Legends of the Fall

I grew up in Upstate, NY and attended UB before heading out West, so Niagara Falls was no big deal to me. It was a city where college kids partied and gambled... where newlyweds drove to honeymoon on the cheap. I would never fully appreciate the majesty of the actual Falls until last week when I experienced them again with My Sweets and our two itty bitties. They were magnificent and breathtaking and nothing like I remembered the many times before.


We parked our car on the American side and walked. And walked. And walked along the Niagara River. It was the windiest day, yet there was a sense of calm in the air. Buby was skipping. Bleu was chill. We were happy to be away together. There were no walls or fences or protective barriers on our path, which I suppose made the anticipation of where we were headed all the more rich. By the way, river rapids excite and terrify me at once. Always have. I've been white-water rafting a dozen times, twice on the wild Ottawa River. Each adventure, I'll admit, was a wee bit more unsettling than the last. The idea of releasing control to nature... to millions of gallons of water charging downstream or crashing violently against rocky terrain. Yikes.


And yet we purchased two tickets to the Maid of the Mist steamboat {the kids were free}, threw on the complimentary blue plastic hoodies and headed out to sea all smiles. It did occur to me that one or both kids might be horrified by the experience and cause a minor scene. Most likely Buby, who is very particular about how things feel and refuses to wear clothes with even a "trickle" of water on them. Bleu, as you know, lives to be splashed in the face. It was a risk worth taking.


We stood right up front on the main level. There were no life jackets in sight. Buby held onto the railing, and My Sweets and I took turns embracing Bleu. The wind + rapids slapped us around pretty good. Amazingly, the kids were fine. Better than fine. They stood still and took it all in, even as the strong mist pelted our faces. Would you believe not a tear was shed? Only oohs and aahs. I was impressed, as were the other passengers.


After cruising to the base of the American Falls the boat brought us face-to-face with the Bridal Veil Falls and then to the basin of the Canadian/Horseshoe Falls {my fave!}. It was such an easy, inexpensive, cool adventure. As soon as the Maid docked we were ready to go again. I doubt Buby will ever forget it. Best part of the whole week, if you ask me. Here are some shots I snapped during and after {at the risk of soaking my Canon}. Click to enlarge and scroll down for some interesting tidbits we learned about the great Falls.

Fun facts about Niagara Falls.

• Three different falls actually make up Niagara Falls.


• 3,160 tons of water flows over the Falls every second.


• Niagara Falls is the second largest falls in the world next to Victoria Falls in southern Africa.


• The word Niagara comes from the Iroquois word "Onguiaahra,"' which means "the straight."


• Annie Taylor was the first person to ever go over the Falls in a wooden barrel and survive. It was 1901, and she was a 65-year-old school teacher from Bay City, Michigan.


• The Falls formed about 12,000 years ago by the Wisconsin Glaciation. It originally formed 7 miles to the north, but erosion has caused the Falls to retreat to the present day location.


• Water flow over the Falls is regulated by a treaty between the U.S. and Canada.


• During the day, approximately half of the water in the Niagara River is diverted to hydroelectric plants and never makes it over the Falls. At night, 75% of the water is diverted to produce electricity. The water re-enters the Niagara River several miles downstream.


• In 1960, a boating accident on the upper river caused a 7-year-old boy named Roger Woodward to go over the Falls, protected only by a life jacket. Miraculously, he survived and was rescued by the Maid of the Mist.


• The Falls continue to erode about 1 foot a year. If 100% of the water in the Niagara River were allowed to flow over the Falls, they would erode naturally at a rate of 3 to 5 feet a year.


• 17 daredevils have gone over the Falls in barrels and other contraptions. 10 have lived to tell about it.


• The Rainbow Bridge opened to traffic in 1941 after the Falls View Bridge crashed into the river under the weight of its own ice accumulation.


• In 1848, an ice jam at Lake Erie caused both the American and Horseshoe Falls to stop flowing for about 30 hours.