So today I wasn’t technically in Toronto. Instead, I went to nearby Niagara Falls to view the famous waterfalls and rapids located there. Niagara Falls is located roughly 2 hours away from Toronto. I booked a bus ticket with Coach Canada (but you can also choose Greyhound) for about 30 dollars for a return. I left around 9.30 AM and returned around 10 PM: absolutely beat, but an amazing experience richer.
Niagara Falls
The Falls are a major tourist attraction and have been for more than 100 years. A popular tourist attraction is the Maid of the Mist boat ride which takes your right to the bottom of the waterfalls and it has been around since the mid 1800s. Interesting fact is that the falls are moving north slowly but surely. The power of the water breaks of parts of the river bed making the falls move backwards as time goes by.
There are two separate falls: the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. The best view of both of them is from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. There is also a US or American side as the Niagara River is the natural border between the two countries. So when you look across the river you see a completely different country.
US/ Canadian border on Rainbow Bridge
I arrived in Niagara Falls around noon and it was only a 30 minute walk to the Falls. There I immediately set out for the Maid of the Mist boat ride. I had heard it was quite impressive as you get so close to the waterfalls that you can feel the pull of the water and see the falls literally come towards you. And impressive it was. Seeing so much water hurtle itself downwards and towards you is amazing and you can feel the pull of the currents underneath the boat. I managed to take some pictures while I was on the boat. Wrapped in a very charming (nah-uh) blue plastic rain coat I tried to hang on and not lose my camera at the same time.
American Falls
American Falls with great rock foundation
Horseshoe Falls
Here comes the water…
… and the mist
After getting sprayed with mist I had a hot dog in the food court, bought a ticket for the bus so I could see more than just the falls and went to my first stop: Table Rock which is the main vista point to see the falls. Afterwards I took a bus all the way to the end of the line, got off and walked till my legs were tired. The falls are part of a national park so there was much more pretty to see. After taking a bus back to the falls I snapped some more pictures and had dinner with a yummy summer salad at a restaurant overlooking the Falls.
Top of the Horseshoe Falls
Wall of water
Me @ Horseshoe falls getting sprayed with mist
Niagara river with American Falls
Horseshoe falls with Maid of the Mist boat
Me with American Falls @ Table Rock
Whirlpool rapids – some of the most dangerous rapids in the world
Snack time: frozen banana (delicious!)
Floral Clock
Power generation – putting the river to use
Rapids from Thompson’s Point @ Niagara River
Summer salad at Edgewater restarurant
At the end of the day I was absolutely beat from getting ‘rained on’, all the walking and being outside in the sun all day. I took a bus around 7.30 PM and was back in Toronto about 2.5 hours later. Tomorrow will be my last day in Toronto and I have decided to take it easy again and go to Centre Island as the weather will be nice and I haven’t been able to get a proper view of the Toronto skyline.
5 responses to “Toronto Day 4: Niagara Falls”
Wat leuk om dit weer ‘es te zien! Ben er in 2006 geweest.. Verbaasde me toen wel over het feit dat de watervallen gelegen zijn tussen hotels en restaurants etc. Fijne vakantie nog!
Ja er is echt een entertainment gebied van gemaakt. Dat heb ik express vermeden. Ben het stadje zelf helemaal niet in geweest.
That’s something I really want to see myself someday.
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