Over The Falls...In A Barrel

Yesterday was such an unexpected blessing. To be able to just decide "Let's go to Niagara Falls tomorrow", and then do it, has got to be at the top of the list of advantages to this life we're living, Mr. Trucker and I.

We drove into the town of Niagara Falls with a half formed plan of where we were going to park the truck and how we were going to get to the actual falls, and everything just sort of fell into place.

Almost there now.

We parked the truck at K-Mart in the town of Niagara Falls and asked where the nearest bus stop was. It happened to be right in front of the store and I'll bet we didn't wait ten minutes till a bus came by. The bus drivers were all so helpful and friendly. We bought two day passes and transferred at the terminal to a bus that took us right to the Niagara Falls Welcome Center.

Mr. Trucker on the NFTA Metro bus

Niagara Falls Welcome Center

Mr. Trucker at the entrance to the State Park

At the Welcome Center, we decided on a guided shuttle bus tour of the falls, which took about two hours. You cannot even imagine the immensity of this awesome wonder of creation!

Our guide told us these are class 6 rapids. He said you don't
want to raft or canoe down these.

If you had told me that later I would walk out on that observation
tower/deck, I would have said you were nuts.

The Bridal Veil falls

The spray from the falls was everywhere in the air and it was crazy cold! I quickly learned to operate my camera with my gloves on because whenever I took them off, my fingers turned numb in no time. Mr. Trucker had his heart set on riding the Maid of The Mist and couldn't understand why it was shut down until May! 

The American Falls with a view of the Rainbow Bridge (to Canada)
in the background

The Horseshoe Falls (the Canadian side)

Got a quarter? Oh no! Don't put your tongue on that!

Mr. and Mrs. Trucker at Niagara Falls

Mr. Trucker getting ready to climb over the railing.
He's such a rebel!

That's Canada over there. Good thing we brought our passports!

Unbelievable!

We met some interesting people along the way. Like the couple from Sacramento who come to Pittsburgh for a Steelers game every year and this year took a side trip to the falls. And the couple from Brazil who wanted to see the snow and cold because it's always hot where they live. And the young man waiting for the bus who said he and his parents were political refugees from Cuba and he was hiking around the country. 

Getting back to the truck was a little more tricky than getting to the falls, because it was a Saturday and after 5:00 p.m. and we didn't know the bus system, but God was looking out for us, because we made it just fine. It took me about three hours to thaw out, however, and an entire can of chili heated in our microwave. 

Today we finish our journey to the Pittsburgh area and after tomorrow's delivery, we're hoping for a dispatch to our Christmas destination of Daytona Beach and Mr. Trucker's sister's family's place.

Today's Silly Sounding Place Name:  Tonawanda, New York.