Erie Canal & Niagara Falls - Page 3

 

MONDAY

Today we bring the boat back to Erie Canal Adventures, just a little more than an hour away from Fairport.  The morning started off rainy, but soon cleared and gave way to sunshine. 

What can I say about our Erie adventure?  I would say that it was very relaxing, low-stress, lazy and easy. 

Next it was off to Niagara Falls, Ontario, about 70 miles to the west.  The plan was to take an Amtrak train.  We made it the train station with no problems, but - the train was over 3 hours late!  However, when it finally arrived and we headed out, the trip was fast, comfortable, quiet, and roomy - much more pleasant than air travel, to say the least.

 

It was terribly late when the train finally delivered us to our destination.  We chose to walk to our bed & breakfast inn, just under a mile away, and right at the edge of the Niagara gorge.  Halfway there, we could hear the roar of the falls. 

 

TUESDAY

In terms of volume of water per second, Niagara Falls is the world's largest waterfall.  Like Gordon Lightfoot sang: "further below, Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her."  And so all the Great Lakes eventually send all their water here via the Niagara River, which connects those two bodies.

 

Tons of people come here every year from all over the world to see this wonder of nature.  As one walks thru the crowds, one cannot help but be amazed at all the cultures and ethnicities that come here.  You don't hear much English.  I hate to get political, but it's pure idiocy that President Trump does not want foreign visitors coming to the U.S., enjoying all the wonderful things we have, and spending their money.  Oh no, we cannot have that - they are all terrorists, rapists, murderers, and drug dealers!!  It's a good thing that, here in Canada, foreign tourism is encouraged.

 

There are lots and lots of things to do here for fun, but we only have one full day.  So we book a guided tour, which includes a boat ride on one of those big, infamous diesel catamarans that take you right to the base of the falls.  Valerie, our guide, warns us:  you will get wet!  Eh, what the heck. 

 

 When the boat got down deep in the thick of it, with the roar of the water, the drenching mist, the howling wind, the raging currents - I felt like I was in a Gulf Coast hurricane!

 

 Next on our tour, we descended down the elevator into the tunnel that goes behind the falls.  Everywhere one went down here, it was loud and very wet.

 

Valarie regaled our group with factoids and interesting stories about the falls, including the many death-defying stunts done over the years by daredevils.  Some have survived; others, not.  I told her that she has inspired me to become the next Niagara daredevil!

At least the plastic, disposable rain ponchos they gave us were fashionably aesthetic.

 

But before calling it a day, we took a spin on the 175-ft tall Niagara Wheel. 

 

 Oh, and there was one more must-see Niagara event:  the nightly fireworks show!  They also shine bright colored lights onto the falls.

 

Early next morning we caught a bus which took us over the picturesque arched Rainbow Bridge, and back into the USA.  The view from atop the bridge was way cool!

 

The bus went southbound on Interstate 190, which follows the Niagara River upstream from just above the falls, then on into Buffalo, and eventually to the start of the river at Lake Erie.  One sees the river gradually transform from a raging torrent, into a calm, flat, wide, placid body of water, with fishing boats.  I wonder how they keep boaters from wandering too far downstream … 

We landed back in Houston at 9 pm.  And now it's time to start planning our next vacation adventure.  Stay tuned!