06/18 to 06/21 - Niagara Falls/Grand Island KOA

 06/18 t 06/21

Niagara Falls/Grand Island KOA

This installment chronicling my Niagara Falls trip is lengthy. A day's worth whittling 150+ photos and an incredible amount of facts into something memorable...for me. Hope you enjoy the trip. The trip west along the Thruway (I-90), I-290 and I-190 was a pleasant uneventful ride with light traffic. Farmland bordered each side of the highway. Eventually, I had to cross over the Niagara River onto Grand Island and my KOA destination.

Grand Island lies in the heart of the Niagara River, between Canada and the United States, Buffalo and Niagara Falls. It is an island the size of Manhattan, covered in trees, parks, quaint restaurants, trails, kayak launches, boat marinas, and leafy residential neighborhoods. It's just 10 minutes from the edge of Niagara Falls the mist of which looms over the north-western half.

I like this shot better.

25 Interesting facts about the Niagara River and Falls can be found HERE, each more fascinating than the next. There is no way I can include the history and incredible facts surrounding this iconic wonder, so I urge my readers to check them out..

Just seven miles from the Falls, this KOA is huge and as I was guided to my site, D-26, by a staff member, it occurred to me that the next morning I would have to walk from the red arrow on the left of the campground map below to the right arrow. Knowing the tour I was going to take would require lots of walking, I needed a Plan B.

As far away from the entrance as one could get, I can see I-190 beyond the stand of trees ahead of me. Thankfully, with the AC running constantly (and maintaining an 82º temperature in the RV), I heard very little highway noise. With 95º in the shade of my awning, 82º in the RV was comfortable; at sunset, things will cool off somewhat.

I had previously purchased tickets on line for the  Gray Lines Niagara Falls Tour and the tour bus would be picking up passengers at the campground at 10:50 a.m. for  the 4½ hour "American Falls Tour with Maid of the Mist & Cave of the Winds from USA" The link above in RED will describe the tour. Because walking/hiking and I have parted company, my Plan B was to make arrangements with the front desk to have someone drive by and bring me down around 10:40. Ginny arranged it and Dennis picked me up. With overcast skies and temps due to be in the 90's, the choice of day worked out nicely. I'll be looking forward to any spray the Falls have to offer but maybe not the walking that will be involved.

Gray Line

Niagara falls Tour

Ron, 72, was to be our driver/guide for the day in a Gray Line Mini Bus. He's been at it for 11 years but now is on call for maybe two a week. Many of the facts I'm sharing are from his dialogue as we traveled as well as my own research.

Two stops later we had 15 passengers: a family from Honduras, a couple from Columbia, an elderly Asian couple, the husband of which was responsible for loading and unloading (with the help of Ron) the wheelchair for the wife and an Hispanic couple. None of these folks spoke English. The couple from Tennessee and a mother with three teens were from Kentucky made up the English speaking contingent. 

Our first stop was Goat Island. This is the bridge to the island which lies in the Niagara River between the Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls. It covers an area of approximately 70 acres. The island was named after John Stedman, a New York state land surveyor who kept a herd of goats on the island in the late 18th century. Unfortunately, the goats perished during a harsh winter, but the name remained.

Located on Goat Island is Niagara Falls State Park. The park is recognized as the oldest state park in the United States (1885).

The park contains the three Falls: The American, Bridal Veil and a portion of the Horseshoe Falls and has 8-10 million visitors a year. That's about 24,000 visitors a day. Mind boggling for sure.

It was crossing over this bridge that the power and force of the Niagara River became apparent. This upper portion of the rapids is a category 5 (6 being the highest and most difficult and dangerous) on the scale of rapids.

The Niagara River is the drainage outlet for the five Great Lakes. It flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It then flows 35 miles, descending 326', splits around Grand Island, the largest in the river before cascading down the three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls. It's the steep gradient and speed that makes it one of the best sources of hydroelectric power in the United States. Over the past 12,000 years, the falls have moved roughly 7 miles upstream creating a gorge below the falls. Today, through massive gates on both the Canadian and US side, the river's flow is controlled depending on the need for hydroelectric power in both Canada and the United States. This has also slowed the rate of erosion.

