The Bucket List: Niagara Falls

15. Visit Niagara Falls. C’mon…who doesn’t want to get a picture of Niagara Falls?

Late last summer, while in Toronto to attend the last weekend of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, I decided to visit Niagara Falls. With Niagara Falls being roughly a 1 ½ hour drive from Downtown Toronto, I figured it was an excellent opportunity to see one of the most famous places in North America…and I’d get to complete a bucket list item in the process.

My Thursday evening thru Monday morning trip to Toronto was purposely frontloaded to create a window for a day trip to Niagara Falls. That’s why I did the Blue Jays game right after arrival into the city, the CN Tower EdgeWalk the next morning, and the films on Friday evening and all day Saturday. I had an entire Sunday—my last full day in the city—to myself. After some thorough research on companies that offered the tours from Toronto, I decided on Niagara Day Tour as they seemed to offer quite a bit for the price given. At only $77CAD, I got all of the following:

• A 3-hour block of time on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls with access to Queen Victoria Park, Clifton Hill, and many falls observation attractions
• The experience onboard the Maid of the Mist, which takes you right to the heart of each of the waterfalls that collectively make up Niagara Falls—Canadian (or Horseshoe) Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls
• A 45-minute stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small historic yet picturesque town with scenic gardens and quaint shops
• A stop at the Living Water Wayside Chapel, which is reported the smallest in the world at 10’ x 10’
• A stop at the Reif Estate Winery, one of the many wineries in the Niagara wine region along the Niagara River Parkway
• A stop at Queenston Heights Park, home of the Brock Monument
• A stop and viewing of the Niagara Parkway Floral Clock
• A stop and viewing of the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Station I

Seeing Niagara Falls up close and personal was a grand experience. When I was on the Maid of the Mist, we rode up to the foot of Canadian Falls and I was in such awe…I felt like I was witnessing God’s power right there in live person. The view from the top of Canadian Falls was spectacular. 600,000 gallons per second is what falls down that particular waterfall and the speed at which it fell down to the Niagara River was scary. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. Check out the pictures below.

The Niagara Home Bakery in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The top of Canadian Falls…the calm before the storm, so to speak

That’s what 600,000 gallons of water per second looks like up close and personal.

Approaching Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls on the Maid of the Mist

The Floral Clock along Niagara Parkway

A framed shot of the Brock Monument through the entrance gates of Queenston Heights Park

A plaque commemorating the efforts of the Colored Corps during the War of 1812

The customary photo-op of me in a winery, drinking from a wine glass (it was only sparkling grape juice, by the way)

The Reif Estate Winery

The Living Water Wayside Chapel, the world’s smallest

Fort George at the confluence of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario

The cenotaph on Queen Street

Some of the homemade goodies from Niagara Home Bakery