Niagara - wet and magestic

Niagara – lots of water!

I was very excited to be going to Niagara as it was part of (one of many) my bucket list. It was a rush to get from the hotel to the airport in Boston to get the plane on time, and then discovered that Dave had a seat number but not me! Slight panic but app. It happens all the time in America, some people get allocated seats, some don’t and you have to get your seat number at the gate before boarding! Not a comfortable feeling on my part I can tell you. Yes I did get a seat.

Our hotel in Niagara was on the Niagara river looking out over the river, just before the rapids start. It is very wide, and once the rapids start, quite swift. We went for an early morning walk along the river, which is all part of a state park.

We had booked a tour, and it was us and two others with a lovely tour guide called Nick. He was great, and I was able to sit in the front seat with him to get a better view.

We were on the American side. We started at Terrapin point, which was our first view of the Horseshoe falls (the one you see in the pictures) and the place you can get up to them on the American side. 

There is also the Amerian falls and Bridal veil Falls which are on the American side as well. We went to the Cave of the Winds, with a movie to start with explaining the history of the falls (popular tourist attraction since the 1800”s). and then down a lift which the shaft had been cut out of the rock way back early 1900’s. this takes you to the bottom of the American falls and the Bridalveil Falls. You get a poncho and sandals as you WILL get wet! Water was crashing down so fast and there was a place where you can back into the water falling from the cliff above and over you! I loved it and thought I was going to go crashing over, the force was so powerful as well as the noise! Fantastic!

After that was the ‘Maid of the Mist’ – the boat tour that takes you right up to where the Horseshoe falls fall over. Our first real view of those falls in all their glory. Once again, down a lift, ponchos on and right into all the mist and water. It was amazing how close you got, you thought you would be right under it.

Then it was to the new viewing platform, way up high and hanging over the river to see the falls. Quite windy, and Dave swore he could feel it move in the wind, but it was solid concrete and very well reinforced. Luckily this was lovely weather and not many tourists really, but we could only imagine how horrible this place must be in the summer!

After our tour we decided to walk across the bridge over the river that takes you to the Canadian side, as everyone said that is the better view and nice gardens etc., and they were right! The Canadian official was rather blaze’ about entering. We had a lovely stroll along the river side, and the view of all the falls was much better. At the end you were right at the side of the Horseshoe falls as it went over the cliff, and you could see how much water was going over.

We decided to do the Canadian Cave trip, which took you down tunnels (poncho again!) and out at various places down the cliff face. The end part was actually behind the falls with the water pouring down in front of you! Very loud and wet, but all you could see was pouring water!\

Getting back into America was the easiest so far! You paid a $1 each to walk back across the bridge (great money earner for the Govt. as thousands would go across each day) and then the immigration guy looked at our passports, asked if we were bringing anything in (I said a moose – did he want to see it? Toy moose). He just smiled, and thought who the  hell are these idiots! And let us through!

A very big, but satisfying day at the falls. The weather was warm so it didn’t matter if you got wet, and not too many people. Our guide said that they would start closing things down after Oct. as the weather got too cold.

Very tired that night – needed a nana nap while Dave chatted to two guys at the bar.

Beautiful Boston

Boston – beautiful Boston.

Boston is beautiful, and historic. I enjoyed it much more than I thought.

First on the bucket list was Harvard. Luckily our friend Joe works for Harvard so on the way into Boston to our hotel, he kindly offered to show us around. This was lucky, as it has leafy-lined streets, gorgeous student accommodation (would put Dunedin flats to shame) small streets and hardly any parking! Joe parked at a parking building you pay for by the year (he comes in 3 times a week) and it was a short walk to the campus.

We heard about John Harvard – founder in 1600’s. Yes it is that old! He set up a library and then it grew into a school and from there …. 13 faculties spread out. It was a lovely feeling walking through – old trees, old buildings with so much history behind each one.

The statue of John Harvard is very photographed – app. Students kiss his shoes for good luck (note how shiny his feet are!) except the rival MIT (think engineer Howard from Big Bang Theory went there) students came and wee –ed on it!

After our tour we went with Joe into the Harvard Museum of Natural History. This was full of donations and collections from the past 300 years. Even some Maori patu (clubs). Very fascinating place.

Thanks so much to Joe for giving us his time and patience for putting up with my endless questions!

Day 1 – was hop on off bus day. Glorious day weather wise (26C) – we got off at Boston Common and then walked 4 kilometeres of the ‘Freedom Trail’. This is a case of follow the red brick line – and goes through and pass some of the historic places in old-town Boston with a book you pick up and read about what happened at each place! A great way of discovering and taking you time as well. I learnt so much more about the American revolution (this was where it all started). You even go over a bridge over the Charles river to  Charlestown (lovely up-market suburb) with boat yards etc.

Obviously all this walking tired me out! So back on the hop –on-off bus back to the hotel. (This hotel is attached to a huge up-market mall where you can buy anything at top prices – no sales!)

Later in the afternoon, back on the bus to the pier/wharf area for a drink at an outdoor bar, then dinner and then to a ‘Ghost and graveyards’ scary tour!. You hopped on a trolley with all these people dressed up as actual dead people who gave you their scary stories (all gruesome stories). We stopped at 2 graveyards (they have locks to unlock as it is dark, no lights – just an old lantern!) and tell stories about some darstardly people buried there, and how they died – pretty awful! ) it was really funny (believe it or not!). Did you know in one graveyard there were 3000 graves, but only 2000 gravestones (some were taken for foundations of nearby houses, or for cooking stones!). Then bodies got taken by grave robbers- and then to save space they buried bodies on top of each other (5 deep).

Day 2 – another hop on off bus day. This time we stopped off at the Boston Tea Party ship and museum and went for a tour. This was fantastic. The actors had you act out all of what went on to cause the locals to get upset at taxes with out representation- and decide to dress up as Red Indians  and dump the tea into the harbour rather than pay taxes. Great tour.

Then onto a Boston harbour cruise which took you up and down the harbour part of Boston and told you about all you could see. (did you know that 75% of Boston is on re-claimed land?) Boston has  3 million people in it by the way!

That evening we flew out to Niagara – we need a rest!