Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake!

Aug 12, 2019

We got up early, dressed and headed out so that we could be at the Niagara Falls and have breakfast before it became too crowded.   The shuttle bus was only about a ten-minute ride to the Falls.  Even at 8:30, the crowds were gathering.  We had a quick breakfast and walked along the boulevard, looking at the Falls and admiring the sights.  We had tickets to the underground tunnels to get behind the Falls.  Our designated time was 10:30 so we entered the queue to walk down into the tunnels.  Debbie was a little anxious and although she would rather be in front of and above ground, she hung in there and experienced the wet, cold mist and splashing torrential water  pouring down in front of her.   We had been given yellow plastic body covers to wear and we joined the throng of people walking slowly through the tunnels, taking selfies and photos and then slowly walking back to the elevators for the ride back to the entrance. 

We had tickets to the show about the formation of the Falls, called Niagara Fury, but we decided to have lunch and a beer first.  We sat in the restaurant watching the Falls and the Maid in the Mist, loaded with people, slowly pushing into the huge cloud of spray towards the Falls.  Debbie opted out of the show and stayed in the restaurant while I went.  The show was interesting and informative, however it was geared more for children.  The special effects of snow and rain, thunder and lightning were fun.  The show lasted about 15 minutes and for the price and the time of standing in line I did not feel it was worth the money. 

Our next adventure was taking the Maid of the Mist to the falls. Because there are so many visitors at Niagara Falls, the processes to move people in large groups through to the different attractions is done in timed intervals. The long queues move fairly quickly.  Each boat can carry approximately 550 people. We were fortunate to be at the front of our large group and were able to go to the front of the top deck, the best seat in the house.  The ride on the boat into the mist and spray of the Falls is exhilarating and although we were wearing the plastic body covers we got soaked. It was amazing to be so close to the huge torrents of water that pours over the falls.  

We decided that we had enough of the crowds for a while so we made our way to Niagara on the Lake.    Our next attraction was at 7:30, the Wild Water Walk, so we had lots of time to explore Niagara on Lake.  We got there through a series of shuttles buses and the last shuttle bus was a community bus.  The driver informed us that the last bus back to the Falls was at 6:00.  During that discussion he also informed us that it was “usually the younger people who miss that last 6:00 bus”.  We walked into the downtown area and came across a horse drawn carriage.  Debbie wanted to go for a tour of the community and so we enjoyed a ½ hour horse drawn tour.  We admired the many historic homes and beautiful yards.  The Niagara on the Lake has a microclimate that allows for the growth of many types of plants that are not indigenous to the region.  It is the reason for the growth of the vineyards and winemaking industry in the region.

After the tour we went along main street to checkout some of the shops. Debbie wished that she had more time to scout them but unfortunately our time was limited.

We were getting hungry and found a small Greek restaurant and we ordered some wine and shared a lovely chicken Slouvaki and and plate of dolmades.  As se were sitting on the patio we saw the community bus drive by and I said oh there is the community bus.  We continued eating and then in a moment of truth I checked the time and realized that we had just missed the last bus out of Niagara on the Lake!  The driver was right, it usually is the younger people that miss the bus!

Since we missed the bus we finished our meal and our waitress called a taxi for us.  The taxi driver was very understanding and proceeded to give us a cabby’s tour and presentation as we drove out of Niagara on the Lake.  It turned out to be a $40.00 cab ride but we had a good laugh about our stupidity.  We connected with the shuttle bus and made it to the Wild Water walk on time. 

We found this attraction to be very interesting as we descend 230 ft. by elevator to the banks of the Niagara River.  The board walk takes you past the rapids that are a Class 6.  There are six classifications of rapids and Class 6 is considered to be un-navigateable. The rapids roar through the gorge and standing waves are over 12 feet high.  It is spectacular to see these enormous waves rushing by at forty miles an hour.

It was time to return to our campsite.  We were both tired and foot sore and I was tired of the throngs of people.  We took the shuttle bus back to the campground and went to bed shortly after.  

We enjoyed Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake.  The history of the area, the vineyards, and the Fort are all attractions that need to be seen.  Unfortunately the throngs of tourists (like us) are overwhelming and we both agreed we will come back again on the offseason to see the things that we missed.