Day 78...To Niagara Falls, New York

FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2012

     Allison and the kids made it to us at the marina yesterday.  It was so good to see them. 

      We got up and started to Niagara Falls, New York between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.  Before we started out a guy at the marina said that a Wallenda was going to walk over the falls this weekend.  We had no idea this was going to happen, but at the time didn't think it was such a big deal.  We found out later how wrong we were.  We knew it would be about a 4-hour ride.   Allison made good time and we arrived a little after 12:30 p.m.  As we approached the park, there were signs warning of delays because of the Wallenda event.  Uh oh.  Maybe it was going to be a big deal.  When we tried to park we found out that parking that was regularly $10 was now $50.  A helpful parking guy did tell us about the parking garage across the street.  When we went over there we were able to park for $10.

    We walked just a few blocks to Niagara Falls State Park, America's Oldest State Park that was established in 1885.  Our first stop was just outside the visitor's center where we purchased our tickets and got brochures to help us plan our itinerary.  Allison suggested going to the ones we wanted to see the most today and the others tomorrow.

      We decided to go to the Observation Tower and the Maid of the Mist journey by boat to the American and Canadian Falls.  You could see both falls from the tower.  We could already feel the mist from the falls before we even got to the attraction.  We walked to the tower and rode the elevator down to the boarding platform.  

     We were all given chic blue plastic hooded ponchos to wear on our voyage. 

      The trip was wet, windy, turbulent and roaring.  It was unbelievable to be so close to all of this power.  I have no word to describe much of this trip.  We got semi-wet, but it felt good because it was relatively warm.  We knew we'd dry pretty quickly.

     The first falls are the American Falls and then Bridal Veil Falls.

     The next falls were Horseshoe Falls in Canada.  They were hard to see because of all the mist.  

     The boats that carry the tourists to the falls are called THE MAID OF THE MIST and then a Roman numeral.  The boats down in the water were the same kinds of boats we rode on so very close to the falls.  It seemed like there were several different kinds of boats that took many people on the trips. 

   While we were on the trip, I also took a couple of pictures of the cable that Nik Wallenda was going to walk on that night.  Look closely to see it.

     Allison, Gage, Lily and Olivia posed in front of the falls from one of the overlooking walls.

Next we walked across the pedestrian bridge to visit the Cave of the Wind.  

     The cave, where drafts of air caused by the falling water created a windy atmosphere inside, was discovered behind Bridal Veil Falls in 1834.  In 1920 the shelf of rock that formed the cave broke free and fell into the river.  Now visitors hike up to the Hurricane Deck, where they are drenched by the roaring falls and buffeted by the high-speed winds.  Each year the platforms and walkways are taken down and then reconstructed after the threat of freezing is over. 
      We went into a building where we changed into smelly, yellow ponchos and "stylish" sandals that were mandatory.  

     Then we went to a stone building to catch the elevator to the bottom of the gorge, where we would start our climb.

     Here we go up to the Hurricane Deck after we admire our matching sandals.

     Look how we got soaked.  See if you can find us in our matching rainwear. 

          We used our trolley pass to ride back to near the exit.  We were all tired, but we had enjoyed our day in the Niagara Falls State Park immensely.