Canada Is Full of Surprises — Part 3
Niagara Falls is about a five-hour drive from Ottawa. Beyond being an iconic attraction that everyone should see, there is a lot more in the Niagara area than I suspected.
Okay, let me repeat that, 3,160 TONS OF WATER PER SECOND flows over the falls! AMAZING!
Our hotel was a five-minute walk to the falls, but we didn’t go there on our first day. Instead, we visited Niagara on the Lake. Niagara on the Lake is a small community set in a microclimate suitable for wine production. There are numerous wineries in the area, some producing very acceptable vintages of wine. We visited the Chateau des Charmes.
The vineyards of Chateau des Charmes cover 120 acres and produce a variety of wines. One interesting fact is they vary the variety of the grapes every 4 rows. This is to diminish any damage due to pests or plague in one variety from affecting all the vineyard. The tour was interesting and the wine tasting fun, but we found the wines to be ordinary. We didn’t buy any. There are other vineyards in the area, less impressive in size, but we are told produce better wine. There are tours to several vineyards that take an entire day. If I were to return I would try one of those.
The Canadian side of the falls, called the Horseshoe Falls due to their shape, accounts for nine times the volume of water that falls from the American side (681,750 gallons/second versus 75,750 gallons/second). There are boat rides that will take you into the “Maid of the Mist”. This is where you get drenched by the mist that covers the area from the water tumbling around you.
A walk behind the falls allows for an up close and personal (and wet) experience of Niagara Falls.
Downriver from the falls are some of the most challenging rapids in the world. These are classified as class 6 rapids (the highest category).
To appreciate Niagara Falls by night take a ride on the Skylon to the top of the tower. There is a revolving restaurant there that gives you a 360-degree view of the entire area. The ride to the top is free if you make a dinner reservation.
The food was excellent and priced like any normal restaurant, but the view was fantastic.
The falls are lit by night and change colors every few minutes. The building on the far left of the photo is a casino. Nearby is a theme park with rides and entertainment.
While Niagara is indisputably a touristic city, it is very much worth visiting at least once in your life.
On the return trip to Trois Rivieres we made a slight detour to visit a Mennonite or Amish village. The village is called St. Jacob and I understand is one of only two in Canada.
We saw people traveling by horse and buggy and went to a weekend market where Amish and non-Amish stalls featuring local produce were covering a wide area. There was a livestock auction going on where an Amish girl was selling her cow. A store selling brooms made from corn husks was another view into the past.
We spent six days on this trip and I got to see some very interesting aspects of Canada, its people, and its sights. All in all a great trip.
If you missed parts one and two of this series you can see them here
Thanks for reading my stories. That’s why I write.
