Niagara Falls:  A Great Weekend Getaway.

When Hubby and I decided to “getaway” for a weekend…

Hubby suggested Niagara Falls to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

Niagara Falls is truly a natural wonder to experience!  We are fortunate it is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from our little town of Mars.

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.

Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world that has a vertical drop of more than 165 feet (50 m). Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height and flow rate.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost four million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average.

The Niagara Falls are famed both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power.*

We had fun visiting both the U.S. and Canadian side of the falls (a passport is necessary to travel between the two).

It was a bit chilly in early April, but so worth it to avoid crowds!  We visited early morning when the mist was heavy on the “American Side.”  We walked the path along the “Canadian Side” during the afternoon when the sun broke through the clouds.

A highlight to experience (which we did) is riding the Aero Car, suspended by cables, over the Niagara Whirlpool.  The Whirlpool 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.

A visit to Niagara on the Lake is another highlight, with quaint shoppes and wonderful wineries that host pairings and tastings.

It was wonderful to head back to the U.S. side and experience the Falls at sunset before heading for dinner.

And after dinner, another visit to see the falls lit up at night.

Niagara Falls is a great weekend getaway, with something for everyone – including casinos and wax museums and boat rides and cave tours.  This is not our first visit, so we’ve experienced some of the others previously.

There is something so beautiful and special and even a bit romantic about Niagara Falls.

Thanks to our guys for “kicking us out” so we could have such a great getaway weekend!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Niagara Falls Wikipedia