for us expensive. We had nice dinners, enjoyed the scenery at the Falls, but were glad when we crossed the bridge back into the US. After filling the tank with much cheaper gas, we drove back to Baltimore. As it turned out we had an extra day there and decided to see a bit more of Washington D.C.

Continue to Washington

 

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