we rode the maid of the mist. oh yes, 'bruce almighty' anyone? The boat takes you right next to the falls and if you're going to make the journey, you have to ride the boat. You put on these great slickers and still get soaked. The wind coming off the falls is incredible! And, did you know that the Maid of the Mist is well known for its role in the July 9, 1960 rescue of Roger Woodward, a seven-year old boy who became the first person to survive a plunge over the Horseshoe Falls with nothing but a life jacket.
random: The boat involved in the rescue (known as Maid II) was retired from service in 1983 and relocated to the Amazon River, where it served as a missionary ship for years after.
the lady of the mist is the little speck sailing towards the falls.
the worst picture we ever took together.
'Anyway, I'm here with Katherine Hepburn's mom. Tell me, why did you toss the "blue heart of the ocean" jewel over the railing of Titanic? Did you feel bad at all letting Leo DiCaprio drown, while you were safe floating on the big door?... Is it my hair, Bill? Are my teeth not white enough? Or, like the great falls, is the bedrock of my life, eroding beneath me? eroooooding. erooooooding.'
-Bruce aboard the Maid of the Mist
the intense mist.
i mean, the pictures do not even do it justice. The falls are just incredible. Its not one of those things that you'd build up and then be disillusioned by. Its beautiful.
We only visited the American side, although we could see the Canadian side. The American side is kinda like Branson, you know, Wax museum. Hard Rock Cafe. Ripley's. But we heard the Canada side is amazing, so next time....
Wikipedia says
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself The Yankee Leaper, jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the Falls. In 1901, 63-year-old school teacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed. Soon after exiting the barrel, she said, "No one should ever try that again." Unfortunately, the fortune she hoped to make from a later lecture tour was never realized, as her manager was a con-man who took everything she owned. (Legend says that a small kitten rode in the barrel with her, but this seems to have been a whimsical myth. Still, when she posed with the barrel afterwards, the kitten sat placidly on top of it.) Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured.
Mom, Dad, and Son.
Here is Powers when we left. He wanted to play.
2 comments:
The Canadian side has a better view, since you're directly opposite American and Horseshoe falls. In the few blocks directly adjacent to the falls it isn't particularly commercial, which is kind of nice and quaint. HOWEVER, I would STRONGLY recommend if you are going to go to the Canadian side that you park on the American side and walk across. Parking on the Canadian side can be a PITA and you can sit for a long time on the bridge waiting to get through Customs. Funny story - the last time we went to Toronto (which is also worth the trip, but a topic for another day), we were waved right through Customs on the Canadian side at 65 MPH or whatever it was - seriously. In fact, the Customs agent on the Canadian side was waving like we should hurry the heck up and get through. However, on the return we sat for FOUR HOURS in line waiting to get back across. It was so long that we were able to get out in shifts and hit the head.
The exchange rate generally means that you get a "cheap" vacation going to Canada, especially if you use Priceline to book your hotels. HOWEVER, the taxes in Ontario (the province that Niagara falls and Toronto are in) are outrageous. The GST and VAT together are around 9%.
i love the jennings.
that picture is the cutest picture of powers ever!
i would have played with him.
and yes...that is the worst picture you two have ever taken. good thing the Erie times don't have a hold of that pic...wait...they do?
Dear editor of the Erie Times,
Please run this picture above the fold on the Sunday edition of the paper with the header: "Creepy New Couple Scare Small Children with Deformities"
LYLAS!
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