A Dream of a Dream

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

We did not have to wait very long for the shuttle to arrive, I was surprised, it was really nice! There were only a few other people on the bus and they were all headed to the White Water Walk aka the Whirpool Rapids. The rapids are classed as Category 6, the highest level and are deemed to be unnavigable.

It was maybe 10-15 minute bus ride out to the rapids, they are not in the main tourist area which would explain why most people don't know about them.

Once we got dropped off we had to go into a little store where the shopkeeper is also the elevator operator. The elevator was so old, I kinda freaked thinking about having to ride in it!

Once at the bottom you walk through a tunnel out to the rapids.

There is a wooden boardwalk you walk along that is about a 1/4 mile long. There were only a few people down there and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. It was very beautiful and a nice little walk.

Here is the video I took of the rapids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u39NaRWjAs4

I think we spent maybe 20-30 minutes down there, it was really nice and felt like we had discovered a hidden treasure.

We had to push a call button to alert the shopkeeper that we were ready to come back up and it took her about 10 minutes to arrive with the elevator.

Now we just had to wait for the next shuttle to come and pick us up. We had 20 minutes to wait and right next to the bus stop was this really cool Buddhist temple/monastery.

A guy walking by saw us admiring the place and told us that it was open to visitors and that we could walk the grounds and go in the temple so long as we didn't take any indoor pictures. So that is exactly what we did.

We went into the temple and it was really cool. There were thousands of golden Buddha statues lining the walls. There was a monk in there praying so we did not want to disturb and so we quietly left.

It was a really neat place to visit especially as I had never seen anything like it before.

Back on the shuttle we made our way back to our hotel.

 

[leamom2princesses]

I'm all caught up again Lessa! Sorry for being MIA. I love your Maid of the Mist pics. I rode on the Maid of the Mist in 1993. It was so fun.

I love the temple too. It is beautiful!

 

[YukiPhnx]

OHHH! The Rapids! I've been there! In that uh.....skylift thing? That takes you above and across the rapids to the other side and back. Man...what is it called?

I'm definitely gonna check out the walk.

Oh my! I can't believe I've never seen that temple! Or at least I don't recall it...My family usually takes the earlier exit to Niagara, so we always pass by the rapids and the Giant Clock. But recently, I take the exit near Clifton Hill, so I've been missing it.

I must pay that place a visit. It's beautiful!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I'm all caught up again Lessa! Sorry for being MIA. I love your Maid of the Mist pics. I rode on the Maid of the Mist in 1993. It was so fun.

I love the temple too. It is beautiful!

I think the Maid of the Mist is the most fun to be had at the falls. For some reason having fun=getting drenched for me.

OHHH! The Rapids! I've been there! In that uh.....skylift thing? That takes you above and across the rapids to the other side and back. Man...what is it called?

I'm definitely gonna check out the walk.

Oh my! I can't believe I've never seen that temple! Or at least I don't recall it...My family usually takes the earlier exit to Niagara, so we always pass by the rapids and the Giant Clock. But recently, I take the exit near Clifton Hill, so I've been missing it.

I must pay that place a visit. It's beautiful!

I know what you are talking about with the cable car. We saw ads for it but we never actually saw it in person, it must have been further down the gorge than where we were.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

When we got back to the hotel Britt and Kyah just wanted to hang out in the room and watch tv. I couldn't do that, to me, if I want to just lay around and watch tv on vacation I'll just stay at home! So I grabbed my camera and told the girls I was going out for a walk and to the Hershey Store.

I decided to walk through the Crowne Plaza to get to the Hershey Store since everything is connected.

It was so hard to decide on what yummy treats to get but I finally settled on the cookies.

I got some of the Peanut Butter cookies and a Hershey Kiss chocolate chip cookie.

I went back up to the room to drop them off as I didn't want the chocolate to melt.

After indulging in a cookie I went back out. Britt was off at the spa getting a massage and manicure/pedicure at the hotel spa.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I befriended this little old Asian lady who was also out taking pictures in the park. We talked about our favourite spots for pictures in the area.

I was starting to get hungry so I decided to head back to the hotel to see if Britt was back from the spa so we could all head out to dinner. This was our dress-up night as the girls wanted to head out to the bars/clubs after dinner.

We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and I felt a little odd eating there all dressed up but we didn't want to go back to the room afterwards.

We got seated right next to this guy

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

After dinner we went across the street to the Movieland Wax Museum to use the last attraction on our funpass.

