Niagara Trip Highlights--Day 6

As our final day of the trip began, we were once again spoiled by having our bags taken to the bus by the hotel staff.

Before we left, several members of our group shopped a bit at the Goodwill Store just across from the Hotel. I believe there were a few bargains to be found!

As we drove from Millersburg, Ohio to Richmond, IN, we had to take a short detour because of a wreck on the Interstate. Thank goodness for good communications that alerted our bus driver of a delay that may have been lengthy. The meal at The Firehouse BBQ and Blues Restaurant was delicious and worth the wait. This building was the home of Richmond's first Firehouse back in the 1800's, and much of the original architecture has been preserved. 

Barstools on top of fireplugs is just one example of that preservation!

Then it was back on the bus for the final leg of our journey.

We couldn't let anyone get off the bus until we expressed our thanks to Carol for all the work she did in organizing this great trip!

 Janet Burnett made sure she did not forget the Ice House Winery by presenting a special wine and carrying case on behalf of the group. Carol, we do truly appreciate all the work you put into this for the enjoyment of those who participate!

             

And here we are in front of the beautiful floral clock. Those who attended were (in no particular order in the photo): Lois and Jimmy Smith, Carol and Glennon Schlitt, Karen Barker, Martha Speir, Janet Burnett, Sheila Grebel-Kertz, Kathy and Joe Harrison, Joy and Chuck Richey, Ruby and Rick Lingle, Nancy and Larry Perkins, Jody Talick, Karen Surber, Cheryl Benavidez, Diane and Dale Peach, Debbie McClelland, Cyndi Westjohn, Pam and Gary Slack, Mary and Terry Clark, Patti and Mike Faughn.

Niagara Trip Highlights--Day 5

This was our view from the hotel as we prepared to leave Niagara and the Falls area. It was a beautiful sunrise coming up through the mist of the Falls!

It wasn't too long until we were
back in the US and headed south to Cleveland Ohio. We had to get off the bus to go through customs in the US--which we didn't have to do in Canada. It was pretty un-eventful both times, though.

 Our next attraction was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. We had lunch there and toured the museum. From Elvis, to the Beatles--and lots more both past and present, we were able to see and hear about musicians, bands, producers, and others who have influenced the history of Rock & Roll. And the Hall of Fame is located on the shore of Lake Erie. There was a beautiful view of the lake!

Another item of interest was Johnny Cash's tour bus (J.C. Unit one) that was parked outside the museum. It was interesting to walk through it and see the furnishings of the time.

After leaving Cleveland, we headed to Wooster, Ohio to the
"Everything Rubbermaid" Store. There were four floors of shopping opportunities, so lots of us found things we thought we couldn't live without.

After Wooster came Millersburg, Ohio. Jonas and Edna, our Amish guides for the evening, joined us on the bus as we drove out to the country for dinner at an Amish home. The meal provided by Peggy Stutzman and her helpers was delicious! We learned about Amish customs in that area--which seemed to be a thriving community.                                      

 Everyone enjoyed the meal, and we even had a couple of other tourists join our group. Then it was back to the hotel.  Once again--no-one went to bed hungry!

Niagara Trip Highlights--Day 4

Sooooo-now we begin the short afternoons and long evenings. And not a thing we can do about it! Oh well. Back to the trip.

After a great day at Niagara Falls we began with a beautiful scenic trip to Niagara-On-The-Lake. It is a Canadian town in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.

We took a walking tour, and had a guide who told us lots of interesting history. It was once the capitol of  Ontario, was a refuge for British loyalists fleeing the US after the Revolutionary War, and was the scene of a bloody battle during the War of  1812. It was also burned to the ground by American troops during that war, but was re-built by some very loyal citizens.
                                    

If you look very closely at the photo of Lake Ontario you can see some small white buildings in the distance. This is a point where swimmers try to make it across to Toronto--similar to swimming the English Channel. It is about 32 miles--depending on how the currents affect the swimmer.

The vegetation was extremely beautiful when we were there. We were told that it was at its best of the season--and that it could be killed by frost very soon.

After the walking tour we had a little time for shopping or lunch--which we really didn't need! Then it was time for High Tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel. The horses and carriages lined up on the side of it were waiting to take people on tours of the town. The tourism group there has really worked hard to keep its old time charm alive!



High Tea in the Drawing Room of the Hotel was wonderful! We were served scones, sandwiches, and elegant desserts too numerous to mention along with our tea. As you can see in the photo below, Ruby, Rick, Janet, Glennon, Sheila, Nancy, Larry, Diane, and Dale certainly seem to be enjoying themselves.

Niagara-On-The-Lake is in wine country. We were a bit surprised to learn that grapes can flourish that far north, but were told that all the water from the lakes tends to make the climate more moderate. However, it also provides the opportunity to let grapes freeze on the vine before they are harvested. Then they are processed while they are still frozen and made into ice wine slushies. Looks like several members of our group were interested in the sampling! I believe some purchases also made it back to Illinois.

                                                                             

After a brief stop at our hotel, we went to dinner at the Skylon Tower. We enjoyed another spectacular view of all the Falls from the revolving restaurant 775 feet above the ground. Yes, we rode the elevator to the top in 52 seconds--even though a few were a little skeptical. After dinner we walked up to the observation deck of Skylon to see fireworks over the Falls--a real treat for sure!

Niagara Trip Highlights--Day 3 (After the Falls)

Our last view of the Niagara River Gorge was the Niagara Whirlpool. It formed at the end of the Rapids where the Gorge turns abruptly counterclockwise, and the river escapes through the narrowest channel in the Gorge. The whirlpool is over 4,000 years old and 125 ft. deep. Most of the time the water spins counterclockwise. I believe our guide said that the Falls had retreated 7 miles from this point over thousands of years.


The next stop was the Floral Clock of Niagara Park. It is maintained by the Niagara Park Horticulture staff and is changed twice per year. Thousands of different bedding plants make up the design--which is different each time. We decided this was the perfect spot for our group photo. Everyone will be identified later. Another point mentioned by our guide several times was that we were very lucky to have a warm sunny day in October for our tour. The weather was perfect!

                              
A surprise stop was the Welland Canal that connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It forms a key section of the St. Lawrence Seaway and allows ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment so they can bypass Niagara Falls. Approximately 40 million tons of cargo on 3,000 ships pass through the canal each year. It didn't take long for the ship on the left to be raised out of the water and ready to pass on to the next lock. However, the total journey through eight locks takes about 11 hours. Ships are raised 326 feet.

After a brief stop at our hotel--and more time to enjoy the amazing view of the Falls, we were off to the Oh Canada Eh?dinner theater. A five course meal was served by the wait staff--who were also the entertainers. They presented a humorous, musical Canadian show that paid tribute to 30 of Canada's most famous recording artists. It was a very enjoyable evening! Chuck Richey had an especially good time when
one of the performers decided to
pay him some special attention! Maybe he was just a little red-faced? Hard to tell because the photo was too close!  Oh Canada Eh? has been voted Niagara Falls' tourism attraction of the year seven times.

What else is there to say? The whole day was great!