Almost Under the Falls

       Did you know that the water that flows over the American Falls starts in Lake Superior? Or that the water is moving 35 miles an hour by the time it gets to the falls? What about the fact that a 62 year old school teacher in the 1800’s was the first known person to deliberately go over Horseshoe Falls in a wooden barrel and lived to tell her tale? We had a fun day.

     If you haven’t taken a ride on Maid of the Mist to the edge of Horseshoe Falls you should put it on your “bucket” list of things to do before you kick it. Nothing can adequately describe the awesome power of the water pounding over those rocks. We were issued thin plastic rain ponchos and were wearing shorts and sandals so I didn’t expect to get wet. Someone in line suggested that we tie a small knot in the poncho between our legs to keep it from blowing up over our heads in the breeze. We did so and were thankful as we got the full impact of the wind created by the moving water. Both of us also had caps on which helped keep the water out of our glasses and the hood of the poncho from covering our faces. When the boat got right up next to the Horseshoe Falls it was like standing in a hurricane. Folks on the boat who didn’t tie their ponchos on tight really got wet. We stayed pretty dry and had a wonderful time. WOW! Really, you need to do this.
     We bought a package deal at the New York State Park (first state park in the nation) which gave us entry to Maid of the Mist, an IMAX movie about Niagara that was just great, on and off trolley rides around the whole Falls area, and a tour of “Cave of the Winds.” (It included a couple other things but we were worn out).
     The Cave of the Winds tour was a wooden walkway that takes you up to and sometimes over the edge of the smallest falls – Bridal Veil. This series of decking and stairs is built each spring since it is partly flooded by the gushing water and would break up with the winter freeze. I wouldn’t want to be the crew who builds it each year. We were again issued a poncho, but also swim sandals because the walkway is so wet. An elevator took us down to the lower level of the falls and then we were let out to walk around edges of the falls. That is me in the picture climbing the stairs. It was terrific. I hope that you get to do it some time.