Niagara Falls
Enjoy Your Visit, and Getting Wet
The seven-hour drive from New York is well worth it if you’ve ever been to the Niagara Falls area in North America.
If you want to know what all the fuss is about, you really must see Niagara Falls. Thick mist rising into the sky, waterfalls roaring down with white foamy spray that sparkles in the sun—it’s an awe-inspiring sight.
Consistently Draws Many People
Riding around on a boat is the best part. Riding the Maid of the Mist, a boat that takes you under the waterfalls, is an exciting experience. A lightweight raincoat is distributed to each passenger prior to boarding. The tremendous splashing on the boat will get you wet, even though it’s not raining. Still, the vista is so breathtaking that everyone is in a mad dash to get shots near the boat’s edge. A tour guide named Jay Lin famously stated, “No wet, no fun.”
Seen from the boat are two large waterfalls, accompanied by gulls swooping overhead.
On the Canadian side, you can also see towering buildings and mountains. You can take a boat ride down Niagara Falls from either the United States or Canada, since the falls are actually on two separate continents.
A Boat Tour of the Area
If you’re on the American side, you have the option to stroll along the edge of the falls or ride the elevator to the Observation Tower for a breathtaking perspective. You may even go on a helicopter tour of Niagara Falls if you’re feeling really flush. If you buy over the phone, the 12-minute flight will cost you $148, while booking online will cost you $134. Costs $84.
The “Daredevil” Heritage
The adventurous spirit is well-known in both the United States and Canada. As a result of daredevil acts, Niagara Falls gained even greater fame.
Tourists can learn about the first thrill seeker, Sam Patch, an American, in a little film. The “daredevil” tradition was started by him in October 1829 when he jumped into the falls and survived. Unfortunately, he leapt to his death from yet another New York waterfall in Rochester on November 6 of that year.
In the latter part of 1859, a Frenchman by the name of Jean Francois Gravelet traversed the falls while balancing on a tightrope. In 1901, the only person to successfully traverse the falls using a barrel was a 63-year-old educator by the name of Annie Edson Taylor.
Too many people have lost their lives while attempting these tricks. In an effort to collect donations for the destitute, an American called Robert Overcracker attempted to parachute down from the falls on October 1, 1995, while riding a jetski. He perished because his chute did not open. Nobody ever located his corpse.
Hazardous stunts near Niagara Falls were subsequently outlawed by the governments of Canada and the United States.
The Niagara Region
“Onguiaahra” means “the thunder of waters” in Iroquois, the Native American language from which the name “Niagara” is derived. Standing at 53 meters tall and stretching more than 1.2 kilometers in length, Niagara Falls is the tallest and most powerful waterfall in North America. It is second in size only to South Africa’s Victoria Falls.
Multiple sections come together to form Niagara Falls. Horseshoe Falls, sometimes known as the Canadian Falls due to its location on the Canadian side, is the largest and most breathtaking. 54 meters in height and 792 meters in width make it up. Also on the American side are the lesser American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which are adjacent to each other.
