One of the things that tempted me to stop over in Toronto was the opportunity to see Niagara Falls in winter. And in hindsight, I can safely say it was one hundred per cent worth the detour for that reason alone.
Niagara Falls straddle the border between Canada and the United States, about 75 miles Southeast of Toronto. Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls – the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three, the scale of it and the power of the water rushing over the edge is impressive, to say the least. And it’s not just water that flows over the falls. Historically, there are a number of instances of people voluntarily (!) placing themselves in barrels that are then plunged over the falls. Some survived, and some didn’t.
Getting There
It’s possible to get the train from Toronto to Niagara Falls. It takes two hours but apparently, there is only one train per day. Megabus has a regular schedule of buses throughout the day which also take about two hours. The bus costs about $20 each way depending on how far in advance you book and which bus time you choose. I travelled there by car as a friend generously offered to drive us down for a day out. The journey from Toronto took about an hour or so by car and was mostly motorways so it’s fairly straightforward.
Frozen Falls
It was bright, sunny and very cold when we arrived. And the falls were surrounded by and covered in snow and ice. It was very cool to see. We got tickets for “Journey Behind the Falls”, which is basically a series of tunnels in the rock that take you down behind the Horseshoe Falls. But the viewing areas were mostly hidden behind walls of ice. Even though we couldn’t see the falls, we could definitely hear them! At other times of the year, there is a boat you can take to get a closer look at the falls and they also have zip lines. As usual, I took too many photos.
