One of the most awesome sights I've seen on my travels was while I was on a City break in Toronto in 2006 and booked myself on a day trip to Niagara Falls. It wasn't the greatest start to the day though, it was one of them tours that pick up at various hotels and they give you time when you book, my ticket said pick up at my hotel at 8.50am.
The trip started badly, I'd finished breakfast just after 8-30am so went back to my room to collect my camera and things required and got to the hotel lobby 5 mins before my pick up time. I mentioned to the receptionist to give me a shout when the bus arrives. She looked at me in amazement and said it left 10 minutes earlier so I showed her my ticket.
The hotel phoned the tour company for me who then got hold of the driver, apparently he had arrived early counted the passengers on the bus, decided everyone was there and set off without checking names. In reality a women that was booked on a completely different tour thought it was her bus and got on so his numbers matched. They had to come back for me and drop the lady off, the rest of the passengers looked really chuffed about it. In fact despite it not been my fault I still felt embarresed and so just kept quiet on the journey.
Eventually a nice Irish couple spoke to me and we got on well, later in the holiday they met up for a few drinks, but thats another story.It eally turned out to be a good trip and the falls are quite amazing, especially they Canadian horshoe falls. It just demonstrates the raw power of nature. The American falls are actually eroding and quite an alarming rate.
Part of the trip was an included lunch at the penthouse restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel overlooking the falls. It was a fantastic view of the falls.
We also got to ride the "Maid of the Mist" boat right to the foot of the falls (with plastic mac provided), another great experience.
Afterwards we went to Niagara on the Lake which is a beutiful little town with buildings well over 100 years old, lots of British influence in the area which of course of interest to me.It was a nine hour round trip but well worth the long day.
Great day out and anyone in Toronto I'd recommend this as an absolute "must do".
Went over there as a side trip in fall of 2012 when I was over with my buddy in Michigan. Amazing place but you had lots better weather than we did. We were going on to Toronto but had to call that part of the trip off. I took my wet weather gear and so was ok but my American buddies had the plastic capes and have so hysterical pics of them in them.
ReplyDeleteI DID manage to get to Lake Ontario though so the ambition of having my feet in all the Great Lakes was fulfilled. Lake Michigan was still the best and the warmest!