DAY 11 - Niagara Falls

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the world famous Niagara Falls.  

Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Ontario, Canada and New York.   From the largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls,  the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.  The Horseshoe Falls lies on the border of the United States and Canada with the American Falls entirely on the United States' border.  The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also on the United States' side.

Located on the Niagara River, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate.  Niagara Falls is such a valuable source of hydroelectric power which has created a challenge in balancing the recreational and commercial uses since the 19th. 

Up close you can feel the enormous power of the Falls by taking a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat. The original Maid of the Mist was built at near Niagara Falls on the American side of the border.  The boat was christened in 1846 as a border-crossing ferry and could carry up to 100 passengers.

The ferry did well until 1848, when the opening of a suspension bridge between the United States and Canada cut into the ferry traffic. It was then that the owners decided to make the journey a sightseeing trip, plotting a journey closer to the Falls. The current Maid of the Mist VII was built in 1997 and carries 600 passengers.

DAY 10 -Travel to Niagara Falls

Today we traveled from Montreal to Niagara Falls.   We stayed in the Doubletree Hotel.  We had an excellent dinner at the hotel with a choice of salmon or steak, followed by apple pie or chocolate cake for dessert.

Here’s a few shots of the US Border area as we entered the US.

(Backup) DAY 8 - Continued

DAY 8 - Montmorency Falls

After an uplifting visit to the Basilica, we went to the Montmorency Falls.   

Open year-round, the spectacular falls at 272 feet high are 99 feet higher than Niagara Falls.  After arriving at the lower level cable car area,  we immediately heard the roar of the rushing water which I found so energizing.  The cable car ride to the top cliff provided us with breathtaking views of the falls.  

From the top, I took the panoramic path to the first suspension bridge overlooking the Falls.   It was quite a hike for me, but I was determined to make it especially when one of the other group members, a lady who was 82, passed me on the path.    

We enjoyed a delicious late lunch at the Manoir Restaurant located a short walk from the Cable Car.

I loved Quebec and our hotel as it was located right in the heart town, within walking distance of many fine hotels and lower Quebec.   If you didn’t feel like walking, you could take the Old Quebec Funiclar railway, located less than a block from our hotel, down to the Petit Champlain shopping district. 

That evening we strolled the Governor’s Promenade behind our hotel, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, shown below.    The Promenade runs along the St. Lawrence River from behind the  Frontenac Hotel past the Citadel ending at the Plains of Abraham, a famous battlefield.   

The Promenade had many interesting attractions including the luge and canons.

Views from the Promenade 

Sunrise Tours -

Hi fellow Wanderlusters
      Wanderlust can be defined as “a deep, almost uncontrollable desire to hit the road and travel, by whatever means possible, to explore and enjoy the world.

Wanderluster so aptly describes me because in my 50 plus years of traveling all over the world I’ve been to 27 countries, 45 states and hundreds of cities. I truly have ‘wanderust’ in my heart because I love the entire process of traveling.......from the research and planning stage, to actually taking the trip and then coming home to tell all my friends and family about it.

      That’s why I’m excited to announce that I’ll once again be traveling with Sunrise Tours and Blogging about my adventures on their upcoming Creme de la Creme tour which will take us to Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal and Niagara Falls.  Check out the trip details at:  https://travelsunrise.com/saint-louis/tours/destinations/1401-2/

        On a Sunrise trip, you can be assured all your travel needs will be anticipated and met.  Each tour will cover not only the highlights of the area, but in addition, there will be ‘surpise’ treat for the tour group......like in San Francisco when we  went on an unscheduled cable car ride.

To view their complete schedule for the rest of 2018, visit their website at https://travelsunrise.com/saint-louis/tours/winter2018/