Canada With Mom - Part II

Our second day in Canada, Mom and I got up at about a quarter after nine to got ready to see the Falls.  Our first stop was (obviously) Tim Horton's.  Even the monkey got in on some of the action.

Since our waiter from the night before warned us that parking was going to be a nightmare, the two of us walked over after we were done eating.  The view that awaited us was beautiful.

We continued our walk over to the Maid of the Mist.  For those of you not familiar with the Maid of the Mist, it's the boat that you go on to get up close to the Falls.  As you board the boat, you are given a silly blue poncho with a hood to wear, which at first you think you won't need.  Observe how neither of us are wearing our hoods.

Little did we know...

The boat ride started out calm enough.  We were on the bottom deck of the two-story boat.  I had read that was the place to be because when you get close to the Falls, everyone starts coming downstairs.  We were also on the side of the boat that was farthest from the Falls while at the dock.  Pro-tip for those of you going on the Maid of the Mist: stand on the side of the boat closest to the dock when you first get on.  Everyone rushes to the other side, but the boat loops back around and you get to view the Falls on your way back into port.

We tried to listen to the recording that rattled off facts about the Falls in English and French, but it was nearly impossible to hear.  So Mom and I chatted until the mist started to descend upon us.  Then the wind started up.  We looked like this:

I consider myself very lucky that I didn't cause any major water damage to my phone.  The wind was unpredictable, so just when you thought it might be safe to snap a picture, you got a huge gust of wind and water in your face.  But it was a lot of fun.  The three year old girl who with her family next to us didn't think so.  There were lots of tears. 

After we got off the boat, we walked around a little bit.  The tulips were in bloom and it was beautiful to take in everything.  We stopped at a restaurant that overlooked the Falls for a drink and a snack, and then headed back to the hotel.  That night after dinner, we went back to look at the Falls.  At night, different colored lights shine on them.  It was pretty to look at.

The next morning, we got up early to allow ourselves plenty of time to get across the border.  Luckily, it only took us about 45 minutes, so we decided to go explore the US side of the Falls.

The Falls were pretty on the US side, but we definitely got the better experience taking them in from Canada.  We were able to get up closer to them on the US side.  I think that's because we didn't walk over to where you could when we were in Ontario.  It made for a cool contrasting experience.

Overall, it was a good trip.  The Falls weren't as tall as we thought they might be.  But it didn't lack in awe-factor.  The roar of the water going over and the width of not one, but three falls, was incredibly impressive.  And you can see the mist coming off the water from a long way away.  I'd say that it's something you should see and experience at least once in your life.  But I'm not sure that it's a trip I'd take again anytime soon.

Thanks for reading about this round of my adventures!  Stay tuned for posts about my upcoming trip to Peru.  Mike & I are leaving in about two weeks (!!) for the land of the Incas.  Should be a good time.