Niagara Falls Fun - Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls Canada

Can you believe in less than 4 weeks it’s Labour Day? Where did the summer go?

If you haven’t had a chance to get away for a few days this summer it’s time to start planning. Quite often I’m asked, “As someone who lives in Niagara, how would you spend two days here?”

Assuming I was coming from Toronto for a 2 day getaway, as a couple or with family, my itinerary would look something like this:

Not being an early riser, I would arrive in Niagara Falls around noon and would stay at the Comfort Inn on Clifton Hill of course. While check in isn’t until 2PM,  the bell desk will store my bags and we  would grab a quick bite to eat at Tim Hortons or Wendy’s.

Then it would be off to the Whirlpool Jet Boats in Queenston or simply stroll to the bottom of Clifton Hill for a ride on the Maid of the Mist. The refreshing coolness of being on the water, accompanied by splashing waves on the Jet Boat or the Falls bellowing mist while sailing on the Maid, is sure to wake you up after the drive to Niagara and lunch. Either way, its way more fun than a shower!

Next it’s off to the Niagara Glen across from the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens. Taking the staircase down into the Glen, you will feel like you are entering a different world. It feels like the temperature drops 10 degrees as you hike the trails of the Glen at your own speed. You can get right up to the river at this point sitting on the rocks you can wave at the Jet Boat as it comes and goes out of the whirlpool.

The next part of my day would be either exploring the fruit belt, between Queenston and Niagara-on-the–Lake, stocking up on fresh fruit for later, or stopping at a winery or two for gourmet wine samples.

Then it’s back to the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill for check–in and to relax for an hour to recharge and get ready for a fun filled night on Clifton Hill! Before dinner we’d pick up our Fun Passes at the SkyWheel, then enjoy a delicious meal at Kelsey’s, with its prime view of either Clifton Hill or Victoria Ave from its open air patios and great food at reasonable prices!

Then with Fun Pass in hand, it’s off to let loose on The Hill! The Clifton Hill Fun Pass is the best deal in town, 5 of the top attractions in the city plus Great Canadian Midway tokens for $24.95 is less than $5 for each attraction. The Skywheel is spectacular at night as is Dinosaur Adventure Golf; They set the stage for a fun-filled evening the whole family can enjoy.

Clifton Hill is still hopping right into the wee hours of the morning, and is a great place to end the evening with a night cap at Boston Pizza / Strike Rock and Bowl.

The next morning would start with a satisfying breakfast provided free with your hotel room at the Comfort Inn. Then we would either take a stroll down to the Falls or if we had purchased the Marineland package as part of our hotel stay it would be off to Marineland for the day.

Then it’s homeward bound after enjoying a great mix of excitement and relaxation for 2 days. The combination of great deals and free activities makes this trip affordable as well as fun for couples or families.

That’s how I would spend a two day getaway in Niagara Falls.

How would you spend your two day getaway to Niagara?

Harry Houdini’s 137th birthday has been marked by todays Google Doodle
March 24, 2011

The Google Doodle features a vaudeville style banner of the escape artist holding a chain around his neck.

The Hungarian-born magician and illusionist found fame with his sensational escape acts, some of which included stunts and movies set in Niagara Falls!

The Man From Beyond
Below is a harrowing scene from the 1922 movie “The Man From Beyond” which features Harry Houdini coming perilously close to the edge of Niagara Falls in a rescue attempt.

Here is some very rare footage of Harry Houdini suspended 40 feet in the air, escaping from a straight jacket, in front of Niagara Falls.

James Randi straight jacket escape over Niagara Falls
Related to this, here is a video of James Randi, the famous escape artist doing his straight jacket escape while being suspended over Niagara Falls.

The Houdini Magical Hall of Fame – Niagara Falls, Canada
Houdini was also honored with a museum in Niagara Falls by enthusiast: Sidney Radner. In 1968 The Houdini Magical Hall of Fame was opened on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. At its opening, this museum contained the majority of Houdini’s personal collection of magic paraphernalia. One of Houdini’s death wishes was that his entire collection be given to his brother Theodore (also known as the magician Hardeen) and burned upon Theodore’s death. Against his wishes, forty years after Houdini’s death, the items were taken from storage and sold. Radner and his partner purchased the items and renovated a former meat-packing plant on Clifton Hill, Ontario, Canada, to house the museum. The Hall of Fame was moved in 1972 to its final location on the top of Clifton Hill. Séances were held every year at the museum on October 31, the anniversary of Houdini’s death. A fire destroyed the museum on April 30, 1995. (Source: Wikipedia)

Below is a video tour on the late Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada. Shot in 1992.

Magician Tom Interval visited the Museum in 81′ and 85′ and posted his photos here:
Photo gallery of the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame

Courtesy of Tom Interval - http://www.intervalmagic.com

Flickr Album of Dry Niagara Falls by wbryan:

Dewatering American Falls- 1969 Source: Niagara Frontier

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Buffalo District was tasked with the dewatering of the American Falls project in 1969.

