Day three dawned and was a bit damp which was fine as we had decided to head for the dinosaur exhibition at the museum. Like the day before we were up early and I didn’t check the opening time of the museum so I was very popular when we arrived an hour before opening time. Any City break will involve Michelle and I heading for the art galleries and there is a really good one in Toronto. It also has some spectacularly boring exhibits including a large room full of model ships which was OK for the first couple but there were probably 100 plus – kids were not impressed. Dan and I went to collect the hire car and after our usual argument with the rental company about the actual car offered being nothing like the car we had booked, we were eventually ready to go and we all fitted in, including our luggage, and so to Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls
We were all really excited about visiting the Falls. The drive was horrid as the roads were busy, which is very unusual for Canada, but the signposting and satnav did not let us down and we arrived at the hotel at lunchtime. We had booked the Marriott Fallsview hotel and looking at the website we thought they had photo-shopped the images as it looked as if it was right by the top of the falls. We needn’t have worried. When we went into our rooms it was breathtaking – right in front of our eyes were the Horseshoe and American falls. It is quite hypnotising to watch the calm waters heading for the falls and cascading over. First call was to the restaurant by the top of the Falls, which was a tourist trap but the service and food were good and we had a table where we could see the water falling over the edge, so I would recommend it. You can buy a pass to the main attractions and we decided to do as much as possible in our two days there. We got Adventure Passes which include admission to :-
the Falls in all their power and glory. We did these on the first day and then it was August 16th and Sarah’s 21st birthday.
arrived but we were worn out. There is a perfectly good bus service. There is so much static electricity in the atmosphere that your hair literally stands on end (see photo of Sarah). After a rest at the hotel we finished the evening in a mid-town Chinese buffet restaurant. It was a really good day.
Maid of the Mist
None of us will forget this experience. We got there at 10am before the queues built up too much. All is calm at the start and then the noise and spray get worse and worse until you are in the middle of the Horseshoe. We were really lucky to have a sunny day and the light and water combined made some incredible images. Some photos included but none really do it justice. We bumped into Dan’s brother’s school teacher in the queue – small world. Next we went to the Hard Rock Café for brunch – which was brilliant as the food was good and there was hardly anyone else in there.
Niagara’s Fury
The creation of the falls – which is one of those attractions where you walk from room to room having presentations and in the final room you’re on a floor that shakes a lot and you get soaked from various jets around the room, all while a film is playing. It was good fun.
Journey Behind the Falls
This was impressive. There are tunnels behind the falls and a couple of platforms where you can stand next to the falls. First thing you notice is the noise, then the spray and then you see
White Water Walk
I made the mistake at looking at a tour map and thinking it was close to the Maid of the Mist. After a three mile trek with the sun on our backs and temperatures above 30 degrees we
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