The highlight of our north east tour for Carol was definitely Niagara Falls and it certainly didn't disappoint. Niagara Falls are actually made up of three falls, the Horseshoe Falls (on the Canadian side), the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls, which is located on the American side, next to the American Falls. On average almost 4 million cubic feet (that's more litres than I can even comprehend) flows over the crest line every minute.

The Horseshoe Falls drop about 53m and are about 792m wide.

The American and Bridal Veil Falls drop about 21m (right into a jumble of fallen rocks left from a massive rock slide in 1954) and are about 323m wide.

Maid of the Mist

The Maid of the Mist is the tour boat company that has been operating tour boats into the heart of the Horseshoe Falls since 1854. It's pointless going on this tour if you don't want to get wet. Thankfully they only run in the warmer months because it would be freezing if it was operating in winter up there. This gives you the best view and sensation of the power of the falls. The poor little boat gets tossed around like a cotton reel in a washing machine, while the engines struggle to keep the boat stations just in front of the Horseshoe Falls.

The Bridal Veil Falls, with people going down for a closer look	American Falls, with the jumble of rocks following the rock slide		Heading into the washing machine
	Carol getting ready for a shower	Another boat that survived the ordeal	Poor little boat, certainly takes a beating
	Some very wet tourists

 

Behind the Falls

Another way to experience the raw power of Niagara Falls is by taking a tour down to the base of the Horseshoe Falls (from the Canadian side) and then behind the falls. You almost have to shout to be heard over the roar of the water thumping down on the rocks and water below.

After looking up at the volume of water coming over the edge, we couldn't believe that people actually went over the edge of the falls of their own free will in a barrel. Some people will do anything to get their face on TV.

That's a lot of water	A couple of drowned rats	Just moving in for a closer look	The view from behind the falls

 

Falls at Night

At night time they shine colored lights onto both the falls for no other reason than to impress the tourists. Certainly worked for us though.

General Comments

While there we stayed on the Canadian side in one of the hotel casinos they have built next to the falls. Viewing the falls from the Canadian side is a must we think but if you're traveling there with a family or on a budget we'd probably recommend staying on the American side and just driving across the bridge for the day (there are plenty of car parks within walking distance from the falls). We had to pay for parking at the hotel and I think it was the same price if we'd parked in one of the car parks for the day. Also there seems to be a lot of taxes on accommodation and services when staying in Canada. It quickly added up to the total cost of staying there.

That said Niagara Falls is an amazing natural wonder to witness. It's nature at it's powerful best and certainly worth a look.