Niagara

This morning it warmed up early.  We were up and headed down the hill, intent of getting breakfast at the Starbucks half way down to the falls.  It was closed!  Disgraceful! At 8:30?  Of course they were open at 10:30 last night when we were on our way back to the hotel after the fireworks.  


Anyway, today we were intent upon seeing the two sets of falls from every possible angle.  First from the Canadian side:

It was astonishing to be standing so close to that much water rushing over a cliff!

After that we checked out of our hotel and spent a half hour or so getting back across the border on the bridge.  Soon after we were in the Niagara Falls State Park.  What a contrast from the Las Vegas style Canadian side.  This is a beautiful green park that extends all the way across the American Falls and over to the edge of the Horseshoe Falls, with path ways to explore every possible angle- just what we needed.


But first we started with the water route, with a ride on the Maid of the Mist.

Yep, that's me below.

Back on solid ground we walked and looked and walked and looked, always amazed at our close proximity to the crashing water.

You think?

There's the Maid of the Mist, in the mist.

We finally pulled ourselves away about 1:30, after some snack bar lunch.  It was 93 degrees.


Then we followed the Niagara River north on its way to Lake Ontario.  We stopped at Whirlpool State Park.

And finally we reached Lake Ontario, my first experience with one of the Great Lakes.

I even found a beach!

This evening we are in Lockport, NY, site of the historic first locks on the Erie Canal.  When they were build in 1817-1825, the technology had to be invented along the way.  It was a remarkable feat.  The old locks are still there but are now just a spillway.

They have been replaced with modern locks.

And they are still in use, mostly for recreational water craft.