Niagara Falls

     We spent just a few hours in Niagara Falls.  It's such a tourist trap.  We enjoyed the majesty of the falls, then got out of town.

There are three falls - Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.  American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are on the American side.  Horseshoe falls is mostly on the Canadian side.  The boundary line between Canada and the United States runs through Horseshoe Falls.  The true boundary line between this country and Canada has been in dispute for years because of erosion caused by the water and because of construction at the falls. 

You can take a boat ride up to the falls from either the American or Canadian side. 

Hornblower operates Canadian side cruises.  Hornblower passengers wear green ponchos.

Maid of the Mist operates American side cruises.  Maid of the Mist passengers wear blue ponchos.

Here I am, in front of Horseshoe Falls.  It's a lot like seeing the Grand Canyon.  Wondrous!

You can visit the site of the Cave of the Winds and walk up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls.  These days, the Cave of the Winds experience is just a walk in the mist.  In the old days (From 1841 to 1920) visitors went into a cave behind Bridal Veil Falls to watch the water fall in front of them.  A rock fall in 1920 made the cave unsafe.  The cave was destroyed in 1954 by another rock fall and the subsequent dynamiting of a dangerous rock overhang.  Those who pay for access to the Cave of the Winds area are outfitted with yellow ponchos and special sandals.  They use wooden bridges to walk to the base of Bridal Veil Falls.  The bridges are set up each spring and taken down each autumn.  They can't remain in the winter because of the ice. 

A view of Prospect Point Park on the American side and Ontario, Canada on the Canadian side.