After a whole day spent on 13th of May experiencing the glitter, glamour, gloss and grandeur of the Casinos, hotels, gaming, world-class entertainment, nightlife, fine dining, Atlantic Ocean, beaches, Boardwalk, fun attractions, water sports, shopping at the Atlantic City – A seaside resort that is always turned on….. Next weekend ( 20th May ) it was the turn to drown into the most awaited natural scenic wonder of the world ….The Niagara Falls … An excursion to Niagara Falls offers more than you could ever imagine. Niagara Falls has often been called "the world’s most famous address." While the Falls is certainly the most visited natural attraction, the rest of Niagara is a rich, varied, and rewarding experience, too. There's so much to explore and discover at Niagara Falls State Park, from the historical and geological, to the wonders of nature. We landed on the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Saturday morning and because of some inevitable circumstances ( which is a long story by itself) only reached our destination Niagara at around 1 in the noon. The weather was very cold it was like 8-10 C all the three days with little sunshine here and there… but overall very chilly.
We then got fresh and took a bus to the Niagara Falls State Park. The land, the abundant forceful waters, the sky and the life makes what is known as the Niagara Falls State Park We walked our way towards the Prospect Park and the Prospect Point where we could get the unobstructed view of the majestic and massive Niagara Falls and then on to the Observatory Tower. From the American side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Park, which also features an Observation Tower. Prospect Point is the prime viewing area for the American Falls and Rapids. Home to the Visitor Center and the Observation Tower, this is also your link to the Maid of the Mist. The Observation Tower, a glass-walled elevator towers above with dramatic views of all three charismatic Falls and descends to the base and the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour. We were so excited to experience the falls… Oh my God! We could see people crying in joy on the Maid of the Mist… We were given their blue souvenir raincoats and this was the very first adventure trip we took from the Niagara Falls of NY. The boat is rightly called the Maid of the Mist as it makes its journey to experience the huge and thick mist of the falls which is so refreshing and breathtaking! There’s magic in the mist! It takes you past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. This world-famous scenic boat tour of the American and Canadian Falls is a spectacular half-hour ride giving a close-up experience of the chill waters of the Falls. A yet another fantastic experience of my lifetime, one of its kind and is so overwhelming that it still haunts me to date! Its like you don’t have anything left to experience something as superlative as this adventure in your life. Its truly been my best! We then spent some time at the base watching number of people also experiencing the same joy of being in the Falls and virtually living the Falls … It was enchanting!
Some trivia on the Falls… Niagara Falls is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River in eastern North America, on the border between the United States and Canada. Niagara Falls comprises three separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls sometimes called the Canadian Falls (Height 170 ft, Width 2500 ft, Volume of flow 90% of total), the American Falls (Height 180 ft, Width 1100 ft, Volume of flow 10% of total) and the smaller, adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide. More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic feet) of water go over the crest line of the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours. The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below the Falls. It is so deep it equals the height of the Falls above, 52 metres (170 feet). Less than 10% of water flows over the American Falls, with the balance flowing over the Horseshoe Falls. It’s the massive volume of water that flows over the Horseshoe Falls that gives it its green color. From the Falls, the water travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, then to the St. Lawrence Seaway and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
We had all the time in the world to spend at Niagara Falls… coz we were gonna spend two complete days (Saturday and Sunday) in the Niagara Falls State Park, New York and one day (Monday) totally devoted to the Canadian side. We chose the dates 20 -22 May…as we took all the opportunity of the Falls Fireworks scheduled from 20th May onwards every Friday and Sunday. On 21st which happened to be Sunday …That was the first Fireworks scheduled for the season 2006 which we experienced from the US side… We wanted to experience the fireworks from the Canadian side as well…and that fortunately was possible coz of the Victoria Day which fell on Monday May 22nd. That way we experienced the fireworks from US as well as Canadian sides on both Sunday and Monday consecutively.
After the Maid of the Mist boat tour we headed towards the Niagara Scenic Trolley….A two compartmental bus which takes you to several locations including major park attractions. You can board and stay on for the entire route or you can get on and off at different stops. A guide shares the history of the park as the scenic trolley follows a three-mile route through the park. We boarded the trolley and Rohit stepped down to take a picture while I was seated happily… The Trolley left leaving him behind…and I could not help as I was seated in the second compartment…Well I had a great time with all the passengers teasing me….that he is gone…and he would meet me the next time in Niagara … Good Bye to him… Poor chap …will only remember you while seeing the.. pictures…etc. Well I got down at another location called the Cave of the Winds on the Goat Island hoping to find Rohit in the next trolleys.
