It had been over twenty-five years since I was last in Niagara Falls, and I can honestly say I don't remember very much. Not because it's not glorious and amazing, but it was just so long ago, and my how the place has changed. This was our 'off' day from the baseball tour, and because I didn't really know how much time we were spending here, so I didn't plan anything. This was a really spur of the moment day, and I'm surprised I didn't break into hives. The coach parked and we all disembarked and scattered to the four winds, well to the visitor center anyway. I just started walking around, taking massive amounts of photos of the Falls, which really are amazing. It was so flaming hot, and the path by the Falls is not covered, so I wore my cap and had a bottle of water. It was the weekend of Canada Day, and that may have accounted for the huge crowds, or just that it was a beautiful summer day.
.jpg)
After walking around for a while, maybe an hour, I made a very impulsive decision to go ziplining. I have never done it before, although I did think about it when I was in Costa Rica, but in my very cautious brain - that was way too far away from home in case something happened.
I bought a skip the line ticket because I knew that if I had to wait in line, I would lose my nerve. It also happened that my ticket was for about 15 minutes after I purchased it, so even
less time to change my mind. You do you have to get weighed before you go on because there is a maximum weight limit. I ran up the stairs, got my helmet and then went up to the platform to get into the harness. They don't have the option for a Go-Pro (which I saw in Costa Rica), and you can't carry anything in your pockets or hands; it all goes in the big pocket in the harness. It was my turn, and they hitched me up (really a very awkward position, but only for a brief while), and after the other three people were situated, they let us fly. The path is alongside the water (not exactly the Falls), and you see all the people down below waving. I think it was over in less than 30 seconds, maybe 45, but it was amazing. I would have done it again, but I wanted to do some other things.
The headwear is so attractive
After the adrenaline rush of ziplining, I still had a few hours in Niagara. I decided to try and get in line
for the Hornblower (on the US side they are called
Maid of the Mist); it was a little bit of insanity because the crowds were ridiculous on this holiday weekend, and even though I actually purchased a ticket in advance, the crowds were so out of control that I felt bad for the staff trying to keep thing orderly. What a thankless task. I was really worried that I would not make it back in time for the coach (they would not have left without me, but who wants to be
that person?). As you make your way through the processing line, you get the infamous poncho, and I suppose you could be all cool and not put it on, but I would recommend it. It is the most crazy amount of water coming down and making taking pictures an adventure and a crapshoot. Hang onto your phone because there is a lot of power in the water and I can imagine that more than one person has lost their phone or camera.
Heading into the mist
We made it back to the dock with time to spare for another pass through the visitor center, it was a little too crazy to grab a snack, but I met up with some of the tour group and headed back to the coach. All in all, it was a great day, even if absolutely none of it was planned. I found out that only one other person from our group went ziplining, and forever after we referred to ourselves as 'the zippers'. Niagara Falls was definitely one of the highlights, but I would recommend making plans and maybe buying tickets ahead of time to facilitate getting through lines.
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment