One of the main reasons I wanted to go on this trip was to see Niagara Falls. Surprisingly in all our travels I have never visited it. Yvonne went there with her family when she was young. Normally the cruise we are on ends up back in Kingston, Ontario in mid afternoon which was the original plan. However, when we boarded the ship the boat staff told our tour director that there was no way we could make it to see the falls, take the obligatory boat ride below the falls and reach four final destination, Buffalo,  IF we waited until we returned to Kingston. This was a very lucky conversation as it gave Brian the opportunity to modify the logistics of the remainder of the trip. We were lucky as the normal cruise routine is to leave Gananoque for a final leisurely breakfast ride through “millionaires’ row”, a return to Gananoque later in the morning to tour the history museum there, then finally sail back to Kingston for their normal mid afternoon arrival. What was decided was we (the Uncommon Journey group) would disembark when we return from the short morning cruise. That would give us sufficient time to complete the rest of the planned stops. Brian had plenty of time to alert the transport group of the altered time and make the necessary change. Disaster averted!

By 8AM we pulled away from the dock for our “breakfast cruise” back through the nearby “millionaire’s row” for one final glimpse. The morning sun provided a beautiful backdrop to the homes and foliage we saw.

By 9:30 we were back at the dock in Gananoque where those of us with Uncommon Journeys disembarked, collected our luggage that had been carried to the dock and boarded a bus that would take us to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario by late afternoon. The timing was tight so lunch was hastily purchased at a roadside truck stop and eaten, on board as we continued our journey. We were slated to have a short (30-45 minute) stop in the quaint town of Niagara on the Lake but when we got there many of us voiced a concern whether it was worth only spending 30 minutes walking around as the falls were still 30-45 minutes away.  Suddenly our scheduled reservations for the boat ride at the falls was in jeopardy. We took a vote and opted to not risk it. We will skip the shopping time at Niagara on the Lake and proceed directly to the falls. Some people were not happy with that decision.

In hindsight it was the right decision as we only had about 30 minutes time to view the falls from the lovely walkway above the falls, use the restroom or grab a drink or snack before we needed to board the boat for the ride below the falls. We were on the Canadian side of the falls which people say is the best view. I would have to agree as we were able to look directly across at the three falls (American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horse Shoe Falls). You do not get that same prospective when viewing from the US side. We were at the falls late in the day so the setting sun provided us with a beautiful view of the falls, including some fleeting rainbows. I thought it was marvelous!

Geography Lesson:  Niagara Falls are actual three waterfalls (American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls) on the Niagara River that drain water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The American and Bridal Veil Falls lie in the US while the Horseshoe Falls straddles the border with Canada. Horseshoe Falls are about 2,590 feet wide; American Falls are 1,050 feet wide. Fun fact: the falls are eroding about o.98 feet/year so in about 50,000 years they will be gone!

It was soon time to board the boats that take you “up close and personal” with the falls.  Luckily we were given ponchos for the ride. I was brave (with a few others) and opted to stay out on the deck of the ship. Yvonne, being the wise one, chose to sit below where she was able to the watch the action safely behind large windows. Although all we experienced was the mist from the falls I have to admit it did get quite wet for those of us outdoors!

After the 20-30 minute boat ride we were met by yet another, smaller bus that took us quickly across the bridge and back into the USA with minimal delay, and headed to our final dinner as a group at a local, family owned Italian) restaurant, where we were met by the owner of the company, Christopher Kyte, who often tries to fly in and have dinner with the travelers. We had met Christopher before and he remembered us. Dinner was not as leisurely as most wanted because of an issue with our driver’s time at the wheel and we were driven to our hotel in Buffalo where we each went our separate ways. The journey was over.

October 28. 2024:  Our trip back to Poulsbo and our home was thankfully uneventful other than we had to get up at 4:30AM to catch our early morning flight from Buffalo to Chicago and then to Seattle. The weather and airplane gods were kind to us and we arrived home safely and on time!

Epilogue

-Well, the trip did not go without some glitches, some planned and some unplanned. Some people were very upset. But sometimes things happens and I, for one, have learned to not overly react. We were reimbursed for the missed activities (train ride, boat ride, winery) so I was pleased Uncommon Journeys did what was right.

-The weather was spectacular the entire trip other than the wind we experienced a couple of the mornings. The fall colors were at their peak which made the trip even more magical.

-The cruise on the St Lawrence Seaway was excellent, both from the things we saw and did,  as well as the ship and its crew. I would be willing to travel with them again on another itinerary.

-Visits to the Upper Canada Village and Fort Wellington were top notch. I would recommend visits to them if you were in the area. I only wish we could have visited the Boldt and Singer castles, but their location limits how one can get there.

Parting thought for the day:

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”-Anonymous