Just got back today from Niagara Falls. I rented Dawn a real nice room there for her Birthday. It was just the start of the tourist season there, so some things weren't open yet, but we still managed to fit a lot into four days.
April 27th, 2007
The first day we arrived we had lunch at "The Rain Forest Cafe" on Clifton Hill. That place is really neat. the whole inside has robotic animals that move and make noise as well as waterfalls and big fish tanks and such. (the food wasn't too bad either).
Then we checked into the wrong hotel! (my fault) I didn't know there was two Sheraton's in Niagara Falls. On the plus side we got our parking validated so we didn't have to pay while we ate lunch. We finally checked into the right hotel.
Dawn surprised me (how does that work for her birthday?) with a candlelit dinner service right in our room that night. They came and set us a table with a candle, and a flower for Dawn. The food was wonderful.
After we went and had a couple drinks at "Stanley's Lounge" and watched a band play. It was a cool place for a hotel bar. They had couches that you could sit on that made the evening that much more enjoyable.
April 28th, 2007
Swimming followed by Sauna and hot tub. Today was a little overcast, but we still went for a walk and took the vertical train down the hill to the falls.
We decided to go on the "Journey Behind the Falls". That was the first time I had ever done that. It is so impressive to see the falls barreling down like that.
After that we tried to get on the people mover. After standing in the rain for a while, we found out that it wasn't running for the season yet. We walked back up the hill and had lunch at TGI Friday's. Unfortunately Dawn's Grandma Mary passed away before our trip, the rest of our day was spent on a trip to Guelph to the visitation. My heart and thoughts go out to all the family and friends.
April 29th, 2007
Woke up early (for being on vacation anyway!). Today we did the "Spanish Aero Car" ride over the whirlpool. The pool changes directions at night and the water drops 20 ft because the power generating plants redirect water. The Aero Car is the only one like it in existence.
While we were waiting for the Aero Car place to open we checked out "Great Grey Wolf Lodge" across the street. We want to take the kids here for a day or two, it is a huge indoor water park. It was very impressive the kids would love it.
We stopped in a souvenir shop on our walk back and seen them hand blowing glass vases and sculptures (very amazing). There were two guys working as a team making a glass angel while we sat and watched.
After that it was down the walk along the gorge. The boardwalks and observation decks are alongside class 6 rapids. These are the fiercest rapids in the world and are illegal to try and traverse. If you are ever there, while at the last platform, look across to the American side and you will see railings and such. There is no sign, but apparently there was a train station there and tracks that ran along the bottom of the gorge. They removed it because they used to have to clear tons of rock off the tracks daily to use it (where did the tracks go to I wonder? They would have ran right into the falls a few miles up river)
This night we went to an Everclear concert in Toronto. It was the firs time they have played in Canada in six years. The venue was small, which made it better and I had a real good time. Daneil, Tara, Colin, and William came as well. (Thanks for the drink Colin!). After the show Art and the boys signed my CD and I bought a shirt. I turned Kate on to Everclear, and she really wanted to go to the concert, but it was age of majority. Dawn told Art Kate's story and he signed a CD for her... "See you next time". Kate was really surprised!
April 30th, 2007
Late night the night before, and an early rise. We had to race it back to Brantford to get the kids and rent a car to goto Dawn's Grandma Mary's Funeral in Guelph. The service/mass was very nice and the church was an amazing large old church.
After all that driving that day we didn't do much that night back at the Falls. I accidentally ordered a 12 dollar movie off the TV that we didn't even end up watching. Few more drinks at Stanley's and some dinner and Zzzzzzz...
May 1st, 2007
Checked out and went to Niagara on the Lake for some lunch and a JET Boat trip up the Niagara River to the whirl pool. What a sweet trip that is. you go up river right under the Queenston/Lewiston bridge betweend the Canadian and American power generating stations. threw Class 5 rapids right up to the whirl pool right under the Aero Car.
Back home.
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There were some things I left out, that I cant remember when they actually happend. (was a very busy weekend).
We watched a 4D movie on Clifton Hill. There was 4 movies, the only good one was called Dino Island. The last one was Journey over the Falls and it looked like it hadn't been updated since 1984. Don't waste your money! ;)
We also went to the Hershey Factory and got Kate a Smore maker (one of her favourite snacks) for babysitting. Thank you so much for doing that by the way Kate! Your the best "not daughter that I live with" that I have ever had!
Well I'm sure there is more stuff, but I can't remember and this is getting way to long anyways. (congratulations if you made it this far). Pictures will follow... stay tuned.
