It's Official...a close up view of the Falls

OH MY GOD...I must say I was almost speechless. Both Michael and I were in AWE! I consider myself to be a water loving person and I only fell in love with it more once I saw the falls. The water is so beautiful it made me want to jump in. It looked like thick crystal in some places. It was so loud, roaring like a hungry lion, as vicious as a thunderous storm, but yet peaceful and mezmerizing. Michael and I both referred to this as, "Mother Nature at one of her most violent and yet most comforting moments." I have never really experienced this type of serenity and tranquility.

I don't know if it was the sun or if it was psychological, but I was thirsting for water for the entire trip...and I am usually not a water drinker. It was funny but everywhere I went I just wanted some "ice cold water."

Our first official day at the Falls we went on various tours. First was Journey Behind the Falls. You get to walk in concaves behind the falls and hear the water right in front of you, almost close enough to touch. Following that we went to watch the 4D movie, "Niagara's Fury." That was a lot of fun because the screen is around the entire room (in a circle) and the view is 3D but the 4D comes into play when they splash water on you, the floor shakes, lights flash and thunder sounds. Next it was on to Maid of the Mist. This boat takes you past the American Falls and then directly into the mist of Canada's Horseshoe Falls. The mist, at times, is like a heavy rainfall. Everyone on the boat was drenched by the end of our boat trip.

You can take pictures all along the ride passing the American Falls, but as soon as you approach Canada's Horseshoe Falls you have to put your camera away unless it is an underwater camera because the falling mist is just like a rainstorm. I should have tried to put a plastic bag over it and take pictures anyway, but I was just excited to be there. The boat drives up right into the center of the horseshoe and stays there for a few minutes, making sure everyone experiences the mist. Then it makes a quick u-turn and returns us to the pier just across from the American Falls. The weather was warm and the water was welcoming.

After our trip on the Maid of the Mist, Michael and I decided it was time for some lunch. So it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe for some nachos and cold beer. After lunch we decided to relax and go visit the Bird Aviary. We arrived too late to feed the birds and other animals but we did get to hold a real alligator and Michael got to hold an 8-10 ft. Burmese Python. An exciting end to a glorious day.