FALLING FOR NIAGARA
MILLIONS HAVE VIEWED THE BEAUTY AND FORCE OF MOTHER NATURE AT NIAGARA FALLS, BUT THERE’S NOTHING LIKE EXPERIENCING IT YOURSELF THE FIRST TIME
The mist from the pounding crash of nearly three million litres of water a second is so massive, we mistake it for low-lying cloud or smoke several kilometres away.
The force of nature that is Niagara Falls has been extensively photographed, videoed, researched and written about for centuries.
While Native American Indians were probably the first people to set eyes on the trio of waterfalls, French priest Father Louis Hennepin is said to have been the first Westerner to see them in 1678.
And today, we are to become the first in our family to discover the incredible beauty of Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the southern end of Niagara Gorge, straddling the international border between Canada and the United States.
As modern-day explorers, we come well prepared – stocked up with snacks to avoid any exorbitant tourist traps in the “mini-Vegas” town centre behind the world-renowned natural attraction, and leaving before dawn to beat the notoriously bad Toronto peak-hour morning traffic for the 130km, 90-minute drive.
When we arrive just on sunrise, we are blown away – like looking up at Uluru for the first time. Apart from a couple of executive-type joggers on the Canadian side, we have the place to ourselves.
Having parked near Clifton Hill, we are able to walk down through the casino-rich backstreets and then cover the length of the viewing terrace to Table Rock at the brink of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, snapping pictures of the Rainbow International Bridge linking the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of New York, Skylon Tower and Queen Victoria Park before the hordes of other tourists we suspect will descend in buses, cars, bicycles and on foot after 9am.
But “the falls” are a constant distraction for the senses. We can’t get enough of them.
No wonder this breathtaking spot is one of the wedding and honeymoon capitals of the world.
From every angle, we try in vain to capture what has fascinated millions of tourists as well as a few crazy daredevils for hundreds of years. While height is important for the perfect shot, so is getting up close and personal at the water level.
So we slowly head back up the terrace in time to catch the second Hornblower Voyage to the Falls Boat Tour for the day we booked online, seeking the source of the mist that had first caught our attention.
We are seeing the best of Niagara Falls on a picture-perfect summer’s day but we don the bright red rain ponchos as instructed. We want the full impact from the bow.
The 20-minute boat ride glides slowly past the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls so everyone has a chance to snag their bucket-list moments. As crowds build on our Canadian side to the right and Goat Island walkways and Observation Tower on the American side, we are in the heart of the action like millions from around the world before us for more than 170 years.
As we get closer, the mist becomes much “wetter”, driving the previously boisterous young Asian tourists to the spray-free interior. The swell has become more washing machine-like but nowhere near as rough as we were expecting from such vertical force.
Seagulls by the dozens are dive-bombing the churning waters, seeking breakfast morsels that have been brought to the surface. Our wide smiles become even broader as a rainbow forms to our right, just below the cliffs of Table Rock.
We are front-row on a wet-and-wild journey into the glory of Niagara Falls. Who needs a barrel?
A DAY IN THE NIAGARA FALLS REGION
On arrival at Niagara Falls, head to one of the best viewing points at Table Rock, in front of the Welcome Centre and only metres from the brink of Horseshoe Falls.
Head upstairs to the Welcome Centre terrace and cafes for a heightened view, then stroll towards the former Toronto power station to truly see the force and majesty of Mother Nature.
If you have your passport and a valid ESTA visa, walk across to the American side of Niagara Falls for a completely different perspective.
After a morning at Niagara Falls, head back to Toronto via Niagara on the Lake (the first capital of the colony of Upper Canada) and one of the best-preserved 19th century towns in North America.
The town (the only one in Canada with a Lord Mayor) is on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.
Drop in for lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel (corner of King and Queen Sts) or the popular Corks, stroll the period-style shops, beautiful home gardens and architecture of Queen St. Walk down two blocks to the shores of Lake Ontario for a picnic in Queen’s Royal Park or simply sit and gaze out over the water from the public gazebo.
If you’re staying a little longer, the area is known for its wineries and restored Fort George, which was built by the British to defend against American attacks and saw bloody battles between the British and US forces in the War of 1812.
Stay the night at Niagara Falls’ many accommodation options and you can see the falls illuminated in colour and ablaze in fireworks after dusk.
The more adventurous can take a zipline past the falls, walk the network of tunnels in Journey Behind the Falls, buy a ticket on the antique cable car for spectacular views of the swirling Niagara Whirlpool and the Class 6 whitewater rapids of the Niagara River, or take your time on a White Water Walk with viewing platforms along the river’s edge.