Day Three
(August 30, 1999)
We started our day with the breakfast (or "Brekkie", as our hostess called it) part of Bed and Breakfast. Brekkie consisted of Belgian Waffles with cherries and whipped cream, along with fresh fruit, homemade bread, fresh juice, and lots of coffee. We were joined by four other people who were also staying at the Fairbanks House, and had a nice chat.
Our first walk of the morning was up to the Spanish Aerocar, which is located about 2 1/2 miles or so downstream (North) of the Falls, and about a mile North of the B&B. This is a cable car ride over a section of the river that has a whirlpool in it. It was a very scenic ride, and the Aerocar was a nice way to travel. Of course, we simply went from one side of the eddy to the other and back, so "travelling" may not be the best term...
After the ride, we walked back to the Falls and took an unforgettable ride on the Maid of the Mist. This is probably the most spectacular thing we did at Niagara, and it not to be missed by anyone planning a trip there. We were all issued rain slickers, and were very glad to have them when the mist started! A few people (us included) ducked our heads out of the slickers for a minute while we were near the falls, and got a little damp for our efforts.
We then walked up to the IMAX theatre and watched a film about the history of the falls and a few of the crazy people who have tried going over the falls in various contraptions. After the movie, we toured the Museum located in the lobby of the theatre and saw some of these contraptions firsthand. These people were obviously insane.
After a look at the Skylon Tower (we decided not to ride up this one), we headed down for supper at the Table Rock Restaurant, located right at the edge of the Falls. What a view! It was funny watching people running about as the wind changed and the mist started heading their way. A few people got rather wet.
One of the spectacular side effects of the mist is a fairly constant rainbow located over the falls. This is only visible during the afternoon from the Canadian side, as the sun has to be behind you.
We also got another look at the Maid of the Mist from above.
After supper, we hung around and waited for the night show. The Falls are illuminated at night by a series of powerful spotlights located on the Canadian side. This makes for quite a show. These are photos of the American Falls.
... and these are photos of the Canadian Falls (Horseshoe Falls) lit up.