Thursday, Aug. 20

Thursday, Aug. 20

No pictures today. It was a travel day. I emptied my waste tanks (and you really don't want a picture of that!) before leaving the campground and headed east on I-90 to Syracuse, NY, then turned south on I-81. Somewhere along the way I stopped and took a 2-hour lunch/nap break. I wanted to get to Binghamton, NY, but I didn't have any specific campgrounds in mind and decided to stop about 30 miles before it in a town called Marathon because I saw a campground sign there. I decided to fill up the propane tank which was reading 1/4 full after 5 weeks of use (only for the refrigerator when driving or away from electricity. Since a full tank is really only 3/4 on the tank gauge (you never fill an RV propane tank to more than 80% full, that means I had used at most a half a tank in 5 weeks. So this fill-up should last me until I get home.

The most exciting part of the day was my shower at night (50 cents for 5 minutes of hot water). The lights in the bathroom were on a motion-activated timer and went out in the middle of the shower. Fortunately I had a flashlight with me because I have had this happen to me before and swore I would never go into a shower room at night without a flashlight...just in case. It really paid off this time.

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - Part 3a

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - Part 3

After Cave of the Winds, I got back on the trolley and next got off at Terrapin Point, a nice viewpoint from which you can see Horseshoe Falls and also have a good view of the rapids above it. (The picture with the flowers in the foreground was taken at Terrapin Point I'm sure, and I think the rapids one was too; the others I'm not sure of where they were taken.)

One thing that struck me as very odd all along the American side was how easy it would be for someone to fall into the river and be swept right over the falls. In some places you are no more than 20 or 30 feet from the river's edge with only an open set of metal bars to keep you out. And I only saw ONE sign saying to keep out (or, more accurately, to "not climb over the bars"). It scared me almost to death to see one woman push her umbrella stroller up to this railing and admire the view and take pictures while her toddler tried to get out of the stroller --- the lowest bar was above his head! I hoped he was belted in but couldn't really see and even if he was, what if he had gotten it open? There was only a few feet of grass separating him from falling into the raging river and going right over the falls a few feet downstream!

Aside from my perceived lack of protection to keep visitors from falling in, the falls were indeed quite beautiful to watch and experience and I am very glad I toured both sides. The Canadian side has more hotels, entertainment areas, and night life, it seemed, but the grandure and natural beauty was maybe a little better on the American side. Both definitely worth seeing if you get a chance.

It was 7:00 pm by the time I got back to the Roadtrek and the dogs. When I get back and see them watching out the window for me, I never know if they've been there the whole time (in this case 5 hours) or if they slept and got up when they heard me approaching. I hope it is the latter scenario.

I went back to the same campground I was at last night (Niagra's Lazy Lakes) and got a good night's sleep.

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - Part 2

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - Part 2

If I've uploaded these 10 pictures in the correct order, they should start with the view from the bottom of the American Falls, near where the elevator from the Observation Tower lets you out. But now I see I got one picture in the top 4 here (it has me in the foreground) that was obviously taken at the top, before going to the Observation Tower; sorry. I think I have chosen 2 photos to include here that WERE taken at the bottom of the American Falls.

After spending a little time down there, I took the elevator back up and walked over to the Visitor Center, had some ice cream, and then watched a 40 minute IMAX movie on legends, myths, and daredevils associated with Niagra Falls. (Did you know that the first person to successfully and intentionally go over the Falls in a barrel and live to tell about it was a 63-year-old woman named Annie Taylor? I think that was in 1901 or thereabouts.)

After the movie I got back on the trolley and my next stop was on Goat Island, the Island in the middle of the Niagra River which separates Bridal Veil Falls (a much smaller waterfall on the American side that is just to the right of the American Falls in some of the pictures) from Horseshoe Falls, 99% of which lies on the Canadian side of the border. Here is another popular attraction called Cave of the Winds. They issue you some more of the very fashionable plastic rain ponchos and this time everyone also gets a personal pair of waterproof sandals which you get to keep afterwards. The point is made that you get VERY wet on this tour. Then you take an elevator down to the base of Bridal Vail Falls where you are allowed to walk out as far as you want on a series of steps and platforms that go out over the water flowing over the rocks at the base of the falls. I guess there is a cave somewhere back there (thus the name Cave of the Winds) but I don't recall actually seeing it even though I went all the way to the end. At the last part the blowing mist is so strong it's like standing under a hose and you can't really see anything (if you can open your eyes, which I couldn't). There is a before and after picture of me down here. I did wear the poncho here but I didn't put the hood up because again it was so hot out that I thought a little mist on the head would feel good (and it did!). However, Note to self: if not wearing the hood of a poncho in a rain shower, at least tie the chin tie closed ---I got totally drenched through this opening. I did not even try to take photos or movies at the very last part and am actually surprised that both cameras survived this trip and still work!

The day's adventures are continued in Part 3 of this post.

Wed., Aug. 19 - Part 1to

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - Part 1

[Sorry to have to do one day in multiple parts, but this day is going to be heavy on pictures and I'm still experimenting with the size to make them so that when you click on them (which I hope you're doing on at least some of them), they turn into a full-page size picture, but not so big that you have to scroll to see the whole thing. The first thing I just discovered that if I leave them at the very high resolution that I photograph them at, they take impossibly long to upload to the blog site.]