Goat Island has access to Cave of the Winds, Three Sisters Islands, Terrapin Point, Luna Island, Falls and Upper Rapids viewing. It’s a wonderful area for a quiet walk, close-up views of the rapids and cascades and the Top of the Falls Restaurant.
I was on my own for quite some time… but was enjoying ofcourse… as the Falls don’t allow you to dilute your attention to something so soon. An elevator ride takes you down 175 feet to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. I saw people walk along the base of the falls on a series of wooden stairs and decks to feel and experience the power of Niagara Falls from the Hurricane Deck just feet from the pounding waters.
Rohit had already announced for me in the trolleys…and I got an information that he was in a trolley behind and will be there to join me in a couple of minutes. It was a nice and cute chase in the trolleys… We met and there was a reunion…and then on he never let go of me.
After that we had some fuel for our tummies right there in some snack bar on a picnic table….we spent some time there…moved around…viewed the Falls… climbed another trolley which headed towards the Terrapin Point on the Goat Island which offers a view of the thundering water over the wide expanse and sweeping curve of the Horseshoe Falls. Got down there…viewed the Falls and also saw a Rainbow which formed on the Falls and boarded the trolley again to the Three Sisters Islands. Three historic walking bridges link Goat Island to the Three Sisters, offering unique views of the upper rapids as the river races for the Falls. We spent a lot of time on these islands… It was a very beautiful and scenic location to view the rapids amidst the greenery of the islands. Later we came back to the visitor center for some refreshments and the Festival theatre to learn the fascinating history of the Falls through a History Channel 22-minute film produced specifically for the Festival Theater. “Niagara: A History of the Falls” takes viewers from the first European sighting of Niagara Falls in 1697 to modern events.
After that lazed around in the greenery of the Prospect Park by the Niagara Falls… till dusk ….waiting for the sunset which only happens after 8 at night… People again gathered at the Prospect point to view the exotically and brilliantly illuminated Niagara Falls. We were spell bounded at the site as the illumination starts initially with white and then later on takes red, amber, pink, purple, blue, yellow and green… Niagara Falls at night is just scintillating an experience…. I was just thanking nature to have bestowed on me this out of the world and ethereal sight. That was just my first night at Niagara Falls…The best was yet to come. We walked our way back to catch a taxi stopping by the Seneca Niagara Casino which had a brilliantly lit exterior… we hopped in to see what it was like… It was crowded and huge…Later took a taxi back to the hotel.
Next day, Sunday…. We were pretty taken aback by the weather forecast…as it was gonna shower and the chill was like too much… we decided to warm ourselves well before we entered the Niagara falls State Park. After the break fast we hip hopped to a Prime Outlet Mall which supposedly only opened after 11 that day. We armed ourselves with adequate warm stuff and headed towards the Falls… We went to the Niagara Scenic Trolley Center…caught a trolley and …and just went on the entire tour without getting down at any stops as the weather was cold and it was drizzling all through… but it was fun… It was beautiful to see the lush wet greenery of the park…dense foresty nature…the rains drizzling….the colorful tulips … by the white magnificent and rushing waters… God it was so groovy a place…No wonder it’s called the Honeymoon capital of the world. In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
We went to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center to learn about the natural and local history of the Niagara Gorge and Falls. Enjoyed the interactive displays including the virtual reality Gorge Elevator Experience. We later got down at the Luna Island and spend some good time at this small island between the American and Bridal Veil Falls which has a fantastic close-up view of both. We later headed towards Top of the Falls restaurant for lunch… wow …yet another beautiful location to view the heart reverberating falls.
Later we headed towards the Three Sisters Islands to spend some time amidst the greenery. We then walked our way to an Indian restaurant called ‘ Sardar Sahib’ which served Indian buffet… After a good dinner…we walked our way back to the Prospect Point to view the Falls by the night… We could hear the roaring Falls and were getting sporadically drenched in the mist it created all through our walk… It was just amazing!
