Sunday, August 30. The Canadian Side, Eh!

So before we went down to the American side of the falls, I had asked the lady at the tour counter if I could just get some information on the falls. We were interested in doing our own thing and just needed some guidance. She said she would be happy to give me plenty of information and by the time she would be through with her sales pitch, I would know all that I needed to know to make an informed decision. She was right. So we did the American side ourselves, and paid for a tour of the Canadian side. And, by the time we got back from the American side, I knew we had made the right choice.

So bright and early this morning, 10:50, we walked down to the office and met the tour bus. It wasn’t our tour bus, but the tour bus that would take us to our tour bus before it served as the American side tour bus, while we would transfer to the tour bus for the Canadian side. Our tour guide was a very pleasant gentleman named Eric. Eric has a wife and two kids. He teaches Social Studies at the high school level. And, Eric says, “Ok folks, we’re turning onto the street now. Ok, folks, we’re on the street headed to the Rainbow Bridge. Folks, we just arrived at the Rainbow Bridge and we need to pay the toll. Ok folks, we just paid the toll and we are crossing the Rainbow Bridge.” Then we began the second minute of our tour.

The Canadian side has some of the glitz of the American side but is much closer to the Las Vegas ideal they strived for. The highlight though is River Road which surprisingly enough, follows the river. The gardens and parks along the road are spectacular. We were a small group, 11 in all, and ahead of schedule. So Eric drove us a bit above the falls to see the Canadian rapids which proceed the actual falls at Niagara. We stopped just below a control dam which is used to divert the water for hydro-electric generation. During the day, 50% of the Niagara River’s water is diverted. At night, the amount diverted is increased to 75%. This effort is shared between the Canadians and the Americans as both generate power.

After the dam tour, we journeyed back to the falls where we donned yellow rain ponchos (picture the plastic bag your newspaper comes in when it is wet out, but with sleeves and a hood) for our walk to the portals. The portals are tunnels which come out behind the falls and give you an excellent view of the water’s power. One of the portals takes you out to a set of two platforms situated adjacent to the falls. Here, you get wet as the spray and mist envelope all who dare venture within its realm. The platforms provide an outstanding close up of the falls and some great photo opportunities, you just have to be quick in order to not soak you camera.

Then it was back on the bus for a run down the lower rapids. Well, we really didn’t run the rapids, but instead visited a couple of overlooks which provide a great view of the river and its power. When running at full capacity, the current is close to 40 mph. Since half of the river is diverted, the current is reduced some, but still creates category six rapids with 12 foot waves. While we’re on the subject of water diversion, we saw two of the generating plants, one on each side of the river (U.S. and Canadian, for those of you who might not have been following along). The U.S. actually uses the water twice. Initially, it is diverted into a reservoir. When the water is released from the reservoir, it is sent through a set of generators before descending to the second generating plant at the river’s edge where it is sent through a second set of generators. In both cases, the water actually spins turbines which in turn, spin the generators.

Once again we were back on the bus for a quick trip to see the Floral Clock. If you’re interested in knowing more, Google it. Needless to say, it is part of the wonderful gardens that adorn the Canadian side. With a small group and time to spare, Eric took us to the botanical gardens. Not much of a stretch from the Floral Clock. But before we could fully appreciate what we were seeing, it began to rain (more of a sprinkle, but who knew).

So, like a good mother hen, Eric rounded up all of us chicks and headed us off to our last destination, the Maid of the Mist boat tour of the falls. Had Carol and I been by ourselves, we would probably not have done this because by now, we had seen the falls from just about every conceivable point of reference. But the money was spent and once your at the top of the roller coaster it’s a hell of time to change your mind. If you are unfamiliar, the Maid of the Mist is a group of boats (MotM I, MotM II, MotM III; you get the idea) that take you to the base of the falls, literally. This is without a doubt, the one time when it doesn’t matter whether you take the boat from the U.S. side or the Canadian, it is just spectacular. I do not have the vocabulary to describe what it is like to be at the base of the falls, to look up and see the volume of water that comes hell bent across the precipice, dropping 100+ feet into the pool from which volumes of mist rise to moisten all in its path. It is breathtaking. And we were done.

As Eric drove us back across the Rainbow Bridge, we were all making small talk about the tour and what we enjoyed. Carol and I had befriended a couple from Avalon; yes, that Avalon on Catalina Island. They were RV’ers also, with a Rexall RV manufactured in Lancaster. Who would have thunk it? After they were dropped off at the K.O.A., it was just Eric, Carol and I. We made small talk with Eric. In the end, he had been an excellent tour guide with a lot of insight to local lore. Having extra time, he was happy to take the group to a couple of areas that normally aren’t on the tour. Reaching the campground, we bid him adieu with a tip and a handshake.

Returning to the RV, Spicey greeted us warmly, knowing that our return meant two things: one, she could go on a much needed walk (spelled s-q-u-a-t) and two, she would be fed. Her expectations were fulfilled as both were accomplished. Then Carol and I sat down to our dinner of chicken, salad and a glass or two of wine. After a check of e-mails, up-loading photos and blogging, it was time for bed. Good night.