Niagara Falls for Birthday

Writing about the Niagara Falls is like trying to explain colors. Their grandeur and stunning beauty are beyond words for us. Therefore, at this point, the images take center stage. The trip to the Falls was the activity suggested by Mr. Ärmel for his birthday, while Ms. Waas invited him to dinner at the CN Tower one day later for this reason.

The bus ride from Toronto took 2 ½ hours, while the return trip took almost 4 hours due to traffic.

We headed straight to the Falls, as the excellent bus driver informed us that we would have to get off one stop later than our app had booked.

We got off at the rapids rushing towards the abyss, where the water eventually plunged about 60 meters in a seafoam green drop.

At the Falls, the mist rises high into the sky, so that one can get thoroughly soaked by the corresponding wind, as the mist cloud of the Falls rises at least double the height of the falling water. We were impressed not only by the seagulls flying into this mist but also by an extreme sports goose that slid backwards down a small waterfall of 2 meters height at the rapids and re-emerged from the whirlpool after quickly shaking itself off as if it were nothing. Unfortunately, there are no photos of this, as we were too mesmerized watching and trying to give the goose warning signs.

The Niagara Falls are much better viewed from the Canadian side than from the US side. From that perspective near Buffalo, one can really see them well only from a staging observation platform. From our side, however, we had the full panorama, which stretched far beyond what could be captured in a single photo, with the broad falls on one side and the so-called Horseshoe Falls on the other, which are indeed shaped like a horseshoe. One should definitely close their eyes at times to better absorb the roaring sounds and the moisture of the place, while the full force of nature is likely to be revealed only to those who take one of the charter boats directly to the Falls.

Although we had already seen a waterfall over 80 meters high in Quebec City, the roaring force of the Niagara Falls in summer (the inflow is reduced in winter due to hydropower plants) was extremely impressive and will remain in our memory for a lifetime.

Even without having gone out on one of the boats, we got wet enough from the mist fountain. However, as well-organized individuals from Lummerland, we had brought our rain gear, which we could actually use at the beginning during brief showers, while at the end of our visit the sun came out and gave the Falls a different appearance.

Near the Falls, a bridge connects Canada with the USA. Here, one can shop at the Duty-Free shop, which we had no interest in. After a visit to the USA, we weren't inclined to go either, as with each subsequent border crossing, one increasingly risks being suspected of smuggling drugs and eventually might not be allowed back into the USA, which we want to visit in October.

The city of Niagara Falls primarily offers a year-round amusement park and casinos besides the Niagara Falls, which is something one has to like. The place Niagara Falls is certainly deeply marked by tourism. Nevertheless – and this is notable – right at the Falls, there are many parks and hardly any restaurants or souvenir shops, and humanity does not overly intrude, allowing this natural wonder to have space to work its magic.

And a beautiful farewell gesture from the Falls to us was that in the last moments at this place, a rainbow appeared, rounding off an almost unparalleled birthday.