Oh, Canada

Knowing that we were going to a take a road trip out east for a wedding, we planned to stop at Niagara Falls.  Many of those who knew of our trip recommended this stop.  Photos prepared me for the appearance of the falls, but what I was not prepared for was Niagara Falls, Ontario.  I would never have guessed that this city of about 88,000 would be Wisconsin Dells on steroids.  I don't know what it is about the human race that we take a perfectly good facet of nature and commercialize the area around it.

American Falls at Niagara Falls

 I think commercialization of such areas is that the natural experience at Niagara Falls could be captured in a few hours, most often less than a day.  Therefore, it is often necessary to find other activities.  The commercial arcades provide the other activities.  This is true whether it be water parks at Wisconsin Dells, or the arcades at Niagara Falls, Ontario.  Commercialization is part of the human experience.  Since early times, even pre-settlement when roaming tribes were the norm, humans have been trading goods and services.  Cities originally developed, in part, as trading centers. More modern cities have developed based other activities, and it seems that much of Niagara Falls, Ontario is based on tourism.  The New York side is pretty much dominated by Niagara Falls State Park, the customs area and a large development.  The Canadian side well outdoes the United States side in brass commercialization, at least from what I had seen. 

Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, as taken from Maid of the Mist boat
Notice the rainbow over the man's head.

We had found a hotel room on the Canadian side, so we first crossed the border into Canada. After checking into the hotel we made the walk over to Niagara Falls State Park.  What I did not expect was to have to pay $1.00 to leave Canada and walk over to the United States, I guess it is the Canadian version of a pedestrian toll.  We spent a good number of hours at the State Park, walking and viewing the varied falls from different angles. Being a hot and humid day we appreciated the mist blowing on to shore as we viewed Horseshoe Falls.  On our way to Niagara Falls we stopped at a New York Service Center and the New York agent was very helpful and provided a map of the area.  The agent also noted to be prepared that about the only thing you can do without a fee in the park is walk and view the falls. We decided to give into commercialization and do one paid activity at the state park.  You pay for a tram, so we walked; and you can pay to walk down and go behind, or right next to one of the falls, or do a boat ride into the mist.  We chose to do the boat ride into the mist of Horseshoe Falls.  To avoid having to exchange currency, we purchased our tickets on the US side for Maid of the Mist.  It is a twenty to thirty minute boat ride and we were as close as about 150 feet to one side of the falls, at least from what the ship captain responded to my inquiry.  There was so much water spray that it was hard to tell where we were actually positioned.

Street Scene, Niagara Falls, Ontario

After our boat excursion, and dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, just outside the park, we walked back to Canada (no fee to leave the US) and found ourselves in a long line of pedestrians being questioned and waiting to get into that independent country.  Upon being questioned, the Canadian agent seemed baffled as to why we got a hotel in Canada only to make our way to the state park across the border. "Why do with a car when walking will do," seemed like a response that I did not wish to provide the Canadian border agent.

American Falls lite up at night

That evening as dark approached we could see the waterfalls lit up by powerful flood lights.  Then, showing how much of a night owl we have become (yes, my wife and I were up past 11:00 pm for two nights in a row!) we watched the fire works set off from the Canadian side over the river, and state park.  We then walked along the full length of the Canadian side early the next morning.

Yes, Niagara Falls, Ontario even has an upside down house

When walking the side in the early morning we could contrast the activity, or how little there was, with what it was like the night before.  The night before, one could hardly make any headway on a sidewalk, with all the people responding to the varied arcades, noises, loudspeakers, bright signs and other businesses.  It was an amazing amount of stimulating senses overload.  As I said, this place is like the Dells on Steroids.  It had a wide range of people, and it certainly seemed as if English was the minority language, and not to French spoken in the Province to the east.  There were a large number of Asians, and many, many persons from India.  There were others who appeared to speak Eastern European languages.  I guess this is the place to vacation. Any honeymoon couples were likely embedded in the mass of humanity that slowly made its way along the sidewalks of this Canadian city.  Haunted houses, wax museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not, and almost any fast, or fast casual food place imaginable could be had within a few blocks, not to mention probably every major hotel having a presence to capture what we had become a part--the tourist crowd.

The large, iconic Ferris Wheel in Niagara Falls, Ontario 

The amount of commercial development in Niagara Falls, Ontario was attracted by the natural feature of falling water collectively known as Niagara Falls.  The falls are said to be eroding at a rate of of over 1 foot a year, and in the last 12,000 years the falls have moved upstream seven miles. Seven miles, even if over 12,000 years seems quite a bit to me The last glacier was receding about that time frame).  Flow regulation has reduced the erosion rate of the falls at present time from that experienced a century earlier.   The rock over which the water cascades consists of limestone, the same stone, that makes up Door County and the Niagara Escarpment along the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. This rock is crumbled, or really disintegrated, by a chemical reaction with water.  It is said that the falls will slowly make its way to be part of Lake Erie in about 23,000 years.  Four of the five Great Lakes, accommodating 20% of the world's fresh water supply feed the falls at Niagara.  Oh, Canada, I did not think it possible that a place could outdo the Wisconsin Dells for commercialization and crassness, but you provided one indeed, hey.  In 23,000 years when the falls are no more, and Niagara Falls, Ontario is but a remnant to a future archaeologist, there will be archaeological evidence of a civilization that liked to eat, drink and do odd activities.

Horseshoe Falls on Monday morning