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Published: September 8th 2007
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Teenager
Part of our tour group. We liked his shirt and had to take a photo Niagara Falls
Buffulo New York, was a fairly tired looking, run down looking town. A kilometer away in Canada its like Las Vegas, nice buildings and streets, lookouts, casinos, the people looked happier.... generally much much nicer.... maybe the United States felt that since Niagara had all the excitement stitched up they felt it would be a waste of money to try and compete?? So they basically let their side of the Falls ......... fall down!
The tour company had learnt from previous experience that it is not a good idea to take the bus over the bridge to Canada. On a previous trip it took 3 hours to cross the bridge and the entire bus was inspected, making them 4 hours or more out of sinc with the itinirary, so now if you wanted to go to the Canadian side you had to walk. The American side had a nice visitors centre and lookout and board walk right to the bottom of their falls. However, how could we resist visiting another country?? We had our passports so no problem, but apparenty Americans think they can visit anywhere and our tour guide kept saying you have to have a birth
Niagara Falls
We got very very wet certificate or passport, as previously Americans just go over thinking their drivers licensce is enough for them to get back into America! CRAZY!! Australians would never think that! Though we don't have any land borders. It's a shame you don't get a stamp or anything, they just wave you through. The guide said just because the Canadian border patrol are free and easy and just wave you through doesn't mean that on the way back the American's will be as nice!! Also when they wave you through to go to Canada there were no problems at all, they didn't tell us - that on the way back we would need a Quarter to get back through the turnstyles!! We had some American notes, but no COINS!! Yes... stuck in no mans land between Canada and the United States!! We had to ask some people if they would lend us two Quarters!!! How crazy is that!! USA won't let us in because we have no money.
So we walk the few kilometres over to Canada and around to the "Maid of the Mist" Ferry ride. Of course there was a huge line, thus wasting the three hours we had to
Mist
American side on the left, Canadian side on the right explore. We didn't get to see much of Niagara, which was a shame as it was much nicer looking than Buffulo which we ended up spending about an hour in, as we didn't want to make the tour people angry by being late!! So we get given plastic poncho's and I am so excited that I think it would be a good idea to open it and put it on! Well after about 1 minute I was suffocating and sweating profusely!! Wearing plastic in the height of the hottest American summer ever is not a good idea! It was now impossible to put it back into the neatly folded poncho it was, so I had to hold a big plastic bag!
There was so much water that the boat didn't even get that close to the falls, it was all mist and churning water. We got so wet! Lucky for that poncho. Some people didnt want to wear their's and they were soaking wet!! I felt sorry for men with socks on as even your socks got wet! We met some youth who were involved in the Pagent whose leaders had driven them to Niagara Falls. They were from
Alabama and had the craziest accents ever. I have heard southern drawls on TV, but it was really funny to hear it on young sweet girls!!
We got to drive through Amish country in Ohio. Now they have PERFECT houses... it would almost be impossible to get more perfect... must be all that time they have since they dont watch TV.. maybe I could learn something there!! The bus drove past some horse and carriges which was great to see, but since we were in the bus we couldnt get really good photos, so once again you willl just have to take my word for it. Plus we were the only Australians in the bus, so trying to behave ourselves - I don't suppose it would have been good behaviour to jump on top of people trying to get a good photo of Amish.
We were here to have dinner at Mary Yoders Amish Restaurant. Suspicious, since Amish don't use electricity etc which the restaurant had plenty of. The owner wasn't Amish of course (they were dressed like Amish though, obviously to help the "feel" of the restaurant). However, she did point out a young girl who
Sexy Poncho
It was very hot underneath that poncho was Amish. I was wondering if she would be in trouble for working here? Machinery, Electricity etc. The dinner was nice and we packed out the dinner hall. Very homely food chicken with potato and gravy and homemade Cherry Pie for desert. There were some very beautiful Amish quilts on all the walls. Many of the middle aged and older ladies from our tour group were drooling!! They would love to have those. One husband said, sure lets have a look (his wife smiling, knowing their price!!) $500, $900, some over a $1000. The husband soon changed his mind!!
The Isaac Morley farm became a gathering place for Church members who came to Kirtland. Joseph Smith lived at the farm for about six months, and many meetings were held in a nearby schoolhouse. Here Joseph administered church affairs and received many revelations. The fourth general conference of the Church, in which the first High Priests of the Church were ordained, was held at the farm. Visitors can take a guided tour of the grounds during summer months (May through October) and learn of the historical events that took place here.
Located in a beautiful, tranquil
American Falls
We didn't have time to do the walk way. Middle right in the photo is a wooden board walk and stairs along the Falls and down to the bottom area amid rich farmland, rolling hills and wooded areas, the John Johnson Home stands as one of Ohio's unique historic landmarks.
John Johnson, a prosperous farmer and his wife Alice (known to all as Elsa), welcomed the young Latter-day Saint Prophet, Joseph Smith, into their home in 1831. While living at the home, Joseph received many divine revelations that are accepted as doctrine by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During the year that the Smith family stayed at the John Johnson Home, Ohio became the Church's Headquarters. Many people came from all over the United States to meet the Latter-day Saint Prophet.
By now we were starting to gain some status on the bus and apart from some people trying out some very bad Australian accents ( One guy kept saying my name fast and pronounced like Bubby - convinced that is how I say it!! - I wanted to say I prefer it the american slow drawl Bar....beee... )
Mary yoders Amish Country Ohio
Morley farm
Kirtland Temple
Historic Kirtland Village
Dr Daniel Rona talk at the hotel
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