Finally Seeing Niagara

Hubby and I got to hit two birds with one stone. We wanted to do was break-in the new car, and we also wanted to go see Niagara Falls before it got too cold. We had been putting it off long enough. So last weekend, we decided to drive to the Canadian border town and have a look around.

The sight of the Falls was breathtaking. There's nothing like seeing something so much greater than us. It truly puts the small stuff in our lives in perspective. It just emphasized to me the evanescence of our circumstances, problems and lives. How the little things that we can be so consumed about are nothing in the light of something that represents a measure of eternity. That was what the Falls signified to me despite the fact that is it "younger" than than many of the natural wonders of our world. It was awesome in its display of power and magnitude. It wasn't quite like seeing the Grand Canyon, but it came pretty close.

We played tourists and got the city's Adventure Pass that allowed us unlimited access to the PeopleMover, which is the bus that brings people from one tourist spot to another. We first went into the Journey Behind the Falls which is a viewing deck halfway down, right next to the falls. It was connected by a tunnel to two openings that allow you to view the Falls from behind.

Our next stop was something that one just has to do when visiting Niagara Falls, going on the Maid of the Mist. It's the boat that brings tourists as close to the Falls as possible. The winds were in our favor and we didn't get as soaked as the ones that went before and after us. I was thankful since the air was quite chilly as it was.

We then had lunch at the Skylon Tower. It's a 55-storey (?) tower that has a window elevator that shoots you up to the restaurant and viewing deck above. A bit pricey for what they had to serve, but I guess they factor in the spectacular view in your bill, more than anything. There's nothing quite like viewing the Earth from above.

The Butterfly Conservatory was a huge greenhouse with 2,000 butterflies flying around freely. Shutter-happy Hubby had quite a heyday shooting the lovely little creatures who landed wherever they pleased. In my case, it was my collar and the lens of the camera. The greenhouse simulated a warm, tropical climate with lots of flowers and plants. They had feeding stations where you can watch them feed, as well as a "birthing station" where they had rows and rows of cocoons at their different stages. At the bottom, there were a number of newly born butterflies that were perched at the little holes in the glass casing, ready to fly out into the greenhouse.

In the evening, we took a stroll along the Falls to see the lights show. The lights are on from 7:00 to 11:00 pm and bathes both the American and the Canadian Falls in different colors. It was pretty cool. We waited for the fireworks show that never came. It usually happened every Friday and Sunday night at 10:00 pm at the American Falls, from the start of summer to a certain date in October. We were erroneously informed that it was still going on. Nevertheless, we still had fun just drinking in the sight as we strolled the riverbanks that evening.

As with most good time, it had to end. We found ourselves driving back to rain-soaked Boston sooner than we really wanted. But I must say that the long drive to and fro in three days was totally worth it. It's another special memory for us. :)