The total elevation drop along the river is 325 ft. The Niagara Gorge, downstream from the falls, includes the Niagara Whirlpool and category 6 rapids. The falls that make up Niagara Falls include:

1. Horseshoe Falls (sometimes referred to as the Canadian Falls) - This is the largest and most famous of the three falls, characterized by its curved, horseshoe shape. It is located mostly on the Canadian side of the border between Canada and the United States. From there the river flows north from Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean. These waters account for 20% of the WORLD's fresh water supply.

2. The American Falls - This waterfall is located entirely on the American side of the border. It is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island.

3. Bridal Veil Falls - This is the smallest of the three waterfalls, also located on the American side. It is separated from the American Falls by Luna Island.

675,000 gallons per second. That took a bit of time to process and comprehend. 

It soon became evident that the constant mist of the falls would limit photographic gems of the actual water cascading over the Falls.

Also, the hike down and back to get up close and personal was out of the questions with twenty minutes to rendezvous and move on to the Cave of the Winds.

Hot as I was and knowing black absorbs heat with temps in the 90's, I could only imagine what these two were experiencing..

Later in the afternoon, I will be aboard.

The archway in front of the Cave of the Winds symbolizes the beginning of an adventure that allows visitors to experience the raw power of Niagara Falls in a way that few other vantage points offer.

 Historically, the original Cave of the Winds was a natural cave behind the Bridal Veil Falls. which were discovered in the early 19th century. The cave was eventually deemed unsafe and was closed, but the name continues to be used for the attraction.

After the elevator descent of 175' in about 30 seconds, a walk through the wet, ever damp tunnel brings you out to the Niagara River Gorge.

Sea gulls in great numbers "rule to roost" here as evidence by their dropping on everything

The closest approach to any of the Falls is up a stairway to the Bridal Veil Falls, the smallest of the three Falls. Yellow ponchos provided offer some degree of protection but the heat generated within the plastic today, makes them useless. You still wind up wet.

I passed on this trip down to near the level of the river. The blue poncho indicates the fella has been on the Maid of The Mist tour.

Are you kidding me? Yes, these ponchos are oversized but egad, they beg the question: "Does this poncho make my ass look big?"

The decks around the Bridal Veil Falls provide one of the closest and most immersive views of the falls, allowing visitors to experience the power and beauty of the rushing water up close. The experience is particularly notable for the heavy mist and the sensation of being surrounded by the thundering falls.

The platforms are rebuilt each year to withstand the harsh winter conditions

The next stop was a 2.5 mile trip downstream to view the Lower Rapids and the Niagara Whirlpool at Whirlpool State Park. These lower rapids are classified as category 6 for rapids. 

The Whirlpool Rapids, classified as Class VI rapids, indicating extreme difficulty and danger. These rapids are among the most powerful in the world, with waves reaching heights of up to 20 feet

The whirlpool was formed approximately 4,200 years ago due to the erosion and the geological forces at play in the Niagara Gorge. As the river makes a sharp 90-degree turn, the water's velocity creates the swirling vortex known as the Niagara Whirlpool. 

The whirlpool is about 1,500 feet in diameter and reaches depths of up to 125 feet. The depth and intensity of the whirlpool vary with the flow rate of the river, which is influenced by seasonal changes and water management practices for hydroelectric power generation. The whirlpool's water flow direction can reverse, depending on the volume of water coming from the Niagara River. During peak flow periods, the water enters the whirlpool basin from one direction, creating a counterclockwise spin, and exits through the narrow Whirlpool Rapids gorge. When the flow is lower, the direction can shift to a clockwise rotation.

A hiker made his way down to the rocky shore for some sunbathing. Swimming not wise.

