What's it like to go over Niagara Falls?

When you look at the seven year old boy in the picture to the left, you may be looking at the luckiest boy alive.  This image was taken from the Maid of the Mist boat on July 9, 1960.
The boy, Roger Woodward, was swept over the powerful Horseshoe Falls and manged to survive!  His story, in his own words, is available from the BBC.

Find it on our sister blog, as well as more images and other links about this amazing story known as the 'Miracle at Niagara'.

Money saving Coupons for Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls

Every time I want to blast some ghosts, tee off against a dinosaur or hurtle through the air around Niagara Falls, I always wish I could save a few bucks at the same time. My wish has come true just in time for this season's opening weekend!

Follow the link below for money saving coupons for many of the exciting kid friendly attractions along Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Speaking of saving money, the funniest tours of Niagara are also the least expensive! Check out Niagara Falls Walking Tours to see the funny side of the Falls!

What's in the vaults at City Hall in Niagara Falls?

So I'm walking through the basement of the City Hall in Niagara Falls this morning.
I am struck by the appearance of three mysterious iron doors. Upon further inspection, they are extremely heavy doors that lead to some kind of vault.

What is behind those doors?
Stefano Magaddino's mortician license?
Vince Anello's loan repayment coupon book?
Whatever it is, it could make for an interesting stop on a Niagara Falls Walking Tour.

Unfortunately, nothing quite so sexy. As I snapped the pictures, somebody told me that the vaults contain old financial documents. Mundane, moldering papers that have accumulated since the vaults were installed when city hall was built in 1924 at a cost of $439,203.

When you think about it, all city halls should have areas such as these vaults where important information can be stored. My imagination was much more interesting then the reality!

Bright outlook for Tourism this season in Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls Walking Tours, we always try to look on the bright side of things.  It seems as if our optimism is founded, at least in an anecdotal fashion.
This Sunday past we were escorting a group visiting Niagara Falls from Geneva.  After doing the usual (Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, Tim Hortons), we headed north to Niagara on the Lake.

As the group went off for brunch, window shopping and a Shaw Festival play, I stayed back and checked out Fort George and was impressed at how this cannon was holding up.  Speaking of impressment, the War of 1812 celebrations should be quite wonderful next year.
On to the meat of the story.  I spoke to a very knowledgeable lady from the Tourist Center (Centre?), who told me that bus traffic is "...way up..." from last year at this time.  Last year at this time, bus arrivals were in the single digits.  Currently, buses are buying permits at more than twice that amount.
So, it's not scientific, but it is just another sign that there is pent-up demand in the market and Niagara Falls is positioned to blossom this year!

Niagara Falls Springs to Life

With each Spring season, there is a sense of optimism here at Niagara Falls. The ice boom is out, the Maid boats are in, and hope grows for a prosperous tourist season.

Also blooming are two new projects that hope to significantly contribute to the success of the Falls this summer, and many more to come.

A temporary chain link fence can barely contain the new Visitor Center located at the traffic circle on Rainbow and First. This impressive structure is about four times the size of the building it replaced and should provide a world class welcome to tourists.

First impressions are important, especially for day-trippers who are leisurely exploring the region. The new Visitor Center can be that professional, contemporary welcoming introduction to Niagara that will cause tourists to explore and experience our side of the Falls.

Another new attraction is the Old Falls Street redevelopment project. With the removal of the old Wintergarden, Falls Street once again is a beautiful gateway to the pedestrian entrance of the State Park.

The initiative is more than a face lift to a historically important thoroughfare. This project is an incubator for something this area desperately needs--new ideas. The Niagara Falls Conference Center is administrating the effort to bring concerts, performers and vendors together along Old Falls Street.

As you can see from the images, the finishing touches are being made and opening events are set for Memorial Day 2010.

Kayaking the Lower Niagara River Rapids

His death seemed senseless and preventable.

In a brazen attempt to make a name and some fame for himself, Red Hill Jr. went over Niagara Falls in a flimsy homemade contraption made of inner tubes and webbing.

As thousands looked on his vessel was swallowed by the Falls and spat out a few minutes later--a twisted lifeless wreck. His wife and 10 year old daughter were among those who prayed for the best in the hopes that Red had somehow survived. The next day the river gave up Hill's battered remains.

Following the daredevil's death, public outcry grew and laws were passed to prevent 'stunting' on the Niagara River.

An exception to the rule was granted in 1981 when four professional kayakers challenged the lower Niagara rapids for a broadcast segment of ABC TV's 'The American Sportsman'. Permission was granted because the US and Canadian Governments considered the spectacle a 'sporting event', not a stunt. In today's age of personal injury attorneys it is hard to imagine that the event would be permitted...but in 1981 it was permissible and made for some great television:


If you can't stick around for all 12 minutes of tape, the four people and their kayaks survived.

Another accomplished kayaker, Jesse Sharpe, went over the Falls in 1990 and did not fare as well. If you're visiting Niagara, you can view, FOR FREE!, the awesome power of the rapids in several ways. On the Canadian side, take the hiking trail that starts on the gorge rim in the Glen Park. On the US side, use the hiker's path that starts at the Devil's Hole State Park. Be careful and stay on the paths, the Niagara River is deadly!

Niagara USA Wine Trail Event

There was once a time when you had to cross the border into Canada to enjoy a tour of wine country. But now, there is a vibrant winery trail closer to home, situated on this side of the border.

The Niagara Wine Trail features wineries large and small for you to discover. They’ve done an excellent job of creating events to lure new customers to the trail and this weekend offers a unique treat.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday you should consider experiencing the ‘Taste of the Trail’. This event features the pairing of wines with foods that complement each other. You’ll be amazed at the way a skillful chef can bring new enjoyment to a meal with the strategic pairing of wine and entrée (or dessert, or appetizer!). You need to taste it to believe it.

You’ll find everything you need to know about the event here. I’m also including two documents that can help in your trail trip:

1-A guide to creating a group Wine Tour Tasting. This guide answers the questions you may have as you set out to book a limousine or bus for a group tasting.

2-A Garmin .GPX POI file. For those of you with Garmin GPS units, this file is a collection of the various Niagara USA wineries in Point of Interest (POI) form. Download it and save it to your GPS.

Enjoy responsibly!

An early start for the Maid of the Mist boat tours

The four Maid of the Mist boats will begin service April 10th, 2010--starting two weeks earlier than last year. The Maid's season opener is determined by the amount of ice that is in the Niagara River.

In the words of Sherlock Holmes, riding the Maid of the Mist is a "...singular..." experience. There is nothing like it anywhere else, and when you come to Niagara this is a must-do attraction. Be prepared to get wet and have a tremendous experience.

You can catch the boat on either side of the border, but I would strongly recommend that you use the U.S. entrance. The US admission fare is cheaper, $13.50 for an adult rider vs. $14.50 on the Canadian side (the exchange rate for US and CAN is practically the same as of this writing). Waiting times on the US side are less, as most tourists board on the Canadian side of the river. The biggest reason to use the US entrance is that you also can enjoy the 'Crow's Nest' area located immediately adjacent to the Maid's dock.

The Crow's Nest is a secret gem that allows a fabulous experience at the base of the American Falls. This area gives you access to the area directly below Prospect Point. You can rest on park benches and enjoy the light cooling mist in the wind, or you can challenge the Falls by ascending a set of stairs to get up close and personal with the mighty cataract.

The Maid will ply the tumultuous water beneath the Falls until October 24th this year.