Friday, October 8th

For Linda & Gary, this was the first trip in five years without their scottish terriers, Brooke & Connor, who had stayed home with a house sitter that was taking care of them. But their routines are a big part of our life, so it's no surprise that Gary woke up at 5:30 am, when the scotties usually get their first walk. Trying not to wake anyone, he slipped out of the room and went for a pre-dawn stroll. The Embassy Suites is just 300 yards from Horseshoe Falls and a thin line of trees separate the street from fallside. A paved trail wanders along the edge of the small forest, and during the walk squirrels, rabbits and two huge raccoons were scavenging around. These two guys must have known where every trash can in the area was because they were definitely missing no meals.

Back at the hotel, everyone was rising and planning the days activities. It was finally decided that we couldn't visit Niagara Falls and not take a ride on the Maid of the Mist. We piled into the van and found our way down to the riverside dock where the Mist boats were located. After purchasing our tickets, we picked up some water ponchos and headed down the ramp to the boats. Hilarity ensued as we tried to unfold and put on the flimsy, blue plastic sheets. It was tempting to go without the protection, until people departing from the returning boat walked by us. Observing their soaked, drenched and waterlogged states, we redoubled our efforts.

Sufficiently attired, we boarded the next boat and Linda, Frances, Sherri & Richard made their way to the front of the craft. Noticing there were less people aft, Gary staked out a spot in the rear of the boat. As we pulled away from the dock, a voice from the loudspeaker reminded us that "the closer you are to the front, the wetter you're going to get." Our ship chugged past American Falls, building up speed as it charged towards Horseshoe. It wasn't long before the current became so strong that the little boat could barely hold it's position. Meanwhile, sheets of mist and water were cascading down on everyone. No doubt about, you do get soaked. But it was worth the thrill.

Over the past few decades, numerous insane individuals have ventured over the falls in a barrel. The smarter ones (and most of those who live) try it on the Canadian side. The base of the American Falls is much rockier, as we could see from our Maid of the Mist boat.


With Horseshoe Falls looming straight ahead, Sherri seems to be doubting her decision to ride in the front of the boat.

The ride took only about a half an hour, and after shaking ourselves off we headed back to the van. It was barely noon, and with most of the day still before us we decided there was plenty of time for a road trip. Turning north onto the Niagara Parkway we traveled alongside the Niagara Gorge and soon reached the point where a sharp bend in the river created the Whirlpool Rapids. Also located here is the Spanish Aerocar, which for decades has carried tourists across the gorge on very thin cables. But not us, no sir. We decided to go with a different aerial sightseeing option.

Moments before we arrived, operation of the Aerocar ceased due to high winds. Linda was devastated.

Located adjacent to the Whirlpool is Niagara Helicopter Limited. The company offers flight seeing tours over the Niagara region with its fleet of Bell 407 helicopters. The six seater was the perfect size for our group, so with Richard & the pilot in the cockpit and Frances, Sherri, Linda & Gary seated in back, the helicopter lifted off and swooped around the Whirlpool Rapids. The 407's roomy cabin featured large panoramic windows, providing us with spectacular views as we soared along high above the Niagara River.

Before boarding the helicopter, we posed for a group shot as our pilot gives the thumbs up sign.
Or he could have been signaling the ground crew that he was going to make sure at least one of us would barf.

    
Fitted with headphones to hear the pilot's comments, Sherri, Frances and Linda enjoyed the scenic flight.
Thankfully, no one took any pictures of Gary.

Feeling no ill effects from the bucking Maid of the Mist boat ride, Gary was optimistic he could handle the copter ride without any motion sickness. However, once we reached the American Falls our pilot demonstrated his flight ability with several gravity defying maneuvers. By the time the helicopter began a wide, sweeping turn high above Horseshoe Falls, Gary was reaching for the barf bag. And, let's just say it's a good thing there were more than one. Luckily, the flight only lasted ten minutes, so it wasn't long before we returned to solid ground.

Just in case you ever wondered what Niagara Falls looks like from a couple of thousand feet in the air.

This photo, taken from high above Horseshoe Falls, just can't capture how incredible the view really was.

Back in the van and with Richard at the wheel, we headed further north into the Niagara farmland region. This area is also home to the largest part of Canadian's wine industry. The climate, moderated by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, is comparable to Burgundy and the Loire Valley. Since wine making has been practiced here for over 200 years, dozens of winery's dot the landscape, but only recently has the region gained any level of respect for its product. Wine connoisseurs Richard and Sherri had studied the vineyard list and picked out several that might be worth a visit.

During a tour of the Inniskillin winery, Linda & Richard posed with the vineyard's mascot, a moose.
(You can't tell it's a moose because, violating the 1st rule of photography, I framed out the head)

One of the first Niagara winemakers to achieve widespread recognition for its blends was Inniskillin Wines. Inniskillin is also one of only a handful of wineries which produces Ice wine (a dessert wine made from frozen grapes). Richard & Sherri met the owners and tasted the Inniskillin line, while Frances, Linda & Gary wandered the grounds and got a glimpse at how a vineyard works. Returning to the Niagara Parkway, we continued north and soon arrived in the village of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

"The Prettiest Town in Canada" as the claim goes, might sound like just another hyped-up slogan, but once you've visited Niagara-on-the-Lake, it's hard to argue. Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the 200 year old village features an eclectic mix of markets and shops, art galleries, museums, theaters, hotels and restaurants. The streets are lined with old shade trees and rows of exotic flowers. We had a late lunch at the Prince of Wales Hotel, then spent some time wandering around town, buying souvenirs and gifts.

Established in 1864, the Prince of Wales Hotel is one of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s most historic landmarks.
We stopped by for a wonderful lunch in the Churchill Lounge, a beautiful old mahogany-paneled library.

  
A brick clock tower marks the center of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The streets and sidewalks are lined with
so many beautiful flowers you can't help wondering what the town's gardening budget must be like.

It was getting late in the day and we had dinner reservations back in the city, so reluctantly we headed back to the van. Returning along the Niagara Parkway, we took our time, admiring the passing scenery. Along the way we stopped at another winery or two, and eventually arrived at our hotel just in time for dinner. The restaurant Sherri had found that night was located next door in the Konica-Mariott tower, so we left the car and braved the cool night air as we walked down the block. With a table overlooking Horseshoe Falls, we enjoyed another leisurely meal. In fact, we were just about the last ones to leave the restaurant that night. Strolling back to our hotel, we agree that the great dinner was the perfect finish to what had been a wonderful, but very long day. None of us had trouble getting to sleep that night.

  
Like our dinner, the service was first rate. The restaurant even presented Frances with a Birthday fruit tray, which is
the nutritionally proper treat these days. I have no idea where that monstrous hunk of chocolate cake came from.