Niagara Falls

Today was the day for our rescheduled “Sightseeing Tour off Niagara Falls,” and it was a very long day indeed. I think I napped on the way to our first stop, a large gift shop where we took the obligatory tourist photo. 

The Obligatory Tourist Photo

We then entered the town of Niagara Falls, and our driver let us out at Table Rock. It was very cool to stand at the very top of Horseshoe Falls and get different perspectives on this incredible natural feature. Tim and I weren’t sure what else we were supposed to see or do at this stop, however, so we just twiddled our thumbs at the Table Rock Center for an hour until we reboarded the bus for our lunch stop.

Horseshoe Falls from the Top

I’ve never seen such a disorganized mess at a lunch buffet, with every tour group seeming to arrive at the same time. The food was fine, once we finally made it through the line, but the best part of this stop was the expansive views of both Horseshoe and American Falls from the top of the Sheraton Hotel.

American Falls (left) and Horseshoe Falls (right)

It was now time for our boat ride with Niagara City Cruises. We made our way down to the boat and donned our red ponchos. We were told that the Canadian boats wore red and the American boats wore blue so that rescue workers would know where to return anyone who fell overboard!

I was a bit apprehensive about the ride, but we had a beautiful view of the Rainbow Bridge and American Falls on our way from the dock. As we approached Horseshoe Falls, however, the mist was so strong that it obscured any possible view of what I had come to see. 

Views of the Falls from the Boat

I must be in the minority of those who are less than fond of these boat cruises. It seems to me that the point of these tours is to get wet. Although you might be up close and personal with the falls, I really couldn’t see them, at least not Horseshoe Falls. I think my smile in the photo below is one of relief to be getting off the boat!

Are We Having Fun Yet?

From here, we made a quick stop at the Niagara Whirlpool, a natural whirlpool formed along the Niagara River in Niagara Gorge. We didn’t have time to take the historic Whirlpool Aero Car for a ride over the river to witness both the swirling whirlpool and the river’s Class 6 rapids.

Niagara Whirlpool

From Niagara Falls, we drove to the quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the stop I was most looking forward to. Often described as the prettiest town in Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake is located on the shores of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River, and its historic district is filled with nineteenth century buildings. Tim and I walked along the town’s main street and admired the many flower displays, each one more stunning than the next.

Pretty Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake is also known for its wineries. I had visited here in 1997 and took a wine tour, where I learned about ice wine, a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been left to freeze while still on the vine. The grapes are then harvested in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures. While we were on the Canadian, I had a small glass of ice wine each evening after dinner. 

Therefore, when we arrived in town, I was on the hunt for a bottle of ice wine. I found a wine store in town and purchased a bottle to take with me on Viking Polaris, since I wasn’t sure the ship would have ice wine.

Vineyards Were Everywhere, and My Bottle of Ice Wine

I had hoped to spend more time in town, but both Tim and I were tired, so we walked back to the bus for our return drive to Toronto. Although I knew we would be hitting the city at rush hour, I figured that most of the traffic would be heading out of town. Wrong! It seemed like everyone in the Toronto area drives into town on Friday night for their weekly entertainment.

It took forever to get back to our hotel, where we had to retrieve our luggage, catch a taxi, and move to our new hotel. What a day!