niagara falls everyone

My First Shakedown Expedition

Niagara FallsBy Winnebago!

I left Vermilion, Ohio early in the evening of May 5, 2010 under skies that promised rain, thunder and lightning,

and I was not disappointed! I was accompanied by thundering semis that sped past me, adding to the light

rain I enjoyed!Later that night, I had had enough, and bunked down in

eastern Pa. It was a pleasant place, except I had chosen a spot near a very active freight train track. It did not take

long at all until I was asleep, and left at first light for Niagara Falls.

As I drew closer to Niagara Falls, the Niagara River grew more turbulent as it narrowed. Because of traffic, I

had no opportunity to stop and take photos until I arrived, but I was definitely not disappointed with the

State Park.

After parking on Goat Island, I approached the most famous of the three waterfalls,

Horseshoe Falls! I realized shortly after leaving Vermilion that I

had limited myself to remaining on the American side of the border because I had forgotten my

passport! I could have done a better job photographing the front of the waterfalls, but, oh

well! The prior photo shows the spray from the

waterfall, with a small section of rainbow showing.

The previous slide features an overhead view of the falls, indicating a viewing area where you are at the northern edge of, and no more than three feet away from the eastern edge of the falls! The power of the water flow is apparent to everyone. The water is relatively shallow, and is constantly eroding its stone bed. This is the only national monument, even though it is a state park, that moves backward about two feet a year.

The next highlighted area shows the eastern edge of the falls not more than three feet away! Needless to say, not too many people take photos this close! I wish I had taken the time to compose the photograph of the display board so that it was more legible, but I didn’t and have to live with it. It was a bright day, also, so there was a lot of glare.

Without a doubt, no wonder any stories

about humans attempting to walk across the gorge on

a high-wire, or attempting to go over any of the

three waterfalls is highly publicized as

a foolhardy venture! The park is well policed by the Park Department of the New York State Police. Equipment

permanently available includes

several patrol cars, and a “paddy wagon” that

doubles as a light generating station.

If needed, ambulances are

available from the town.

A view towards the east where you may see the spray of Bridal Veil and American

Falls.

A view downriver showing an abandoned power station on the Canadian side, and, in the second

photo, the berthing station of the famous Maid of the Mist that takes tourists near the base of each

of the three falls.

A view of the overlook, and a picture of the river as it approaches Horseshoe Falls from the south, only yards away from the lip.

Just as I was leaving Horseshoe Falls, I photographed some of the many international visitors from India and Eastern European

countries.

Photos of Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls. The second picture is a closer shot of the Maid of the Mist.

The sign describing Luna Island (between American Falls and Bridal Veil) and a photo taken from a footbridge showing the precipice of Bridal Veil

Falls.

The picture on the left is of while the next is the foot of Bridal Veil. The red arrow points to a walkway, open to tourists, which I will

show in a little more detail in the next slide.

Featured in the previous photo are several people at the base of the

falls between Bridal Veil to the left , and American Falls to the right of the photograph. They are brought

down from surface level by elevator, and are wearing yellow

plastic ponchos (for high visibility in the event of being washed off the wooden platforms). The next photo

is a group leaving the elevator.

This is the reconstructed archway to the world’s first hydroelectric power station. Hydroelectric power was developed by Nikola Tesla, the inventor of electricity, in the middle 1800’s. For more information on him and his inventions, just Google Nicola Tesla .

These photos were taken from a footbridge facing north, and were of the river just south of the American and Bridal Veil Falls.

The bridge that is shown in the picture is rather unique. Although it has a cement base, the stanchions

and passageway are made from interlocking panels that form one of the many configurations of a bridge known as a Bailey bridge. Developed by a U.S. Army

captain shortly before WWII and named after him, the different configurations are still in use, and combat

engineers are still being trained in their construction.

The southern facing view of the Niagara River as it constricts sharply as it enters its final few yards before falling into the gorge on it’s way to the Atlantic, Although it appears tranquil, it is anything but, as it is very rough, but becomes even more so.

I did not stay for the night lighting of the waterfalls, but decided to return during

daylight.I traveled home, stopping only for gas and rest stops to stretch my legs. In

retrospect, I should not have attempted to push myself. In the future, I will plan ahead, so that enough time is spent in

rest and smelling the roses, so that I will be capable of smelling them for some

time to come, and enjoying them instead of rushing.

The motor home gave me no problems, so I am confident of future tours.Thank you for reading this, and

I hope you have enjoyed it. If I have included any errors, I apologize,

and hope to hear from you correcting them.