We reached the point to again find a huge gathering…telling everybody on our way to stay back till 10 at night to watch the Fire works. Watching Fireworks above the Falls with a well lit skyline of Ontario on the other side was a thrilling experience…The Fire works just shooted up in the dark sky one after the other with blazing colors and vibrant patterns…. Whoosh! It was indeed a marvelous show.
The next day being Monday we were all set and reached the Rainbow bridge by 10 in the morning. The Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls is a world-famous tourist site. This is an international bridge between the United States and Canada. It connects the Cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario, spanning the Niagara River. The span of this bridge is 289.5 m (950 ft). We had to go through the customs check both at the start and the finish of our walk on the Rainbow Bridge and the same thing we underwent on our return too. It took us less than 10 minutes to cross the bridge… We spent time viewing the Falls from the bridge… One half of the bridge is American and the other half is Canadian as the respective flags of both the countries are rooted right in the center on either side of the boundary line.
Canada on otherside had a different feel altogether… We rushed to the Double Deck package tours of Niagara falls of Canada. On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant Toronto.
The double decker bus took us to the Journey Behind The Falls adventure where you descend over 100 feet and travel through tunnels to feel the thunder of the Falls giving thrilling views of the Falls from below and behind. Nothing but the resonance and roar of the waters were what we could hear of…Amazing!!. The Journey Behind The Falls attraction is located in the Table Rock House Plaza beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.Later we went to the Niagara Parks Greenhouse to see beautiful and pretty seasonal floral displays and blossoms.
The bus then took us to the whirlpool ride. The best way to see Niagara's fascinating Whirlpool is from high overhead - aboard the world famous Niagara Spanish Whirlpool Aero Car. We can see the rapids, the Whirlpool, the Gorge, the hydro-electric plants down the river, as the aerial car travels safely between two different points on the Canadian shore of the Niagara River over the spectacular whirlpool. This round trip is slightly more than 1 kilometre and takes about 10 minutes. In the Whirlpool, you can see the "reversal phenomenon". When the Niagara River is at full flow, the waters travel over the rapids and enter the pool, then travel counterclockwise around the pool past the natural outlet. The swirling waters create a vortex, or whirlpool.
We were then taken to the Floral Clock. Niagara's Floral Clock is another free horticultural attraction .The clock is one of the largest in the world) in diameter. The "floral face" of the clock is changed twice a season. The bus then took us around many more local attractions in Niagara Parks, Canada and left us at around 2 in the noon.
We then headed towards the Secret Garden Restaurant located right in front of the Falls for the lunch… After that we took a people mover to the White Water Walk. We there stumbled upon the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sarira Stupa. A shrine, we visited on our way to the White Water Walk. An elevator takes you down to the white water walk. Down stream from the falls the gorge has been cut deep and narrow by millennia of rushing white water which crashes through this area. Trillions of gallons are forced through this accelerating trough, resulting in one of the wildest stretches of whitewater in the world. We strolled alongside and marveled at the relentless power and beauty of nature. The White Water Walk lets you get breathtakingly close to the rapids by walking along a 1000 foot long boardwalk. It was an experience by itself. We then took the hop on and hop off people mover to the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens which exhibited manicured greenery.
After going around the lush gardens of the Park we boarded the bus to the Skylon Tower…with a stop in between to see the tulips on our way. Skylon Tower is Niagara's most famous landmark! The Skylon Tower is located in the City of Niagara Falls overlooking Queen Victoria Park and the Falls. At 520 feet, the Skylon Tower is the tallest structure in Niagara. The yellow bug or capsule (exterior glass encased elevator) takes you to the Observation Deck, the Revolving Dining Room or the Summit Suite Buffet dining room. Within the Dome of the Skylon Tower, the circular design and provision of three separate and complete levels make it possible for all visitors to enjoy an unobstructed view.
When you reach the Observation Deck, 775 feet above the Falls and the Niagara Gorge, the awe-inspiring panorama of the whole scenario just takes your breath away! Heavenly ….nothing short of heaven… the view was stunning!
