Niagara Gorge at Low Water

I always try to go to a few of the hikes organized by the New York State Parks Department. 

Morgan at the Whirlpool

The NYS Parks Department works really hard to get these hikes together and I'm so thankful they do.

Me and My Shadow :) in the early sun

I always learn something new. Like the fact that at this time of year, so much water is diverted for power that the whirpool no longer exists at the bend. It's still a great spot, even without the swirling whirlpool.

Especially on a day like this one.

And although I've hiked this gorge many times, it never ceases to amaze me all the hidden treasure I somehow missed the last time through. 

This time around I learned that one of the workers engraved the year along the pathway beyond the whirlpool flats.  Keep your eyes open next time you hike that ledge and see if you can find it.  Pretty cool.

And we came along these remnants of a by-gone era:

Heaps and Heaps of cast off hardware from a long gone factory that was at the top of the gorge some time ago.  All melded together.  Forever.

Pure Art if you ask me.  Fascinating.  As mezmerizing as those rapids.  The more you look, the more you see.

 

Very Cool Indeed.

Niagara River

With all the hot and ridiculously humid weather we have been experiencing here, nothing beats being on our boat.

We have quite a few boating choices around here, but my favorite place to go is the Niagara River, between Lewiston and Lake Ontario.  Fort Niagara State Park, located at the tip of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River merge, has a great boat launch. 

After motoring up river to Lewiston, we cut the engine and let the drift push us back to the Lake. 

This is where we start drifting.  Here's a view up river, with the States on the right and Canada on the left. That's the Lewiston-Queenston bridge, with the Power Plant hugging the bank beyond that on the right.

Any further than this point on the River, makes me a bit nervous.  The swirling rapids become more and more intense.  I only venture up to that part of the river on one of these big boys:

While boating in the River on the 4th of July we came across this patriotic group of tubers.  Ah yes, to be young (and foolish?) again! 

They had been stuck in an eddy for about 20 minutes and as we went by them, they asked us for a tow back out into the drift.  We were happy to oblige.  Of course, the mother in me then worried about them the rest of the day!  Yep, guess I'm 'old'.

After we get to Lake Ontario, I always like to head east a bit to see the grounds of Fort Niagara.  Just so happens they were having a re-enactment weekend, so there was all sorts of activity going on.  It's an amazing place.

This is a picture of the building that houses the kitchen.  It's my favorite building on the grounds.

Stay cool - get wet!