July 12 - Niagara Falls

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” ~Aldous Huxley  

On our way home we visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. During our first visit to the falls in 2012 we spent most of our time on the American side. We walked along Queen Victoria Park and were amazed again by the power and size of the falls. Queen Victoria Park was opened in 1888 and offers the best views of the falls.

Niagara Falls is formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. It's made up of three waterfalls that span the border between Canada and the United States. The largest of the three falls is Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls. The two smaller falls are American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls and they lie within the United States. 

Looking down the Niagara River towards Horseshoe Fall.

The top of Horseshoe Falls.

The Maid of the Mist going up to Horseshoe Falls. We rode on this in 2012 the first time we came to the falls.

The Canadian boat that takes riders into the mist of the falls.

American Falls (large waterfall center-left) and Bridal Veil Falls (right) 

The Skylon Tower and Queen Victoria Place in the left picture and the Falls Welcome Center at the top right.

Aerial view of all three falls taken by John Kucko several years ago.

Niagara Fun Facts

• The water that flows over Niagara Falls comes from four of the five Great Lakes: Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. From the Falls, the water travels down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, then to the St. Lawrence River and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
• About 600,000 gallons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second.
• The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below Horseshoe Falls. It's so deep that it equals the height of the falls above: 170 ft.
• Fish actually travel over the Falls and about 90% of them survive. Experts believe that the white foam from the rushing waters cushions their fall.
• Back in the 1800s, Niagara Falls was nearly frozen solid, only a small trickle of water traveled over the cliffs.
• About 20% of the drinking water in the United States goes over Niagara Falls.
• The formation of Niagara Falls is the result of glaciers.
• Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S. 
• The green color of the Niagara River is a visible tribute to the erosive power of water. An estimated 60 tons of dissolved minerals are swept over Niagara Falls every minute.