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Sunday, August 21, 2011

Being prepared for all eventualities, we all had our passports with us. We had discussed the possibility of going to Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side, if there was no reason to stay an extra day in Detroit. Leonard and Carol and her cousins had gone a couple of weeks earlier and recommended staying at the Marriott where some of the rooms had views of the Falls. So we had got a reservation for two view rooms on an upper floor and dinner in the Fallsview restaurant, and off we went. Of course, based on our experience while trying to find SLOWS and the bridge a few days earlier, we got relatively lost trying to find the bridge again as the GPS wanted us to cross via the tunnel. Eventually, we crossed the Ambassador Bridge and ended up in Windsor, Ontario. The morning started somewhat cloudy and during the early part of the drive we were fully focused on finding a route that went along the shore of Lake Erie and was not all freeway. That part of Ontario seems to act as the growing grounds for the rest of the province as there are mile after mile of large greenhouses. We stopped for our first break at a small place called Gaspard's where it was sort of communal dining. You just plunked down at a table with someone else if necessary and breakfast (eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and coffee) was $3.99. Since both the US $ and the Canadian $ are about equal right now, it is a lot easier than it has been to figure costs. We kept cutting back and forth along the coast, sometimes in light rain, and ended up at the harbor in Port Stanley, where we shared our leftovers (cheese and crackers, cold cuts, etc.) from the Dream Cruise lunch at one of the beach pavilions. There were a fair number of "sunbathers" on the beach and a full contingent of life-guards. We shared the pavilion with a trio of young mothers celebrating the birthday of one of their sons. We really enjoyed the countryside on the Canada side of the Lake, prosperous farms with beautiful gardens and lovely port towns. Eventually, we arrived in Niagara, sneaking right up on the Marriott. You have to be careful as there are 3 Marriotts on the same block and only one has the view, the Fallsview Marriott. We valet parked (not easy for Rob!) so that the cars were in a secure area overnight and checked in. As advertised, you could lay on the bed and see the Falls below you and there were oversize Jacuzzi tubs. Our first plan was to walk across the street and take the tram down to the Falls level and go see what it was like. Doug and Marilyn had their honeymoon there 48 years agao and said it had really changed. The visitor center was not even thought about at that time. As we stood looking at the Falls it started to rain and by the time we got back on the tram and up to the hotel, we were pretty wet. Well, we had a while to take a nap or a jacuzzi before dinner at 7:30pm. Dinner was very good and the service excellent and we could see the night lights on the Falls. By the time we got up to our rooms it was time for the 10pm fireworks over the Falls. Then we fell asleep with the drapes open onto the view. The next morning, the Falls were still there.

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