Today I drove the Roadtrek back to the American side of Niagra Falls and left it with the dogs (and the fans on) at a parking lot at one end of a loop of stops that a $2 (for all day) trolley goes around. I hopped on the trolley and got off at the visitors' center and Observation Tower point. The picture shows the Observation Tower at which you can walk out on that overhanging part and have a very good view of the American Falls. I'm pretty sure that is where I took the other two pictures from. Then, for $1, you can take an elevator down to the bottom of the falls (the elevator is in the vertical part of the observation tower). Also at the bottom is where you would board the "Maid of the Mist" boat which apparently leaves from the American as well as the Canadian side of the Falls. Since I'd already done it from the Canadian side 2 days ago, I didn't go again, but I did enjoy the view from the bottom of the American Falls which you will see in Part 2 of this post.

Tuesday, Aug. 18

Tuesday, Aug. 18

This was the day to cross the border back into the United States. I had carefully hidden dry dog food and zip-loc bags of dog cookies (treats) in various places in the Roadtrek because 2 years ago when crossing the border at Vancouver, British Columbia, I was detained for several hours because I was bringing dog food not in its original container back into the USA. (I don't normally break the law and am not a smuggler at heart, but I can't see any logical reason that dry dog biscuits and/food that was bought in the US and hadn't been out of the camper, has to be thrown out after a few days in Canada.) Anyway, this time they didn't even ask about any dog food and I was even able to bring a nectarine, a bag of carrots, and a bag of sugar snap peas (which I did tell them about and was prepared to lose,) across without any problems.

I drove the 10 miles or so to the campground I had selected and took the rest of the day off. (yes, that means a long afternoon nap). I did call Dave and got to hear his voice after a week of no telephone communication. I got caught up a little on my blog although I had to walk with the computer late at night across the campground to a spot where the cell signal was strong enough to post. Cost me about 2 dozen mosquito bites. Talked with some nice neighbors for a while too. And that was Tuesday. The photos are of this campground (called Niagra's Lazy Lakes), one of the Lazy Lakes, and the two flags at the border line. Not too exciting of a day, but I like to have a "down day" occasionally. Tomorrow will be more exciting because I am visiting the US side of the Falls.

Now, have to try to remember where I hid all the dog food....

Monday, August 17

Monday, August 17

I had signed up yesterday for a 6-hour, all-inclusive tour of the Canadian side of Niagra Falls for today in which they pick you up right at the KOA campground where I am staying. At 9:30 I was met at the door by the nice tour guide, Nick, in his air-conditioned van, along with the only other people on this now rather personalized tour which was an Israeli couple (never did get their names straight, but they were very nice and we had a good time together). I am just going to post the pictures from today, not in any special order, and see if I can write any text alongside.

The first picture is me with the American Falls in the background. I think it is the one taken after the Maid of the Mist boat ride (see below) where I refused to wear my blue poncho.

The next are at the side of Horseshoe Falls.
We did a tour behind Horseshoe Falls. All you could see was solid white (water) from the open portals at the end of the tunnels we were in which are drilled into the rock the Falls are falling over. But you could sure FEEL and HEAR the water and the power of the Falls! The yellow ponchos didn't keep us very dry either.

The blue ponchos are what everyone (else) was wearing when we went on the boat "Maid of the Mist" which goes right up to the base of both the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. I was so hot after waiting in line 45 minutes in the hot sun (it was over 100 degrees, counting the humidity factor!) that I opted not to put on the poncho at all; I enjoyed getting soaked by the heavy mist. One of the pictures is of others trying to get their ponchos on in the strong wind we had there and another is me after being soaked on the boat (my hair looks wet but my shirt doesn't look wet in the picture.)

A buffet lunch on the 15th floor of the Sheraton Hotel was included in the tour package. The view was spectacular; we could see all three Falls from there. (The third one is the small Bridal Veil Falls you can see just to the right of the American Falls in the lunch picture.)

The flower picture was taken along side a floral clock we visited. We saw many other things on the tour, including the power-generating stations, famous buildings in the area, the main street where all the activity was the night before, special gardens, the area below the falls where the water forms a whirlpool, and the largest casino (or so they claim) in North America. The building was maybe 20 or 30 stories tall; I don't know if it was casino on all the floors. Sorry I didn't include a picture of it here.

Sunday, Aug. 16 - Part 2

Sunday, Aug. 16 - Part 2

[the last post was semi-successful in that the first picture is enlargeable, but the others, alas, are not. I think it has to do with whether or not I move them around trying to get them aligned with the text.]

It was about a 2-hour drive from Fergus/Elora to the Niagra Falls KOA campground where I had decided to stay. There was a shuttle bus that came right by the campground which I took later (9:00 pm) this evening down to the Falls to see their nighttime illumination and a fireworks show at 10:00 pm. The top two photos are the first views I had of Niagra Falls from the Canadian side. Both are of what is called the "American Falls" (because they are on the American side). I didn't have a very good view of "Horseshoe Falls" at this time (which is the one on the Canadian side).

There were great masses of people gathered along the lookout point. It was hot and humid (even at 10 pm). You could hear people talking in every imaginable language (it is definitely a "tourist" destination). I felt like I was in Las Vegas or at the Del Mar County Fair at night --- lots of neon signs, noise, even a giant ferris wheel (but it is at least twice as big as the one at the Del Mar Fair).

Another thing I like about Niagra Falls, Canada, is that everything stays open until 2:00 am -- and this was on a Sunday night, no less --- a big change from the Amish country where NOTHING was open on Sunday at all, and stores and visitor attractions closed at 5:00 pm on weekdays. Now THIS is MY kind of town!