Tuesday May 2nd, 2017
Today a greatly anticipated trip to Niagara Falls!! – A check
off the bucket list! Tyler has a hockey tournament in Toronto, CA, so we
decided to do a family vacation, with a sidebar to Niagara!
We traveled separately, Peter and us to Buffalo (different
carriers) and the O’Keefe’s to Toronto with meeting on the Canadian side of the
Falls. We stayed at the Hilton – with spectacular
views – we each had a suite… very convenient.
I always thought that the Falls were considered one of the
natural wonders of the world… they’re not.
Victoria Falls in Africa are, but they are as far as I’m
concerned!! Niagara is the collective
name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border of Canada and
the US, the province of Ontario and NY.
The 3 falls consist of the Horseshoe Falls, the American
Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The Falls
were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the ice age and water from the
newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route
to the Atlantic Ocean. Though not high,
the Falls are very wide. More than 6
million cubic feet of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow!!From an engineering standpoint, the Falls is famed as a valuable source of hydroelectric power.
We had purchased Adventure Passes – we started at the Spanish
Aero Cable Car – a gondola that traversed the northern end of Niagara Gorge,
providing unforgettable views of the raging waters below. This area is called the Niagara Whirlpool,
which is formed at the end of the rapids where the gorge turns abruptly counterclockwise
and the river escapes through the narrowest channel in the gorge.
In an attempt to see everything, we took the bus further
North to the Floral Clock. It is a
landmark, built in 1950. The clock’s
floral face is one of the largest in the world.
The face changes twice yearly and tells the time with precision. It should be noted that Dan remembers his
picture being taken here with his brother when they were kids – so the
tradition lives on with numerous shots of the kids.
Off to the Hornblower Niagara Cruise – a trip into the
awesome power of the thundering, roaring falls!
It was great! Slickers were
distributed to all, and Ava was our family official photographer.
A quick lunch and off to ZIP-LINE!!! Check – another bucket list item!! The harness was such, that I’m not sure this
was a typical zip line experience. But
it was GREAT!!!! The zip lines face the
American Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Riders dangle from a precarious 2,200 feet, at speeds of 40 mph, along
the edge of the gorge to the Falls observation landing. It was awesome!! The kids did great too!
Time was waning, and it seems the sidewalks are pulled in at
5. We had yet to do the SKYLON TOWER and
Journey Behind the Falls. With a promise
to the kids for “tomorrow” we returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner at
the Watermark. Located on the 33rd
floor, the restaurant offered yet MORE spectacular views of both Canadian and
US Falls. Dinner was great, by the way!
Thursday dawned gray and cloudy, but the Skylon awaits! We went before breakfast, glided smoothly to
the top observation desk, aboard the exterior glass-enclosed “Yellow Bug
Elevators” in just 52 seconds. At every
vantage point there was a placard describing what you were seeing. Very interesting…
Down and out ready for breakfast then onto the Journey! Journey is located in the Table Rock Centre
beside the Canadian Falls. It consists
of an observation platform and series of tunnels near the bottom of the
Horseshoe Falls. Access is reached by
elevators from the street level. Two
tunnels extend 151 feet behind the waterfall and allow visitors to view water
cascading in front of the open cave entrances.
Slickers were distributed here as well.
The tunnels were lined with great photos of a historical nature.
I found the whole experience fabulous. Now off to Toronto and the Hockey Hall of
Fame.
Thursday May 4th
Rain for the whole drive, but the reward was to stand in awe
of the STANLEY CUP. Guess you have to
like hockey! Checked into hotel (near
airport) and got ready for the tournament!
Oh unfortunate occurrence!
Tyler got slammed in the first 8 minutes he played. He was put on concussion watch and couldn’t
play. Though that was sad and
aggravating, I was very impressed with the ability of the team. It was amazing to see those little guys
skate, pivot and turn on a dime! After
making it to the semi-finals, the Gladiators finished in 3rd. I assured Tyler that I would go see him play
at home in Syosset.
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