Journey Behind the Falls & Table Rock

After our nice and wet boat ride, we headed for the tram so get to Table Rock where we bought our tickets for Journey Behind the Falls.  We actually could have walked it, but that would have taken close to half an hour and plus, it was getting pretty hot. For the sake of time (and to be less sweaty), we rode the tram! Table Rock is an observation side and retail complex (i.e. "tourist trap") with an awesome view of the Falls...Check this out...

Wow! Right at the edge, eh! Here's another funny sign for those dumb enough to attempt this!

Here's more cool views at the lip of the Horseshoe Falls...

I like this shot - you can see both falls, the Rainbow Bridge and a Maid of the Mist boat!

(from wikipedia's entry on "Journey Behind the Falls"):

"Journey Behind the Falls (known until the early 1990s as the Scenic Tunnels) is an attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario located in the Table Rock Center beside the Canadian Horseshoe Falls...

Journey consists of an observation platform and series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian shore of the Niagara River. The tunnels and platform can be reached by elevators from the street level entrance. The tour is unguided ..."

Here's what could be one of our Christmas photos! Don't you just love our fabuloso yellow ponchos?

From the upper observation deck (above the 'Journey Behind the Falls' sign):

"The observation deck provides a vantage point looking up with the falls to the right, allowing photographers a full view of the famous landmark. The deck is sprayed with water from the cascade so visitors are provided with plastic raincoats prior to their descent..." (wikipedia)

It's safe to say that we also got quite soaked by this attraction!

You could see that the camera lenses were watersplashed as well...

We were so close to the edge of the Falls!

"The two tunnels extend approximately 46 metres behind the waterfall and allow visitors to view water cascading in front of the open cave entrances. Earlier in the attraction's history visitors were permitted far closer to the portals' edge to view a perspective to the sides and below the falling water. Barricades now exist further back from the ledge at the end of the tunnels to ensure visitor safety..." (wikipedia)

There are only two portals to view the Falls. I thought there would be a tunnel parallel to the waterfall itself. I guess that would have been too dangerous!

Portal 1...

Here's me and TC by one of the portals... That tunnel was pretty narrow and dank! The water was a solid curtain, totally blocking out sunlight!

Here's Bert on the lower observation deck...

Th Maid of the Mist coming through...

One last view of the Falls from Table Rock...

Can you see the rainbow?

And we're still not done with day 2! We wanted to check out a small town called Niagara on the Lake. Originally, we wanted to see this Butterfly Obsevatory and the Mackenzie Print Museum (Mackenzie was the first mayor of Toronto) but ruled against so we could get going...

[Purse notes - I busted out my Summer 2008 Tokidoki in Carnival print; style Graziosa messenger bag. It's a fun print and hasn't been seen since our anniversary lunch last year (Island Prime/C-Level and Cupcakes Squared post)! Look at the little Evil Knievel character! And the snake! And the happy popcorn!]

We loaded up in the tram back to our car in the Spanish Aero Car lot where TC got this ice cream...Itzakadoozie (what?). This was a twisted popsicle with three different fruit flavors combined. We'd never seen this type before and like most kids, she was attracted by the packaging and the look of the popsicle. Damn, it was about $3 too!!!

Ooh, you can see the multicolored zipper from my purse! Coming up...we shall take a look at this town my hair stylist recommended we check out. It was also written up in many of the guide books as a "must visit" kind of place, so yeah, we were going to go there...Niagara on the Lake!

Before we do that, here's yet another YouTube video (by someone else, not us) of Journey Behind the Falls. You can get a good feel for the tunnels and the view in this vid!