The Albert Elia Construction Company of Niagara Falls, New York was awarded a $445,412 contract to build and remove a 600 foot (183m) cofferdam from the mainland to the head of Goat Island in order to divert the water from the American channel. In addition, they were required to clean the surface of the river bed, scale loose rock from the face of the Falls, and install a water spray system. (more…)

Printed originally in the Review August 26, 2009

GO Train passengers average 1,500 a day
Ridership passed 30,000 mark last weekend, figures show
Posted By Corey Larocque

Nearly 2,700 passengers rode GO Transit’s Niagara-Toronto train last weekend, slightly below the 1,500-a-day average for the new summer service.

There were 1,433 passengers on Saturday and 1,264 on Sunday, according to figures released this week by the provincial transit agency. (more…)

Originally Printed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Niagara Falls: Canadian side overflows with kitsch kitsch
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Stories by Dennis Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NIAGARA FALLS, Canada — Niagara Falls spills 750,000 gallons of water per second down a 167-foot drop in a roar that began when glaciers melted 10,000 years ago.

Tourists come by the millions, stare into the white mist, and marvel at one of the wonders of the world. Then they have wonders of their own: What to do next?

As Nick Ramunno, who oversees a hall full of wax rock stars there for the staring at, puts it: “You need something else besides the Falls. You can only look at the Falls so long.”

That’s when it’s time to climb Clifton Hill.

There is no compromising with Clifton Hill. Either you recoil in horror at the noise, lights, crowds, smells, outsize waffle cones and howling fright houses or you give yourself over to the Great Spirit of Kitsch that has pervaded since the days hotel owners shanghaied each other’s guests at the train station and shook them down for trips to the bottom of the Falls. (Read more…)

Originally printed by EnvironmentalGraffiti.com

The Daredevils of Niagara Falls

Daredevils, lunatics, call them what you will; there’s one thing that unites those folks who attempted the tightrope-walking or barrel-riding stunts that got them dicing with the Grim Reaper: an irrepressible urge to stand out from the crowd. Niagara Falls was their stage, and they intended to fill the show with rapturous applause, even if it meant bringing the curtain down for the final time. These were no pseudo-mystical David Blaine types either; they were regular guys and gals with old school style, their feats now frozen in hues of black and white. Let’s turn our gaze on five of the most legendary daredevils who braved the dangers of these famous American falls.

Click here to continue reading and to see some great historical daredevil photos

Originally printed by the Review, Sun, July 26, 2009

Battle of Lundy’s Lane marks 195 years
Preserving our history
Posted By TONY RICCIUTO Review Staff Writer

It’s been 195 years since the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, but that important time in our history continues to be kept alive by those who show up every year to pay their respects at Drummond Hill Cemetery.

This was the place where the American invasion was finally brought to a halt after two years of fighting on July 25, 1814. Click here to read more and to watch a video

Originally printed by Examiner.com

On this day in NY history: Daredevil crossed Niagara Falls by tightrope, considered a trailblazer

June 30, 1859

One hundred and fifty years ago today, Niagara Falls was jammed with people. The excited crowd of 5,000 waited to see an astonishing feat. A French acrobat, “The Great Blondin,” was about to attempt to be the first man to cross the Falls by tightrope. Blondin, a slightly built man, appeared. He wore a bright purple velvet tunic, white silk pantaloons and white shoes. He carried a long, narrow pole. The crowd held its breath as he stepped out onto the rope (more…)

Originally printed by the Review – May 23, 2009

Oh no, Yoko: John Lennon’s widow sends her regrets
By COREY LAROCQUE , REVIEW STAFF WRITER

Yoko Ono won’t visit Niagara Falls to mark the 40th anniversary of her honeymoon to Niagara Falls with John Lennon, but the widow of the late Beatle is sending rarely seen footage of their visit instead.

“We’ll have exclusive stuff,” said Bill Colclough, a public programmer at the Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum, who is organizing a musical celebration in honour of what he considers one of the most famous couples to honeymoon here.

“But she is sending 10 minutes of footage. It’s a DVD. It’s 10 minutes of whatever they were doing when they were here,” Colclough said. (more…)

As reported in the Review

MAN SURVIVES PLUNGE OVER FALLS: CLICK TO SEE VIDEO
Firefighters and helicopter pilot bring man to shore
Posted By Corey Larocque

After surviving the 188-foot plunge over the Horseshoe Falls, an unidentified man swam in the icy water of the Niagara River for about 30 minutes while rescuers raced against the clock to get him out.

“If it had gone on a couple minutes more, he would have sunk beneath the water,” said Niagara Parks Police Sgt. Chris Gallagher.

It’s believed to be the third time a person has survived going over the falls without some kind of protection, like a barrel.

Police, firefighters, paramedics and a private helicopter pilot worked for about 45 minutes to save the man who went into the water above the falls but stayed afloat in the lower river. He clung to a log at times, and was swimming in the near-freezing water while rescuers prepared on shore.

Click here to watch video of the rescue and continue reading