Niagara Falls is the oldest American state park. It is so phenomenal that it has us asking why it isn’t a national park. The water flows from all the Great Lakes and finally falls into the Niagara River Gorge which leads to Lake Ontario and then out to sea. This is the first of all 5 Great Lakes we’ll be experiencing this summer.
We enjoyed a really neat all-day tour with Over The Falls Tours and our informative guide Jessica. We started on the American side at the Observation Tower.
The outer portion of the Observation Tower is the only place on the American side where you can view all 3 falls at the same time. Canada has much better views of the falls and the only hotels with views of the falls. (But Canada is simply freezing so there’s that!)
That’s actually us heading into the Falls on the front port side of the Maid of the Mist new generation all-electric ferry.
We are ready (we weren’t ready!)
These 2 are actually in charge of charging! The boat is plugged in for 7 minutes after each voyage, while passengers disembark and embark, and the boat fully charges.
Rainbow Bridge – connects the USA to Canada and at the midpoint you can stand in both countries
American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls from the boat
Note the walkway in front of Bridal Veil Falls (small falls on the right) – we’re going there next!
Horseshoe Falls (also called Canadian Falls)
Rainbow Bridge over Niagara River Gorge
Observation Tower
Cave of the Winds is really just walkways built under the Bridal Veil Falls. It used to be a cave which is now gone, but the name stuck. Many more videos from this in the montage below
Jerry marveling at God’s amazing handiwork
It is hard to convey just how many stinky and loud birds were hanging out around the falls
We ate lunch in Canada and this is all we have to show for it. One picture of yummy Poutine. This is a French dish of fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy.
Oh Canada! Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side and after going through the border crossing. No pictures and no funny business there, my friends! Nothing but serious Canadian guards with serious faces who ask serious questions while looking seriously at our passports.
This is how we look a lot of the time
The Maid of the Mist making it’s way way into those powerful falls
We’re about to take that elevator up the Canadian Skylon Tower
American and Bridal Veil plus the Niagara River behind the falls and Niagara Gorge in front. this helps get a real feel for the layout – the Rainbow Bridge is on the left as well as the Observation Tower. (Niagara River is flowing south to north from Lake Erie)
Horseshoe Falls (The featured image on this post is all 3 falls together from Skylon Tower)
Maid of the Mist heading into the falls all day long
Bridge to Goat Island which separates American and Bridal Veil from Horseshoe Falls. Note the crazy rapids leading to the falls. More video of these rapids in the montage below
