Busy Niagara Falls day! (Part 1)

Got up this morning, enjoyed the continental breakfast (although it was super crowded)!  Packed up our bags and headed on our way to start an eventful fun-filled day!  First stop- LONG line to buy our tickets for our day including the walk along the rapids, a 3D movie experience, the walk under the falls, and the Hornblower boat cruise to see an up close and personal view of the falls!

First thing to do... take a bus ride to the ‘boardwalk’ to see the class 6 rapids.  We learned that class 6 rapids are really not traveled as it is nearly impossible to survive the turbulence of the rapids!  The boardwalk ran along side of the rapids and provided little facts along the way.  For example the brown looking foam that is viewed is that color by the minerals and debris carried through the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop - under the falls tour. We were provided a poncho for this experience. There were two ‘look out’ coves but all you really saw was a sheet of heavy water falling from above.  Then we headed to an observation deck where we got soaked! The wind and the amount of spray from the falls was insanely amazing!!  So up close!

We then caught the 3D movie about how the falls were made.  It was animated so it was a fun little cartoon to watch.  Then we headed into a room where the 3D came into effect.  (Did I mention we got ponchos to wear again!). The floor shook and we got sprayed with water as we watched the erosion of the ground occur causing the canyons for the falls.  I think it was a cool experience although RJ did not enjoy the experience.

We finally headed to the Hornblower cruise.  It really wasn’t much of a wait! We walked through the lines and maybe waited 5 minutes for the boat to return and unload?! Not a bad wait!  We made sure to put on our ponchos and Morgan and I safely got our cameras in their waterproof bags!  Wow... as we got closer the temperature started to get cooler and we had a slight mist coming into our faces... but then... UP CLOSE and DRENCHED!!!  Drenched may be an understatement!!  It was amazing!  To see and hear the falls!  (Again RJ did not like the experience at all because it got windy and the boat was a little rocky.)  Bob/Daddy LOVED it!  His expressions were amazing and I wish I could have bottled his pour joy in the moments of this boat ride!

New York Side

Canada Side

Wow!  What an amazing experience... with the night still to come!

On our way - Niagara Falls or bust!

Up early and off we went! On our way to Canada!!  Left a bit after 7am and crossed our fingers not to hit too much traffic! After we drove up into New York a ways we stopped at Corning’s Museum of Glass.  We decided not to do the actual museum tour but wandering the gift shop was a real treat! Amazed to look at all the handmade glass projects.  The price tags were large enough to knock your socks off!! (Some prices a couple thousand dollars! Gulp!). The kids also each made a necklace pendant that will be sent directly to our home.  Neither of them wanted to blow their own glass, they preferred to play with melting glass and fire, lol.

After our exploration of glass we drove on to Watkins’s Glen.  This was a hike with canyons built in that now had rushing water and waterfalls.  We walked the entire trail, some strenuous... as we climbed narrow rock steps, walked under the falling water, across old bridges, and on thin passes as others came the opposite direction!  We got some really cool memories out of this visit! Bob also said it brought back memories to when he and his parents came here 30+ years ago!

We climbed back in the car and finished our journey to Canada.  We went over the ‘rainbow bridge’ to enter Canada and through customs - which ended up being super easy! (Just a side note - the rainbow bridge really isn’t rainbow painted, lol.). We had to wait maybe 8 mins until our turn in customs. After looking at our passports and asking 3 questions about: did we bring in Fresh Food? Guns? Drugs? the lady sent us on our way.  Easy peasy!

We found our hotel with minimal problem, just one wrong turn, lol. Checked in and we were good to go and explore!  We went into the ‘downtown’ for food, lol.  We found the Niagara Brewery for supper - what Bob had researched and wanted to eat at.  Not a very big selection of food... the kids and I got chicken fingers and Bob got a large Caesar salad and 10 wings.  Best quality from my perspective was the peach beer.  We sampled all their beers on tap and the peach one was definitely my favorite.  Food was average but we did have a view of the falls!  We were also kinda surprised at how pricey it was, but only get to try things once when you are in a foreign country!

Looking forward to tomorrow when we really get our hands on views of the falls!