With Flash

Without

Before leaving the museum you come to a hallway that says "Enter at your own risk" , of course we had to head down there.

It was meant to be super scary but I thought it was funny, Kyah was screaming the whole way through.

Once out of the museum/ghost house we moved on up the hill to a martini bar called the Spicy Olive that our waiter had recommended to us, his friend's band was booked to play that night. We stayed there for a little while but it wasn't Britt's scene so she suggested we catch a cab over to the Dragonfly Nightclub at the Fallsview Casino. Once we got there Kyah and Britt decided they wanted to go to a strip club to see the male dancers. I told them there was no way I was doing that. Call me a prude but I just can't go to one of those places. They tried to convince me but there was no way I was changing my mind. I told them that they should go and that I would just go back to the hotel. It was getting close to midnight so I would just pack and go to sleep. Eventually I convinced them it would be okay to go off without me. We got a cab that dropped me off and then took them to the strip club. He was a very chatty cab driver and was going on about the history of the falls and we once again heard all about Marilyn Monroe shooting a movie there.

Back in the room I packed up all my stuff and then curled up in bed and watched an episode of Ghost Whisperer before falling asleep.

When Britt and Kyah got back they told me how the cab driver escorted them into the club and told the staff how it was their first time seeing strippers and how they should treat them nicely. I think I would have died on the spot.

The next morning I was up bright and early again and went on one last walk.

Kyah was still asleep when I got back so I decided to go for a swim, I had the place to myself. I miss being able to jump in the pool first thing in the morning. We had an inground pool when we lived in Virginia Beach and I definitely did not appreciate it until we moved away.

Once everybody was awake we jumped in the car and started our drive back. It was a good thing we were leaving that day as it started to pour.

We dropped Britt off at the airport in Toronto so that she could fly home and then we were home a few hours after that.


Overall I had a good time and I really love Niagara Falls and wouldn't mind going back someday.

 

[YukiPhnx]

This one looks like a painting!

Wait....there's a scary house at the end of the Movieland was museum.......???

I can't believe they even included animated movies! I've never seen that before.

There's a strip club in Niagara???? Hm.....

I loved that photo of the cherry blossom tree. Absolutely beautiful.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

This one looks like a painting!

Wait....there's a scary house at the end of the Movieland was museum.......???

More like a scary hallway

There's a strip club in Niagara???? Hm.....

Yup, It's called Peppermint's.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Peppermints.....I'll keep that in mind....*rubs chin with thumb and index fingers*

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Peppermints.....I'll keep that in mind....*rubs chin with thumb and index fingers*

You'll have to report back on your experience.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I went to a Medieval Festival today, it was a hoot, hilarious in so many ways. I'll try and post a few pictures later tonight.

 

[YukiPhnx]

oooh! That sounds like fun! I think the one in Kitchener/Waterloo is coming up soon. I've always wanted to go and dress up, but just don't have time to make the costume!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi Lessa sorry I have been absenyt sooo long !! Firstly I have been to Lake George and then got back to Judy having emergency surgery !! So it has been an eventful week or so !! Loved the pix of Niagara Falls . Looks like you all had a ball!!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

oooh! That sounds like fun! I think the one in Kitchener/Waterloo is coming up soon. I've always wanted to go and dress up, but just don't have time to make the costume!

It was amusing, we didn't dress up though, in fact barely any of the guests were and those that were, it was hard to tell if they were part of the show or not.

Hi Lessa sorry I have been absenyt sooo long !! Firstly I have been to Lake George and then got back to Judy having emergency surgery !! So it has been an eventful week or so !! Loved the pix of Niagara Falls . Looks like you all had a ball!!

That's okay Rosie, not much has been going on over here.

 

[Mysteria]

Fantastic report Lessa! Just had the chance to catch up.

You need your friends to join the Dis so we can hear about their part of the last night.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Fantastic report Lessa! Just had the chance to catch up.

You need your friends to join the Dis so we can hear about their part of the last night.

Well Kyah said she had fun and she is glad she had the experience but it was not really her scene. Apparently Britt got lap dances and went right up to the stage and put money in her cleavage for the dancers to take out.

 

[englishrose47]

Evening Lessa !!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

The trip to my dad's is going well so far, well, aside from the 1000's of mosquitoes that decided to make me their lunch yesterday during the hike. I have over 50 bites! Everybody else walked away with just a few, crazy! Everyone else has gone to bed so I have decided to sneak onto the computer for a few minutes.

 

[jordanyosh]

Great flower pix. I would love to visit Niagara Falls someday....