Day # 22

Our last day of sightseeing! Kaylyn said she is glad Niagara Falls was our last stop, because the size and scope of them makes every other waterfall we saw on our trip pale. The rest were all beautiful. It is just the astounding amount of water and height of these falls is overwhelming.  

Base of American Falls, Bridal Veil to right in photo.

Our first order of business was the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We were each given a disposable blue plastic poncho to wear. Donning the ponchos, we stepped on board one of the Maid of the Mist boats, which depart from both the American and Canadian side of the river. The boat headed toward the American Falls first. As we got close the spray from the falls sprinkled on us. It is remarkable to see the falls and the huge pile of rocks below it. The falls have receded several times, each time dumping more rock at its base. The amount of water pouring over the falls simply boggles the mind.

The Maid continued up to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It stopped in the water, its engines running full force against the flow of the river to keep it in place. We were headed into the falls, so were surrounded 180 degrees by the powerful flow of the falls. When we looked to the front of the boat, we only saw white mist. To either side the falls, eliminating from far above our heads, poured into the river. The boat just sat in that location for perhaps five minutes, allowing us to attempt to absorb the scale of the falls. If you have not been to the falls, it is nearly impossible to describe the size, scope and power of the falls.

We returned to the dock, pealed off our wet ponchos, and walked over to the upper side of the American Falls. We just sat on a bench for a little while and enjoyed the beauty and force of the river.

Kaylyn had a conversation with her friend Esther last night by Facebook. Esther is a medical student who worked with Kaylyn at Interlochen Camp for the Arts last summer. Esther was all excited that Kaylyn was in Niagara Falls, she is going to medical school in Erie. So this morning, after she took a test, Esther drove two hours from Erie to Niagara Falls to meet Kaylyn for lunch! We had a long, delightful lunch at T.G.I.Fridays while the girls recalled events and people at camp and discussed medical issues.

Our next stop was the Cave of the Winds. Not only did we receive another disposable poncho – this time in bright yellow – but we were given disposable sandals and a plastic bag to carry our shoes. We rolled up our pants legs and our sleeves so as much of us as possible was covered by the poncho.

We took an elevator perhaps two-thirds of the way down from the island to the river below the falls. We walked on a wooden walkway punctuated by steps that took us closer and closer to the water. We had put the camera in a water-protective case, which was a good thing. We found ourselves directly next to the Bridal Veil Falls, its heavy mist covering us. It was hard to even look at the falls, the mist was so powerful. The mighty river fell right beside us, tumbling over huge boulders, pounding downward with a force inconceivable in power. It was hard to take pictures because of the intensity of the mist pouring on our faces. You can see how wet the lens of the camera case was in these pictures. We were wet! The ponchos did their best to keep us relatively dry.

In amazement I studied the simple stairway and railings leading to the falls. How did someone first build on the slippery rocks? How did someone get that close to the falls and manage to work on a wood structure? Then we learned that the stairway is removed every fall and put back in place each spring – it would not survive the freezing of the water. The young man who operated our elevator said he is one of the crew that disassembles and reassembles it and commented, “It is fun to do. It is all assembled with just nails and a saw.” Amazing. 

For our last activity of the day we viewed a film shown at the visitor’s center. Save your money. It offered lots of drama but was disappointing in how much actual information we were given.

We returned to the comfy motel room and heated up our dinner in Miss Marshmallow, who waited patiently for us all day in the parking lot. Tomorrow we head home. We are not at all tired of traveling, and will carry memories of this wonderful trip all of our lives.