We enjoyed the color light display of the Falls and cities of Niagara Falls, Canada and Niagara Falls, New York. We were there around 6 in the evening …viewed the sunset… and then the illumination of the Falls…and Rohit insisted we view the Fireworks from the Skylon Tower itself as we had already seen it from the ground level on the American side. So we waited for the show…. Had good time in the deck going around the souvenir shop which is located on the indoor section of the observatory… The Deck was packed to its brim with people. The Falls were lit in white to start with and then all the different colors followed… It had this rainbow colored look from the top…We were entranced with what we saw from the top…No words …. The senses had become speechless…an absolute thoughtlessness was struck… As I write this… I have gone through the whole lot of emotion and have lived Niagara again! And we waited till 10 at night for that magical experience … and when it did… we were completely spell bound with what we saw… From the top the view was like … the illuminated American and Canadian Falls below…with the expanse of twinkling lights of the Niagara Falls Cities on both the sides and brilliantly shooting Fireworks above right in the front of the Deck in the dark sky… Was that something real happening !?! … Whoosh! Oh My Goodness…All in all a celestial experience ….It was Fantafabulous!! There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty. The beauty of Niagara Falls indeed was overwhelming.. All done…the fireworks lasted about 15 minutes…. We had to take the elevator down…took us half an hour to get down to the ground level tearing all the crowd… Once out we could see the lit Skylon Tower which looked remarkable at night… We walked our way back near the Rainbow Bridge… Had something for food and ended up the marvel with a nice caramel ice cream with which I walked the bridge to catch a taxi from the other side to the hotel. We were back to the hotel at around 12.30 that night. Early morning we took a flight from Buffalo to New York.
This weekend (27 -30 May) was also was pretty busy with Shanu and Sushant both dropped in for the memorial weekend bash. Saturday we went to Cape May. Cape May County is a peninsula, located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. The common thread of a Jersey Cape is the 30 mile ribbon of clean, white sandy beaches which winds along the cool gentle surf of the Atlantic Ocean. The thrill and excitement of the stroll on the boardwalk to the frolic on the beaches, climbing a lighthouse, browsing the shops, the ambiance of Victorian architecture in houses and inns was one-of-a-kind getaways. In the evening we drove to the Atlantic City …. Circled it …spent some time on the boardwalk in the chill of the evening and then returned home having dined at a nice countryside restaurant near our home.
I could have never imagined going to New York so many times… Its like I was visiting New York for the eleventh time …and this time with Shanu and Sushant. What can I say… We had good time in New York too for two complete days… and then took a break on Tuesday… where in we lazed at home…Their flight was at 8 at night… we dropped them to their flight and returned home having watched ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Both of us had read the book so wanted to watch it… and it was good.
That’s it till date…
No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one. Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.
We then got fresh and took a bus to the Niagara Falls State Park. The land, the abundant forceful waters, the sky and the life makes what is known as the Niagara Falls State Park We walked our way towards the Prospect Park and the Prospect Point where we could get the unobstructed view of the majestic and massive Niagara Falls and then on to the Observatory Tower. From the American side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Park, which also features an Observation Tower. Prospect Point is the prime viewing area for the American Falls and Rapids. Home to the Visitor Center and the Observation Tower, this is also your link to the Maid of the Mist. The Observation Tower, a glass-walled elevator towers above with dramatic views of all three charismatic Falls and descends to the base and the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour. We were so excited to experience the falls… Oh my God! We could see people crying in joy on the Maid of the Mist… We were given their blue souvenir raincoats and this was the very first adventure trip we took from the Niagara Falls of NY. The boat is rightly called the Maid of the Mist as it makes its journey to experience the huge and thick mist of the falls which is so refreshing and breathtaking! There’s magic in the mist! It takes you past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. This world-famous scenic boat tour of the American and Canadian Falls is a spectacular half-hour ride giving a close-up experience of the chill waters of the Falls. A yet another fantastic experience of my lifetime, one of its kind and is so overwhelming that it still haunts me to date! Its like you don’t have anything left to experience something as superlative as this adventure in your life. Its truly been my best! We then spent some time at the base watching number of people also experiencing the same joy of being in the Falls and virtually living the Falls … It was enchanting!
