Early start today, up at 4am as the tour company was picking us up at 5am to take us to the airport to catch a flight to Buffalo New York State. As we went to a couple more motels to pick up people one person either slept in or was still out on the town as they were't waiting and couldn't be contacted. They missed the trip! The airline was Jet Blue and it was a fairly new plane and had so much room between seats. Learned later that the first 14 rows have extended leg room and are considered an upgrade. Lucky us!
The flight was only 57 minutes and we were given water, choice of tea, coffee or juice and a chocolate chip cookie or some nuts.
When we arrived a guide met us and we boarded a coach for the trip to Niagara Falls. We were a mixed group so every time the guide spoke he had to say it in English, Spanish and Italian. The first thing you see of the falls while still a bit away is this big cloud that looks like white smoke from a factory. Then you realise it is the spray from the falls.
When we arrived at the park we went straight to do the Maids of the Mist boat ride to the falls. There were so many people there already and the boats just keep going. We had to don the blue rain ponchos because of the mist. We caught the boat from the American side and you could see the Canadian boats just across the river. The boat goes right past the American falls which have lots of big rocks that the falls cascade over, then up to the Canadian Falls which are the Horseshoe Falls and are more spectacular. The boat then turns and goes back. It takes about 20 minutes.
Then we took the lifts to a lookout which came out over the river with great views of the falls, the Rainbow Bridge which has the border in the middle designated by both the Us and Canadian flags., and the city area of Niagara Falls (the town) in Canada. We walked a bit upstream on the American side to see the rapids which are just before the falls. The power of the water was just amazing and it's no wonder that both the US and Canada generate electricity from it. The guide said that boaters have been killed when they were fishing further upstream and their engine stalled. There is a point of no return that if you don't make it to the bank by then, the current takes you over the falls. If you go over the American Falls there is no hope because of all the rocks and only a slim chance on the Canadian falls.
We got back on the bus and crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada. We had to stop just off the bridge to go through immigration. You wait on the bus until they are ready and then we all go inside and one by one have to take our passport to be stamped and checked out. Then it was on to the Sheraton Hotel for lunch, the dining room was on the 8th floor and had ceiling to floor glass windows with views over both falls. There was also a little balcony where you could go out and take photos. Lunch was an all you can eat smorgasbord and it was great to get some food that we were used to.
Back on the bus and we went to the Whirlpools, the Floral Clock and the Canadian Power Generation Station. Then we went to the lookouts on the Canadian side. These were amazing with spectacular views of the Horseshoe Falls. So many people too. We had plenty of time to go to the different spots and get lots of photos.
Then we went to Goat Island which divides the Niagara River so that one side is US and the other is Canada. This meant we had to go through immigration again as we were going back into the US. Annamaree and I decided to have something to eat here rather than at the airport so we went to a restaurant on the upper level with great views of the American Falls. The Canadian falls just looked like ahold in the water from here and we joked that the Americans would love that as it is the only time the US falls are more spectacular. We had fish and chips and they were so yummy. Annamaree ordered tea and they only have cream, no milk!
We were then bussed to the airport for the flight back to New York. The plane wasn't as new so we didn't have the extra leg room but it was still very comfortable. The lights of New York are like shimmering gold at night. We got back at 9pm and by the time we got back to the motel it was 11:15pm. We were so tired!
Cheers
Roz
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