Niagara Falls, Campfire recording, La Fin du Monde and Dr. Ruth

Greetings!

Ummmm, so there is SO much to say about the last few days… WOO! I don’t really know where to start. Guess I’ll just start from the end of my last entry and end with TONIGHT…

So, yeah – I got to see Niagara Falls!! YAY! I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. There’s a spot, right next to the rail on the Canadian side of the falls, where you can watch the water pour over the edge. I could totally stay there for HOURS and watch that water… Mesmerizing…

The day we went was completely beautiful - Hot, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. We did, however, take a short detour getting down to the actual falls area as we were stuck in the clutches of SKYLON. Think ‘Logan’s Run’… We ended up parking in the Skylon parking lot (a giant, concrete, Space Needle-like structure across the street from the falls. Niagara Falls is a very touristy, resort destination and Skylon fits completely within this scheme…) It took us quite a bit of time to figure out how to exit the Skylon complex. It seemed like they made the parking lot purposefully complicated in order to keep tourists inside the Skylon premises. (“Moving to Security Alert, Skylon 5. We have detected a runner in level 7. Sandman to Level 7, please.”) Ooo – but we DID get to see a guy tightrope walking from hotel to hotel!!! It was SO amazing!!! And they had to be at LEAST 50 story buildings!!! And they weren’t exactly close to one another! It was truly crazy…

ANYhoo - After we finally got OUT of the Skylon complex, we went and found someplace to get a quick bite. We ended up in a nice restaurant that had a GREAT view of the falls. We even got misted from the falls while we sat out on the deck to eat! Very cool… The only thing odd about our lunch was that we found ourselves subjected to a very odd mix of 80s classic rock. (Oh man, the 80s are classic rock now. Sigh...) And not only was it a very ODD mix, but we were forced to listen to it on a LOOP! ACK! We didn’t hang out for that long at the restaurant… Well, long enough to enjoy our beer and food, of course!

After we ate, we went down to the ‘Journey Behind the Falls’ area. It’s a walking tour based on the exploration of tunnels that were dug behind the falls in 1903. Basically, you don an obnoxious, yellow rain coat and take an elevator down to the bowels of the area behind the falls. Then, you get to walk through the tunnels and end up at strategic times actually BEHIND the falls. It’s so cool to stand there and watch the water pouring out in front of you. It’s SO loud! We got a lot of great photo and video footage of everything… Very cool… Yeah, and they even got me with the yellow rain coat on backwards! Hey – you have to pull it over your head and I was in a hurry – So WHAT if I put it on wrong… :P But those raincoats really were a necessary evil – You get crazy wet hanging out watching the falls!!

After we snaked through the tunnels for a while, we headed for the tacky souvenir shops. Kick ass!!! And yeah – some groovy items we did indeed find!! And some of you have already been privy to our bounty… Enjoy!

On the way back to SKYLON, we stopped and were mesmerized by the falls again and then we trudged back to the steely, grey grip of our master, SKYLON. Sigh… Our day pass off the premises was up… SKYLON, we’re comin’ home.

We arrived at Niagara Falls, by the way, by the good graces of the lovely, Tracy. I gotta give it up to Tracy – she drove us all over the countryside!!! And back and forth to Niagara Falls… Very cool. :) We ended our trip by stopping at the Philly and the Firkin for a final few pints before I was to leave. Sigh…

After hangin’ at the pub for a while, we headed back to the lake. We still had to record the ‘super secret hidden track’! WOO!

Okay – and with that, I must bid you adieu. I had FULL intent of finishing this entry when I started, but crap – I’m just plain tired. The last few nights have been a bit wonky for sleep and since I have to be back in full force at work tomorrow, I GOTS ta go to bed!
And contemplate the very amusing evening that I just had involving pasta, La Fin du Monde, my friends and Dr. Ruth… Alllllll shall be revealed!! Hehehehheheahahehehehh

Sigh… but before I go, I have this to say: I am both happy to be back in Seattle AND incredibly sad to be back. I am happy to see all the people I care about here at home, but I am also SO sad to not be waking up in my new, Toronto home… But I guess it’s good to have family in several parts of the world – Always a place to call home, I guess. :)

And to my Toronto family… I’m so ronery… SO ronery…

Take care and I’ll write more tomorrow!!

- Vibra Girl ™