Some trivia on the Falls… Niagara Falls is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River in eastern North America, on the border between the United States and Canada. Niagara Falls comprises three separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls sometimes called the Canadian Falls (Height 170 ft, Width 2500 ft, Volume of flow 90% of total), the American Falls (Height 180 ft, Width 1100 ft, Volume of flow 10% of total) and the smaller, adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide. More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic feet) of water go over the crest line of the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours. The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below the Falls. It is so deep it equals the height of the Falls above, 52 metres (170 feet). Less than 10% of water flows over the American Falls, with the balance flowing over the Horseshoe Falls. It’s the massive volume of water that flows over the Horseshoe Falls that gives it its green color. From the Falls, the water travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, then to the St. Lawrence Seaway and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
We had all the time in the world to spend at Niagara Falls… coz we were gonna spend two complete days (Saturday and Sunday) in the Niagara Falls State Park, New York and one day (Monday) totally devoted to the Canadian side. We chose the dates 20 -22 May…as we took all the opportunity of the Falls Fireworks scheduled from 20th May onwards every Friday and Sunday. On 21st which happened to be Sunday …That was the first Fireworks scheduled for the season 2006 which we experienced from the US side… We wanted to experience the fireworks from the Canadian side as well…and that fortunately was possible coz of the Victoria Day which fell on Monday May 22nd. That way we experienced the fireworks from US as well as Canadian sides on both Sunday and Monday consecutively.
After the Maid of the Mist boat tour we headed towards the Niagara Scenic Trolley….A two compartmental bus which takes you to several locations including major park attractions. You can board and stay on for the entire route or you can get on and off at different stops. A guide shares the history of the park as the scenic trolley follows a three-mile route through the park. We boarded the trolley and Rohit stepped down to take a picture while I was seated happily… The Trolley left leaving him behind…and I could not help as I was seated in the second compartment…Well I had a great time with all the passengers teasing me….that he is gone…and he would meet me the next time in Niagara … Good Bye to him… Poor chap …will only remember you while seeing the.. pictures…etc. Well I got down at another location called the Cave of the Winds on the Goat Island hoping to find Rohit in the next trolleys.
Goat Island has access to Cave of the Winds, Three Sisters Islands, Terrapin Point, Luna Island, Falls and Upper Rapids viewing. It’s a wonderful area for a quiet walk, close-up views of the rapids and cascades and the Top of the Falls Restaurant.
I was on my own for quite some time… but was enjoying ofcourse… as the Falls don’t allow you to dilute your attention to something so soon. An elevator ride takes you down 175 feet to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. I saw people walk along the base of the falls on a series of wooden stairs and decks to feel and experience the power of Niagara Falls from the Hurricane Deck just feet from the pounding waters.
Rohit had already announced for me in the trolleys…and I got an information that he was in a trolley behind and will be there to join me in a couple of minutes. It was a nice and cute chase in the trolleys… We met and there was a reunion…and then on he never let go of me.
After that we had some fuel for our tummies right there in some snack bar on a picnic table….we spent some time there…moved around…viewed the Falls… climbed another trolley which headed towards the Terrapin Point on the Goat Island which offers a view of the thundering water over the wide expanse and sweeping curve of the Horseshoe Falls. Got down there…viewed the Falls and also saw a Rainbow which formed on the Falls and boarded the trolley again to the Three Sisters Islands. Three historic walking bridges link Goat Island to the Three Sisters, offering unique views of the upper rapids as the river races for the Falls. We spent a lot of time on these islands… It was a very beautiful and scenic location to view the rapids amidst the greenery of the islands. Later we came back to the visitor center for some refreshments and the Festival theatre to learn the fascinating history of the Falls through a History Channel 22-minute film produced specifically for the Festival Theater. “Niagara: A History of the Falls” takes viewers from the first European sighting of Niagara Falls in 1697 to modern events.
After that lazed around in the greenery of the Prospect Park by the Niagara Falls… till dusk ….waiting for the sunset which only happens after 8 at night… People again gathered at the Prospect point to view the exotically and brilliantly illuminated Niagara Falls. We were spell bounded at the site as the illumination starts initially with white and then later on takes red, amber, pink, purple, blue, yellow and green… Niagara Falls at night is just scintillating an experience…. I was just thanking nature to have bestowed on me this out of the world and ethereal sight. That was just my first night at Niagara Falls…The best was yet to come. We walked our way back to catch a taxi stopping by the Seneca Niagara Casino which had a brilliantly lit exterior… we hopped in to see what it was like… It was crowded and huge…Later took a taxi back to the hotel.
