Saturday, June 18, 2011

Niagara's Fury

Right near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is Table Rock, which is the main tourist building for all things Niagara Falls related.  In the building itself, a new attraction built in 2008 allows visitors to "experience" the creation of Niagara Falls.

To start the show, you'll meet some woodland characters who teach you in a humorous way how Niagara Falls was created started in the last Ice Age.  From there, you'll walk into a 360 degree theater where you witness the creation of the falls reduced to a few minutes.  You'll feel the wind, power and water during the show and a poncho is definitely needed (and freely provided!).  

We really didn't know what to expect heading into this unique experience, but we came out of it with smiles on our face and our ponchos thoroughly drenched!

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the White Water Walk and Journey Behind The Falls all into one.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Journey Behind The Falls

Want to experience the true power of Niagara Falls?  Well, this is about as close as you can get.  The "Journey Behind The Falls" attraction allows you to enter into caves with exits that go right behind the falls.  The sheer power you'll feel is quite extraordinary.  However, the best views are had when you walk just to the side of the falls.  

From here, you'll get a great view, as shown below, of the Canadian Horseshoe falls.  From the second you exit the doorway, you'll feel the mist hitting you, and as you get closer to the falls, it'll feel more like you're in a storm than anything else.  

The free ponchos that are provided are a must-need (unless you want to get soaked).  You should also make sure you take either a water proof camera or secure it in a way so that it won't get wet if you want to continue taking photos on your trip.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the White Water Walk and Niagara's Fury all into one.




Thursday, June 16, 2011

Niagara Falls Viewing

While there are plenty of things to do in the Niagara Falls region, almost everyone comes for one simple reason...the Falls!  The largest waterfalls in North America are here and they are a spectacular site.  

While you can get a half-decent view from the American side of the falls, it's the Canadian side that will really open up your eyes.  Viewing the American Falls from Canada shows them very majestically, especially at night when they are all lit up in various colors.


During the day, the falls also look breathtaking.  However, it should be noted that on a foggy day, they can be difficult to see, so hopefully your trip there won't coincide with fog.  Walking along the park, you'll get various views of the Falls and you can probably spend all day doing this if you love seeing nature at its best.



In addition to the American Falls, there are the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which are much larger.  The view to them can be slightly obscured by the mist surrounding them due to their crashing into the Niagara River, but nonetheless, they are still a wonderful sight.  In addition, when you get even relatively close to them, you'll start feeling the mist they cause.


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Niagara's Floral Clock


This is a great stop along the Niagara River. The Floral Clock is in the botanical gardens, but has its own parking lot right across the way, as well as bathrooms and a gift and snack stand.

While many people stand in front of the clock to take pictures with it and of it, many don't walk behind it. The door to the inner workings of the clock is typically left wide open for guests to see how the clock works, as well as a display of the previous designs of the clockface throughout the years.

While the clock itself is beautiful and a stunning work of art, it is enjoyable to see what other year's have looked like. Some have had Roman numerals for numbers and some are more intricate than others.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Fort George

Right outside the main street of the quaint town of Niagara-On-The-Lake lies Fort George, which served as the headquarters for the British army during the War of 1812.  The fort played an important part in the development of Canada during the 19th century and has a rich amount of history that can be learned through various books and websites.

When visiting a place such as this, you expect to feel like you can really experience what the fort was like during the days of its importance.  However, beyond just having some small buildings on the premises, there really isn't much to experience.  The area is not very well maintained, especially compared to Old Fort Niagara across the river in New York.  All the buildings seem to be infested with bees and they don't have anything to warrant walking in them and looking at any way.  There are some musket demonstrations throughout the day, but nothing else is really too enticing to tourists.  When visiting Niagara-On-The-Lake, you're much better off spending your money elsewhere such as the various wineries or on Queen Street.