Niagara Falls - Take Two

If you're not on photo overload yet, here are some of the best photos from our Niagara Falls trip last week.  There are three main waterfalls - American and Bridal Falls are bunched together, but the big one you think of when you picture Niagara Falls is Horseshoe Falls.  It's the great big one that's shaped in what else, a horseshoe. One side is the United States - the other, Canadian.

All that "smokey" appearance, is the mist from the water hitting the bottom.  I cannot explain how loud the roar of the falls is.  I tried to capture a video to give you some of the effect... it still doesn't do it justice.

Dave and I at Horseshoe Falls US Overlook.

The big drop... Imagine going over that in a barrel!  Out of 16 people who went over in a barrel, only 9 survived.

Drew wasn't nearly as impressed with the Falls after a few minutes.  So he and Grandpa ran their hearts out in the grassy area.  

I mentioned the fact the waterfalls are just a shelf.  Straight down, nothing subtle about the drop.  Here's a shot I captured showing that steep drop.

Every rock we saw, Drew had to climb and walk across them.  I'll spare you the plethora of shots of him walking across the rocks.. and show you the one Rocky Rock (notice his Rocky T-Shirt?).

Drew was so excited to eat dinner that night, but just as we were pulling into the parking lot he conked out.  He never once woke up during the meal, instead laid on Daddy's lap.  While we were walking back to the car, he woke up briefly and whined "Why aren't we going in there to eat".  He wasn't too happy when we told him we already ate - we took his meal to-go and he gobbled it up at the hotel that night.

We hoped to watch the fireworks show at the Falls that evening - it was Victoria Day in Canada.  But on the drive back from the restaurant it started to rain.  After getting soaked by the falls during the day, the last thing we wanted to do was get wet AGAIN.  So lucky for us, we had a great view of the fireworks from our room!
The next morning we were warmed up enough to brave another attempt to get right up to the Falls.  Dave, Brianna, Tim, and I did the Cave of the Winds tour at Niagara Falls.  It gets you face to face with the American and Bridal Falls.

 That's a shot of Horseshoe Falls from the Cave of the Winds Balcony (remember yesterday's shot from above of the deck below... that's where we are now).

We again get to sport some very attractive gear - this time yellow ponchos.
L-R: Brianna, me, Dave

There weren't many dry areas of this little walking tour, so I couldn't get too many pictures.  Above is a shot from below looking up at the American Falls (to the left) and Bridal Falls (to the right).

The force of this water is amazing.  Oh and the water temperature that day... a chilly 44 degrees.

Dave and I in the last semi-dry area.  that water would gush up and hit us in the back quite regularly.  With the cost of admission, not only do we get those gorgeous yellow ponchos, but sandals.

As you can see, the higher you go up those steps, the more damp it is... but we HAD to do it.  I had to tuck the camera away for safekeeping for that trek.  I managed to find a deck off to the side (at the top) to capture the picture below of Dave getting nailed by the Falls.

We all went into the corner of that deck and were just pelted by the Bridal Falls.  Again, 44-degree water slamming into you with such force.  When I was in that corner I couldn't help but scream from the cold and force of the water.  It took me nearly three hours - the entire drive back to Ithaca to dry off.  But it was worth every minute of it.

We cannot than Grandpa Tim and Grandma Lolly enough for such a memorable trip... and of course Aunt Brianna for graduating from college to make everything possible.  This was for sure a trip to remember.