The Whirlpool Aero Car operates on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, spanning the width of the gorge at the point of the Niagara Whirlpool. The boarding point is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Aero Car was designed by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo. It was originally constructed in 1916 and has been upgraded several times to ensure safety and modern standards. The Aero Car is supported by six sturdy cables, allowing it to glide smoothly across the 1,770-foot span of the Niagara Gorge. The car travels between two points on opposite sides of the gorge both locations are in Canada. The Car can carry up to 35 passengers per trip travelling at a speed of approximately 4.3 miles per hour making the round trip in about 10 minutes.

Saving the highlight of the day for the end, we drove to the Maid of the Mist. Check out the link for details too lengthy to provide here. Better yet, view this AWESOME VIDEO to get a feel of what 634,800 gallons of water flow over Niagara Falls per second feels like
.  

Here, "Capt." Ron checks to see if all his cats were herded in time for this next adventure. We did not walk or stay together as a group, so I was amazed that all wound up where we were supposed to be on a rather loose time schedule...especially the non-English speaking members of the group. Kudos to all.

One aspect of my day I gave little thought to until now was that my ticket of $153.00+ included admission fees to all attractions I saw and I didn't have to deal with driving and parking in a very busy, crowded tourist area. Money well spent.

After receiving our tickets from Ron, I took advantage of the view on the observation tower 282 feet above the river to view the American (left) and Horseshoe Falls in the distance.

The Fallsview Casino Resort in Canada. Did you know there's a Niagara Falls, Ontario as well as a Niagara Falls, New York?

Yup, that's where we're headed. One of four elevators will take us down the 200+ feet in about 30 seconds.

The view looking back up to where I was.

I purposely sat myself in one of the seats at the stern knowing the captain would make a few revolutions before heading back. The entire round trip lasted about 30 minutes. From the river, these are the American Falls.

The Bridal Veil Falls and Cave of the Winds from the river.

The Rainbow Bridge connecting Canada and the US.

Imagine you were the couple standing midway on the bridge and being able to place each foot in a different country. 

As we approached the Horseshoe Falls, the view becomes more and more obscure due to the mist. The sound of the falling water is awesome. Photos taken with wet iPhones and lenses will be disappointing for most.

There you are...your view of the Falls.

Ever try to put on a plastic anything when your body is already wet/sweaty?

On the way back to our departure point, this photo is the best I could do. Looking and listening to the awesome fury of the Falls, Ron related the Niagara Falls is the "Suicide Capitol" second only to San Francisco. He related six stories regarding those who have attempted to "go over the falls" in as many contraptions as you can imagine. Whether it  was for fame or fortune, those recorded show a 50-50 chance of making it. If you do, you're fined big time for the attempt. Stories were fascinating. Read about some of them HERE. 

And now, the long, slow line toward the elevators and the ride back up to top. 

And that concludes another memorable adventure from an endless bucket list that we all should enjoy pursuing. 8,878 steps or 3.8 miles later, my day was almost over. Ron picked me up at 11 a.m. and dropped me off at 4:30 pm. A long day and, what's this? Simply Boba Bubble Tea & Banh Mi restaurant right at the entrance of the campground? The simple and limited primarily take out Vietnamese restaurant would conclude my day. Vinh Nguyen greeted me, the only person (owner) in the place. He took my order, Banh Mi Ga (Five Spice Chicken) with veggies on a bed of rice. Not spicy at all and delicious. He also made me a Strawberries and Cream drink with Boba. Boba are round, liquid filled pearls that burst with flavor once pressure is applied in the mouth. Terrific experience in a drink. Read about Boba HERE.

After dinner, I had made arrangements for Aiden from KOA that morning to drive me back to my site for the evening. The G&T I enjoyed had to convince my knees and lower back about how and why it was all worth the trip.

Friday, I return to Hickory Ridge for an R&R. See you there. BTW, I'm very thankful and appreciative of those readers who choose to leave comments and/or questions. If you do, remember to check back to the blog in a few days to read my responses.

The weather continues hot; At 3:30 am the next morning, Mother Nature put on a dramatic light and sound show with rain as if she knew I wanted more sleep after walking all day. See you at Hickory Ridge. Thank you for taking the time to read and get this far. Stay cool.

"When you see the falls for the first time, your mind can only try to take in the grandeur of it all." ~~  Charles Dickens