Next day, Sunday…. We were pretty taken aback by the weather forecast…as it was gonna shower and the chill was like too much… we decided to warm ourselves well before we entered the Niagara falls State Park. After the break fast we hip hopped to a Prime Outlet Mall which supposedly only opened after 11 that day. We armed ourselves with adequate warm stuff and headed towards the Falls… We went to the Niagara Scenic Trolley Center…caught a trolley and …and just went on the entire tour without getting down at any stops as the weather was cold and it was drizzling all through… but it was fun… It was beautiful to see the lush wet greenery of the park…dense foresty nature…the rains drizzling….the colorful tulips … by the white magnificent and rushing waters… God it was so groovy a place…No wonder it’s called the Honeymoon capital of the world. In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
We went to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center to learn about the natural and local history of the Niagara Gorge and Falls. Enjoyed the interactive displays including the virtual reality Gorge Elevator Experience. We later got down at the Luna Island and spend some good time at this small island between the American and Bridal Veil Falls which has a fantastic close-up view of both. We later headed towards Top of the Falls restaurant for lunch… wow …yet another beautiful location to view the heart reverberating falls.
Later we headed towards the Three Sisters Islands to spend some time amidst the greenery. We then walked our way to an Indian restaurant called ‘ Sardar Sahib’ which served Indian buffet… After a good dinner…we walked our way back to the Prospect Point to view the Falls by the night… We could hear the roaring Falls and were getting sporadically drenched in the mist it created all through our walk… It was just amazing!
We reached the point to again find a huge gathering…telling everybody on our way to stay back till 10 at night to watch the Fire works. Watching Fireworks above the Falls with a well lit skyline of Ontario on the other side was a thrilling experience…The Fire works just shooted up in the dark sky one after the other with blazing colors and vibrant patterns…. Whoosh! It was indeed a marvelous show.
The next day being Monday we were all set and reached the Rainbow bridge by 10 in the morning. The Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls is a world-famous tourist site. This is an international bridge between the United States and Canada. It connects the Cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario, spanning the Niagara River. The span of this bridge is 289.5 m (950 ft). We had to go through the customs check both at the start and the finish of our walk on the Rainbow Bridge and the same thing we underwent on our return too. It took us less than 10 minutes to cross the bridge… We spent time viewing the Falls from the bridge… One half of the bridge is American and the other half is Canadian as the respective flags of both the countries are rooted right in the center on either side of the boundary line.
Canada on otherside had a different feel altogether… We rushed to the Double Deck package tours of Niagara falls of Canada. On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant Toronto.
The double decker bus took us to the Journey Behind The Falls adventure where you descend over 100 feet and travel through tunnels to feel the thunder of the Falls giving thrilling views of the Falls from below and behind. Nothing but the resonance and roar of the waters were what we could hear of…Amazing!!. The Journey Behind The Falls attraction is located in the Table Rock House Plaza beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.Later we went to the Niagara Parks Greenhouse to see beautiful and pretty seasonal floral displays and blossoms.
The bus then took us to the whirlpool ride. The best way to see Niagara's fascinating Whirlpool is from high overhead - aboard the world famous Niagara Spanish Whirlpool Aero Car. We can see the rapids, the Whirlpool, the Gorge, the hydro-electric plants down the river, as the aerial car travels safely between two different points on the Canadian shore of the Niagara River over the spectacular whirlpool. This round trip is slightly more than 1 kilometre and takes about 10 minutes. In the Whirlpool, you can see the "reversal phenomenon". When the Niagara River is at full flow, the waters travel over the rapids and enter the pool, then travel counterclockwise around the pool past the natural outlet. The swirling waters create a vortex, or whirlpool.
We were then taken to the Floral Clock. Niagara's Floral Clock is another free horticultural attraction .The clock is one of the largest in the world) in diameter. The "floral face" of the clock is changed twice a season. The bus then took us around many more local attractions in Niagara Parks, Canada and left us at around 2 in the noon.
We then headed towards the Secret Garden Restaurant located right in front of the Falls for the lunch… After that we took a people mover to the White Water Walk. We there stumbled upon the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sarira Stupa. A shrine, we visited on our way to the White Water Walk. An elevator takes you down to the white water walk. Down stream from the falls the gorge has been cut deep and narrow by millennia of rushing white water which crashes through this area. Trillions of gallons are forced through this accelerating trough, resulting in one of the wildest stretches of whitewater in the world. We strolled alongside and marveled at the relentless power and beauty of nature. The White Water Walk lets you get breathtakingly close to the rapids by walking along a 1000 foot long boardwalk. It was an experience by itself. We then took the hop on and hop off people mover to the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens which exhibited manicured greenery.
After going around the lush gardens of the Park we boarded the bus to the Skylon Tower…with a stop in between to see the tulips on our way. Skylon Tower is Niagara's most famous landmark! The Skylon Tower is located in the City of Niagara Falls overlooking Queen Victoria Park and the Falls. At 520 feet, the Skylon Tower is the tallest structure in Niagara. The yellow bug or capsule (exterior glass encased elevator) takes you to the Observation Deck, the Revolving Dining Room or the Summit Suite Buffet dining room. Within the Dome of the Skylon Tower, the circular design and provision of three separate and complete levels make it possible for all visitors to enjoy an unobstructed view.
When you reach the Observation Deck, 775 feet above the Falls and the Niagara Gorge, the awe-inspiring panorama of the whole scenario just takes your breath away! Heavenly ….nothing short of heaven… the view was stunning!
We enjoyed the color light display of the Falls and cities of Niagara Falls, Canada and Niagara Falls, New York. We were there around 6 in the evening …viewed the sunset… and then the illumination of the Falls…and Rohit insisted we view the Fireworks from the Skylon Tower itself as we had already seen it from the ground level on the American side. So we waited for the show…. Had good time in the deck going around the souvenir shop which is located on the indoor section of the observatory… The Deck was packed to its brim with people. The Falls were lit in white to start with and then all the different colors followed… It had this rainbow colored look from the top…We were entranced with what we saw from the top…No words …. The senses had become speechless…an absolute thoughtlessness was struck… As I write this… I have gone through the whole lot of emotion and have lived Niagara again! And we waited till 10 at night for that magical experience … and when it did… we were completely spell bound with what we saw… From the top the view was like … the illuminated American and Canadian Falls below…with the expanse of twinkling lights of the Niagara Falls Cities on both the sides and brilliantly shooting Fireworks above right in the front of the Deck in the dark sky… Was that something real happening !?! … Whoosh! Oh My Goodness…All in all a celestial experience ….It was Fantafabulous!! There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the soul than beauty. The beauty of Niagara Falls indeed was overwhelming.. All done…the fireworks lasted about 15 minutes…. We had to take the elevator down…took us half an hour to get down to the ground level tearing all the crowd… Once out we could see the lit Skylon Tower which looked remarkable at night… We walked our way back near the Rainbow Bridge… Had something for food and ended up the marvel with a nice caramel ice cream with which I walked the bridge to catch a taxi from the other side to the hotel. We were back to the hotel at around 12.30 that night. Early morning we took a flight from Buffalo to New York.
This weekend (27 -30 May) was also was pretty busy with Shanu and Sushant both dropped in for the memorial weekend bash. Saturday we went to Cape May. Cape May County is a peninsula, located at the southernmost tip of New Jersey between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. The common thread of a Jersey Cape is the 30 mile ribbon of clean, white sandy beaches which winds along the cool gentle surf of the Atlantic Ocean. The thrill and excitement of the stroll on the boardwalk to the frolic on the beaches, climbing a lighthouse, browsing the shops, the ambiance of Victorian architecture in houses and inns was one-of-a-kind getaways. In the evening we drove to the Atlantic City …. Circled it …spent some time on the boardwalk in the chill of the evening and then returned home having dined at a nice countryside restaurant near our home.
I could have never imagined going to New York so many times… Its like I was visiting New York for the eleventh time …and this time with Shanu and Sushant. What can I say… We had good time in New York too for two complete days… and then took a break on Tuesday… where in we lazed at home…Their flight was at 8 at night… we dropped them to their flight and returned home having watched ‘The Da Vinci Code’. Both of us had read the book so wanted to watch it… and it was good.
That’s it till date…
No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one. Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.
