Niagara Falls 11 & 12 August 2016

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Niagara Falls 11 & 12 August 2016



I had also visited Niagara Falls in December 1992 during my study tour, but oh my goodness, how the area has changed. There are more hotels, casinos, very tacky theme parks along Clifton Hill Road. But that was the only negative.



We had an incredible time and we think we saw the sites in the right order, keeping the best until last….the Tower. This is what we did:



· Walk 300m from our hotel to see the sky car go across the Niagara River Whirlpool. The water was swirling angrily as the River went around the bend.



· In the evening we saw the fireworks display over the Waterfalls – spectacular! They also shone powerful colourful lights onto both the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The night was balmy and beautiful. 100s of holidayers were there to admire the site but there was plenty of spots to take advantage of what we were seeing.



· The next day we drove into the main area and park for $5-22 for all the day.



· Booked the Niagara Hornblower Boat cruise where we all got wet despite the red poncho. The reward was spectacular up-close-and-personal views of both the Canadian and USA Falls



· Next we went behind the falls. This journey still offered us the chance to feel the "spray" of the Falls, from portholes opening behind the Falls themselves.



· IMAX theatre had a 45 minute movie about the history of the Falls. The theatre also houses original barrels used by falls and whirlpool daredevils as well as their stories. They must have all been mad!!!!



· Skylon Tower that has an observation deck and revolving restaurant with a spectacular view of the falls. We saved this until last. It was very special. Having done many helicopter rides I would recommend going up the tower rather than a helicopter ride.



We spent half a day driving around Niarara-on-the-Lakes. What a beautiful, quaint region, with its rolling plains and the beautifully restored buildings and homes, particularly down the main street. The landscaping was flourishing with summer flowers and the shops were bulging with such interesting things. There was a Christmas Shop which was fascinating to browse through.



We found a lovey restaurant in the main street and settled in for a couple of hours. We saw a horse drawn carriage for tourists which just added to the character of the area. In the real estate office, we didn’t see any homes below $1 million with most being around the $2 mill.



The town lies on the banks of Lake Ontario which adds further to the towns personality. Well worth a visit.



When we left the region we left with images of majestic but thunderous scenery that will stay with us for ever.

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