Niagara Falls... There and Back

Lisa and I went to Niagara Falls, but not before a stop in Wellsboro. After Wellsboro, it was onto the Grand Canyon of PA (Pine Creek Gorge). We spent some time there taking pictures, hiking to the bottom of the Gorge, and then were on our way.

Our next stop was Letchworth SP in the Finger Lakes region. This place is marketed as "The Grand Canyon of the East". How can there be two? But there are. Letchworth has a narrow canyon and great waterfalls, but does not have the grand vistas that Pine Creek gave us. We took some scenic US highways to get to the Buffalo area, complete with farms (agricultural, livestock, and even wind), and wineries.

Our home for the next few nights was the Butler House B&B. Its our first time at a B&B, and it was very enjoyable. Great breakfasts, hospitality, and location. We were about a mile from the Falls, but out of the gaudiness.

The following days were occupied with visiting the Falls and other sights around the area. First, we got the necessary Falls visits out of the way on Saturday. We went to the Canadian side, and walked the walk. Its amazing how things have changed in the ~20 years since I've been there. With the casinos and big hotels, Canada looks like Las Vegas. Although the walk and views are much nicer on the CDN side, its a trade off with the development.

Actually, the NY side has to look at it all, not to mention sketchy neighborhoods. The developments have had another side-effect, possibly changing the micro-climate of the area, causing the mist to be blown onto the street and walkways.

On Sunday, we went up the Niagara River to Fort Niagara, on Lake Ontario. This fort served during many wars, and changed hands many times. As with most forts, its location proved vital to controlling the shipping channels along the river. They restored the Fort to reflect ALL stages of use, not one particular time period. Lisa loves this stuff, and the history and old buildings. I loved how the River and fort opened up to the oceanic Lake Ontario.

From there, we went to the Welland Canal Locks along the Niagara River. I remember doing this about 20 years ago too. There is a visitor's center, complete with viewing platform, to see the ships move through the locks and canal.

I had wanted to go for a hike at one of the Provincial Parks while in Canada. I did research long before out trip, and had my heart set on visiting Rock Point Provincial Park along Lake Erie. I chose this park because of a 5-mile hike leading to a point out in Lake Erie, and fossils and geology. It took a while to get there, after theological navigation and a passable map. Actually, we did not get there. It began to get dark, and we turned around. Directions were bad, daylight was waning, gas was low, as was Lisa's patience. In hindsight, we were no more than 5 or so minutes from the park. Next time (if there is a next time), we will get there. Side note: speed limits in Canada are ridiculously low.

We got back in time to see some sunset over the falls. Actually, it turned out to be backlight casinos and pink mist. I had wanted a great picture like this, but I ended up with this (see left). We traveled up to Lewiston to grab some dinner. Cute little town, compared to NF. As we traversed down the Niagara Escarpment, we were treated to views of little towns dotting the Niagara Valley, as well as the distant glow of Toronto, across the Lake.

We left Monday morning after a brief stop at Whirlpool SP. The trip home included some very scenic areas along NY17/I-86, through Binghamton and Scranton. Its a very nice ride along these roads, and I recommend them to anyone, especially in autumn.

Pictures