| We left early in the morning by car, stopped for a cup of hot coffee and a croissant at Starbucks Cafe near our house. We drove on the highway with lots of corn fields along both sides. After almost 8 hours driving, finally we arrived at the US/Canadian border. After checking into the hotel at Niagara-on-the-Lake, we visited Niagara Falls, one of the Natural Wonders of the world, located at the Table Rock Complex. Until the early 1950s, the Falls eroded at an average rate of 1m per year. Since then major water diversions, such as the power plant and generating station, have been implemented to spread the flow of water more evenly over the Horseshoe Falls and reduce the rate of erosion. Now, the erosion is estimated at 36cm every 10 years! Just south of the Falls, there's a rusty old boat. In fact this is a dumping scow that has been marooned in the upper rapids since August of 1918. The scow broke loose from its towing tug with two men abroad. The men had the presence of mind to open the bottom dumping doors, grounding the scow on a rocky ledge where it has remained ever since. The men spent almost 29 hours on the barge before they were rescued by means of a breeches buoy connected to a line that was shot our from the roof of the Toronto Power Generating Station. Finally, we relaxed with an afternoon tea at the Table Rock Fast Food, but unfortunately the snacks weren't good:-). To explore the attractions around the Complex, we bought tickets for an attraction called Journey Behind the Falls. It is self-guided and affords thrilling views from below and beneath the Falls. We descended 38m by elevator, where a short tunnel gives access to two outdoor observation decks and two portals located directly behind the Falls. We got up close, got wet....cold....and feel the power of the majestic Falls. Wow........amazing........I was a little bit scared to feel the shaking of the ground where we stood. Before going back to the hotel, we took dinner at a restaurant called Table Rock, where we could see the Falls from our table, absolutely the closest view. Oh..well, the food wasn't good:-). At night the Falls are particularly breathtaking when the illumination begins. Since 1925, this light show has been delighting people year round. The Falls are transformed by twenty-one coloured lights. Eighteen lights are located at the Illumination Tower beside Queen Victoria Park Restaurant and another three are located near the base of the American Falls. After a cup of hot coffee at Whirlpool Coffee Shop the next morning, we explored the entire area. First, we went to the Butterfly Conservatory, which describes the life cycle of a butterfly. We took a close look at butterfly parts, and also live caterpillars from the breeding program. This conservatory has an exotic greenery and flowing water create a rain forest-like environment for over 2,000 tropical butterflies. Over 50 different species of butterflies fly freely through this award-winning 1,022 square metre climate controlled conservatory, and it is the world's largest glass enclosed Butterfly Conservatory. Second, we visited the Botanical Garden; 40 hectares of dazzling manicured gardens and arbora. A diverse collection of formal and informal gardens feature many well-known and unusual annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees, and shrubs. These gardens are famous for their collection of roses. There are twenty-three hundred colourful and fragrant hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda and climbing roses. At the Vegetable Garden, we saw new introductions growing beside unusual and little known vegetables in an intensive planting design. The Herb Garden features culinary, medicinal, ornamental, and scented herbs. We walked along meandering paths, took in the beauty of the arboretum, where we can find many kinds of trees including; pine, fir, elm, birch, sycamore, magnolia, maple, mulberry, and many more. The Botanical Garden was originally established in 1936 as the School for Apprentice Gardeners. It remains a unique location for studying gardening and obtaining the knowledge necessary to grow and maintain the landscapes of the Park system. With an increase in magnitude and quality of the plant collections, the school campus was officially declared a Botanical Garden in 1990. We drove for lunch at the Queenston Heights Restaurant. Elegant and affordable French cuisine, it also has breathtaking view of the Niagara River. We really enjoyed the meal, it was very good! Located at Queenston Heights Park on top of the 106m Niagara Escarpment, it is on the site of a War of 1812 battle in which Sir Isaac Brock was killed. Third, we went to the Great Gorge Adventure. We experienced the power and beauty of the mighty rapids. A quick elevator trip took us to the white-water boardwalk on the river's edge. A naturalist was on site to help us discover the geology and natural wonder of the raging rapids. We went back to the hotel, and prepared for a night on the town:-). We discovered Clifton Hill, the street of fun, where there were the famous Ripley's Believe or Not Museum Moving Theatre, Cinema 180 degrees Adventure Dome, Guinness World Record Museum, Movieland Wax Museum of Stars, House of Franskenstein, Castle Dracula, Haunted House, Fun House, Circus World, Mystery Maze, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Night Clubs, Karaoke, and many more. Flocking tourists area!!! We ended at the Casino, to enjoy the gambling. Of course, we agreed previously how much we had to spend in such a place:-). Just for fun!!! |
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| Ontario Canada |
| August 21 - 24, 2001 |
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