We flew North for some cool weather. It was cooler in the mornings but surprisingly hot in the afternoons. Other than a high of 84, the weather was nice on Wednesday, it would not stay this way. I woke up to a tropical storm heading North towards Maine and a front Heading East towards us. We were about to get squeezed in between.
The planned Friday flight from Niagara to New Hampshire and it was looking like it would be marginal weather at best and possibly hard IFR at worst. Our destination does not have great approaches with low minimums so it was possible we might not be able to safely arrive. The lowest only goes to 433', which I understood when I saw all the tall rocks around the runway.
We decided we would change our plans and go to New Hampshire Thursday. This condensed our travel plans a bit but we were able to improves, adapt and overcome. We made up for the reduced time by sleeping late before heading to Buffalo to see Lake Erie. While we had seen it the day before, I once again had to put my finger in just because. This was my third lake to touch, Superior and Huron were already done. As expected the water was cold but not frigid, mid 60s.
From there we drove about an hour to Letchworth State Park which is home to some great waterfalls. Yes we had Niagara Falls which really steal the show in New York but these were quite renowned as well. So we had to go see them and we also wanted to get a feel for this part of the country.
The terrain is beautiful. The leaves were changing and the rolling hills are quite scenic. The cities and the structures, especially around Buffalo are a bit bland. Most seemed old and many were in poor shape. It may be the harsh climate but I am not a fan of the architecture. The town of Niagara Falls also seemed poorly kept up and while I expected that touristy vibe, I expected a brighter, cleaner presence.
Letchworth state park was very nice and well kept. We started at the upper falls and walked a pretty challenging, as in lots of steps, and a sloped trail to see the upper falls. We then drove on to an easier trail to see the mid falls which were actually more impressive. We also learned that after we walked down and up, we could have accessed the views easier by doing a bit more driving. If only I had studied the map a bit.
After the mid falls, we stopped at Inspiration point and were mildly inspired. It is a nice view. The final stop in the park was to view the gorge and watch the hawks and vultures fly. The drive home was nice but we were getting hungry. There is not a lot out there in the way of fine dining or dining in general. I don't think rural New Yorkers get out much. In the end we stopped at a gas station and took a chance on gas station food.
I bought a sandwich which was surprisingly fresh and tasty. We also got some nice cheese puffs and sodas. This sustenance gave us the strength to make it back to the hotel. Where we snacked on lounge food before our last item on our list which was to visit Canada. Yes we had flown over but now it was time to go there.
The border tracker site said the wait to get to the USA was 25-30 minutes. Not wanting to deal with the traffic and parking in Canada, we decided to walk. Yes you can walk to Canada. Our hotel was 2 blocks from the Rainbow bridge. We double checked that we had our passports and set out. At the bridge there is a sign pointing to the pedestrian walkway. We went through the gates and soon crossed mid river into Canada. The bridge has a unique view that was worth the walk.
The entry to Canada was quick. We were asked a bunch of questions like whether we had brought any weapons. As Americans, they likely thought it odd that we said no. My favorite was how long we would stay, I said maybe an hour and twenty minutes. My guess is this not such an unusual reply.
Inside Canada, we walked the river and got much better views of the falls. The Canada side is much better kept with lots of flowers and a fresher, cleaner look. The Canadians have the better views of the falls too because of the geography. On the USA side you are looking from the edge. In Canada you look directly at them.
After viewing the falls we walked about the touristy area and then bought a milkshake which we intended to import back to the USA. Returning we each paid the $1 fee to get back across. It is rather odd. You need 4 quarters so you put a $ in the change machine and then feed the turnstiles the quarters. You would think the turnstiles could take $s and save a step.
Arriving back to the USA, we were directed to window nine where a nice officer let us in. We chatted a bit with him and this ended up confusing another officer as we were directed to leave and the second officer told us to stop and that we needed to go through passport control. Luckily officer at desk nine vouched for us and we were let free. After a quick dinner and clean up, we had one more activity. Last night we heard fireworks and I Googled it. In addition to nicer views, our neighbors put on nightly fireworks. At least until October 9th.
This time we drove the 2 blocks to Niagara park and arrived 20 minutes early at 9:40. I thought we were way too early but most of the people were already there. The falls were lit in red, white and blue, again courtesy of our neighbors. At 10 sharp the fireworks began. They were smaller than some but s we were very close so it was a great show. It was short, about 5 minute and after the finale we scooted and drove back to the hotel to prep for our morning departure.
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