I thought I would share some pictures of our trip in the Areo Car high above the whirlpool rapids.
The Aero car was designed by a Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres Quevedo and has been in operation since 1916. The cable car is suspended from six sturdy cables and offers a wonderful view of the Niagara Whirlpool which is formed at the end of the rapids where the gorge turns abruptly counterclockwise and the river escapes through the narrowest channel in the gorge.
The car takes 35 passangers and those on the outside of the car swap places halfway to get the views on both sides. It is actually a very short trip (3,600 feet) taking about 10 minutes max.
The views you get of the whirlpool rapids are quite spectacular. You can take a jet boat ride of the rapids-did we or didn't we you'll have to come back to find out ?????
I feel a bit guilty posting about a holiday when so many people in this country are suffering the terrible effects of all the recent flooding. I cannot begin to imagine what it's like to have your home full of filthy water and be struggling to find clean water and fresh food. My thoughts are with everyone in the affected areas and I hope we will see some sun soon so that people can begin to assess, clean up and regain some normality.
Niagara on the lake is a very pretty little place. We visited on Canada Day which also happens to be my friend Tina's birthday. It was a gloriously hot sunny day, just right for celebrating and the whole place was packed with people enjoying a day out. We strolled along the lake, browsing the many craft stall that had been set up along the way. There were beautiful paintings, photos, jewellery, clothes, wood carvings amongst the items on display but everything was quite expensive. On a clear day (and it was) you can see the CN tower in Toronto. I think you will just be able to make out the skyline in this photo. When we visited the CN Tower the visibility was poor and we could not see Niagara. This is the view across to the old fort. It's a popular area for sailing. We spent some time in the park listening to a group singing and then we saw a small parade. This was followed by a huge cake on a trailer. Carriage rides could be taken from outside the Prince of Wales Hotel. There are plenty of shops , boutiques and cafes to suit everyone. We did quite a bit of shopping and we had a tea in an Irish Tea Shop. We reckoned they might serve a good cup of tea and they certainly has some lovely cakes (I did not actually indulge in case you are wondering). A view of the clock tower situated in Queen Street. I would really like to return and explore Niagara on Lake when it is a little less crowded.
This is just a quick post as I have a very busy day getting ready for special visitors who arrive tomorrow. No prizes for guessing who is coming to stay!!
The Butterfly Conservatory is a fascinating place to visit. Inside the dome you are surrounded by many really beautiful butterflies. Although you are asked not to touch them they settle on the visitors and there are feeding plates around the dome so you are able to get a really close look. Taking photos is not always so easy -just as you think you have a good shot off they fly. They have lovely names such as Zebra Long Wing, Blue/white Morpho, Red Postman, Giant Swallowtail to name a few in the collage. The picture of the incubation chamber is not that clear but it was interesting to see.
The grounds are beautiful and the flowers are chosen to encourage the butterflies. There are vegetable plots and an enclosed garden all well worth a visit. As we were looking at the vegetables I suddenly heard a peacock and we found this lonely guy in a cage. It would have been nice to see his tail spread but he clearly didn't feel like struting his stuff for us!! Close by is the Floral clock and we just stopped off to take a photo.
The highlight of my Canadian holiday was the visit to Niagara. We spent three nights there exploring the surrounding area. We stayed in the Skyline Inn and although this was not one of the hotels overlooking the falls it was in a very convenient location as both falls were only a short walk away. The walkway you see in the picture leads from the hotel to an indoor waterpark and although I didn't go, my friend took her son and he really enjoyed it. I think my grand children would have loved it. The hotel has recently been refurbished and they have created these little sitting areas as a focal point with the rooms leading off. We had rooms on the top floor, basic but perfectly comfortable. Every evening this area was bustling as they showed a family film. This was very popular with the children and it was safe for Cameron to go down by himself as we could keep an eye on him from above. I am not sure what I was expecting but I think if I'm honest I was not anticipating finding a mini Las Vagas. Lots of neon lights, games, rides, casinos and haunted houses (and much more). I know that everything is designed to make people part with their money and without wishing to offend I think a lot of the shops are a bit tacky and some things are over priced, while other things (like crocs) are cheap compared to England. I didn't go into the Casino but Kim and Tina had a little flutter and I gave them $10 to loose. Well I would have been pig sick if they had won the jackpot!! While they were learning how to play the slot machines, Cameron and I were finding our way around a maze. Luckily, Cameron (10yrs) was good at navigating as I was blindly following him. Apparently the average to find the four challenges and the way out is 12 mins and we did it in 10 mins so Cameron was really pleased. Left to my own devices I would probably still be in there!! There's such a lot that is aimed to appeal to children and although there were discounts it would be an expensive place to visit with a family. Now I really fancied sitting on this Harley but didn't think my daughters would approve!! There was a lovely collection of cars on display outside Planet Hollywood. I wanted a photo of Cameron with the car used in the Bonnie and Clyde film but this was the one that took his fancy! The Skywheel looks very attractive when it's lit up at night. I was quite pleased with this photo. The Skylon Tower looks quite impressive but we didn't venture up this 775 ft tower. However I'm sure that the revolving dining room and the views would be spectacular (it rotates once every hour- maybe I'll get to do this next time I visit!!). This photo shoot with the Mountie was taken on the street where there was a HardRock Cafe and a Hershy's. I did buy Embee a few diabetic chocs but resisted everything else. Before you point it out cheeky little Cameron is giving Tina 'bunny ears' well that's what he told us!! The best part was seeing the falls up close on 'Maid of the Mist' boat trip as you can see they give you a plastic cape which helps protect you from the spray. I took quite a few photos and have put them into a little slide show as I didn't know which to choose. The last few slides taken at night are not very clear as we were quite a long way away and the coloured lights on the falls do not show up. They put on a firework display twice a week which was very entertaining but again my camera did not really capture it very well. However I have included a couple of photos. Oh yes, we went over the border into Buffalo, USA and you will also see the Rainbow Bridge on one of the slides (will tell you a bit more about that later).
I was disappointed that we did not get to visit the cave behind the falls. Tina and I tried on our last morning but the waiting time was so long we couldn't wait as we had booked a Jet boat ride (will tell you about that on another day).
The falls are spectacular and I'm so glad to have been able to been able to experience them first hand-so let me know what you think!!
