Niagra Falls

The word "Niagara" is derived from the Iroquois Indian word "Onguiaahra"

meaning "the strait"

Yeah, we are going to Niagra Falls, I am sooo excited!  They are only 1.5 hours drive from Toronto.  I hadn't realized how close they are. The border to the States splits the falls - however Canada has the better view of the falls!!!

We started off late morning, a sunny day.... (Actually looking at the photos - I guess it was an overcast day).  However, the closer we got to the Falls, the more clouds appeared and then we had a few heavy downpoors, you could hardly see anything.  Poor Huda, who was driving had to concentrate hard on the road.

The road takes us through the 'green belt' - an agricultural area, and the local wine region! The purpose of the Greenbelt is to protect environmentally sensitive land and farmland from urban development.

First thing upon arriving at Niagra Falls, I saw yet another Hard Rock Cafe (they are everywhere... and I am sure Michael's been to this one too....).  There is a big touristy development around the Falls, of course, hotels and a big casino. And lots of tourists everywhere, what are all these people doing here???

Unforunately, none of us remembered to bring our passports, so we could not cross over to the States, Buffalo, New York State (for a bit of shopping), next time perhaps...

The Niagara Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in North America.These voluminous waterfalls are situated on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario and forms the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York and forms the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections, separated by Goat Island: the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island.
Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than 6 million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow.
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

Do the Falls Freeze over in the Winter?

Yes and No...... 

The tremendous volume of water never stops flowing, However, the falling

water and mist create ice formations along the banks of the falls and river.

This can result in mounds of ice as thick as fifty feet. If the Winter is cold for

long enough, the ice will completely stretch across the river and form what

is known as the "ice bridge". This ice bridge can extend for several miles

down river until it reaches the area known as the lower rapids.

HOWEVER.... The flow of water was stopped completely over both falls

on March 29th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river for several hours. This

is the only known time to have occurred. The Falls did not actually freeze

over, but the flow was stopped to the point where people actually walked out

and recovered artifacts from the riverbed!

 

The Falls are absolutely incredible.  We did a 'behind the Falls' walk, spectacular, a bit wet, but good fun!

Huda, Manal, Sarah, Sabine

Hot dogs anybody???


We made a new friend...

We were sooo lucky with the weather, it cleared right up and the sun came out - unbelievable. When angels travel....

S & D