Day 4 of our Toronto trip took us outside the city for a day trip with Elizabeth’s parents down to Niagara Falls.
On the Hornblower Boat Tour
We set off early in the hopes of missing out on the big crowds that we knew would arrive at the falls later in the day, and managed to make it down to Niagara Falls in pretty good time. The early start didn’t phase Luke, as he managed to sleep for pretty much the entire journey.
Niagara Falls is actually the collective name for three separate waterfalls that straddle the Canada-US border: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The falls are located on the Niagara River which drains Lake Eerie into Lake Ontario, and, combined, have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world. The largest and most famous of the waterfalls is Horseshoe Falls.
Its difficult to describe what its like to see a natural wonder like Niagara Falls, as it was truly breathtaking to see them up close. Watching the water flow over the edge and fall into the mist was kind of hypnotic, so it was easy to lose track of time.
Niagara Falls is actually the collective name for three separate waterfalls that straddle the Canada-US border: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The falls are located on the Niagara River which drains Lake Eerie into Lake Ontario, and, combined, have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world. The largest and most famous of the waterfalls is Horseshoe Falls.
Its difficult to describe what its like to see a natural wonder like Niagara Falls, as it was truly breathtaking to see them up close. Watching the water flow over the edge and fall into the mist was kind of hypnotic, so it was easy to lose track of time.
But before we could stand and stare too long, we rushed off the the Hornblower Boat tours to beat the crowds. After descending down to the river’s edge and donning our stylish red ponchos, we found a spot on the boat and headed up river. The boat made its way right into the middle of the Horseshoe falls where we were drenched by the mist that permanently conceals the bottom of the falls. We could have spent hours staring at the falls, but would have probably gotten quite wet in the process, so instead we took a couple of videos for posterity.
After our tour we took in a quick lunch with a great view up the gorge, allowing us to watch the falls as we ate. We then made our way even further down river to the White Water Walk.
The White Water Walk is a short trail down at the river’s edge the runs alongside the Whirlpool Rapids: 4km of Class 6 (the most dangerous class!) white water rapids. Again, it’s difficult to describe what its like to be down close to the rapids, but imagine standing waves 3 - 5 metres tall, with water moving at speeds up to 48 km/h.
At the start of the walk, we also learned a little about the history of daredevils at the falls. From barrel riders, to swimmers and tight-rope walkers, nutjobs have flocked to Niagara for centuries, and many have died while attempting to traverse the rapids. Having seen the rapids, we were not in the least surprised. Here’s another video, that would have been great if it wasn’t for a casual video-bomb near the end.
The White Water Walk is a short trail down at the river’s edge the runs alongside the Whirlpool Rapids: 4km of Class 6 (the most dangerous class!) white water rapids. Again, it’s difficult to describe what its like to be down close to the rapids, but imagine standing waves 3 - 5 metres tall, with water moving at speeds up to 48 km/h.
At the start of the walk, we also learned a little about the history of daredevils at the falls. From barrel riders, to swimmers and tight-rope walkers, nutjobs have flocked to Niagara for centuries, and many have died while attempting to traverse the rapids. Having seen the rapids, we were not in the least surprised. Here’s another video, that would have been great if it wasn’t for a casual video-bomb near the end.
After a pleasant taxi ride back, we finally stopped to take in Horseshoe Falls from the viewing area above the falls. It was surprisingly quiet at the top of the waterfall with the water slipping silently over the edge.
On our way back to Toronto we stopped in winemaking country, in the lovely little town of Niagara on the Lake. After a short walk around the downtown area (and taking a look at property prices in the area), we made our way to the Jackson Triggs vineyard for a tour of their winemaking process. Unfortunately, the tours were fully booked, so instead we had a tasting of their wine. Fortunately, we ended up with a great bartender so we learned quite a bit about their wines regardless. Between the four of us we managed to try all of their wines, including a surprisingly refreshing sparkling red wine, and some very sweet ice wines.
On our way back to Toronto we stopped in winemaking country, in the lovely little town of Niagara on the Lake. After a short walk around the downtown area (and taking a look at property prices in the area), we made our way to the Jackson Triggs vineyard for a tour of their winemaking process. Unfortunately, the tours were fully booked, so instead we had a tasting of their wine. Fortunately, we ended up with a great bartender so we learned quite a bit about their wines regardless. Between the four of us we managed to try all of their wines, including a surprisingly refreshing sparkling red wine, and some very sweet ice wines.
Back in Toronto in the evening, the two of us went out for dinner at a nearby microbrewery with another one of Elizabeth's old friends from the Canadian Space Agency. It was a really fun evening, with good company, nice beer and tasty food.
In case you missed them, here are links to our previous blog posts about this trip:
A Week in Toronto (Part I)
A Week in Toronto (Part II)
And here is the last blog post from our trip:
A Week in Toronto (Part III)
And here are more pictures from our day in the Niagara Falls area:
In case you missed them, here are links to our previous blog posts about this trip:
A Week in Toronto (Part I)
A Week in Toronto (Part II)
And here is the last blog post from our trip:
A Week in Toronto (Part III)
And here are more pictures from our day in the Niagara Falls area:
