Yesterday, after a long and exciting day, such as a helicopter sightseeing tour, some butterflies, a wonderful magical show, I woke up in a gray cold and noisy day. However, I could not find out more about the city of Niagara Falls. I got up and took a nice long shower and went downstairs for breakfast in the window of the Lane Restaurant which is a casual dining restaurant on the main floor of the Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel.
I then took a tour of the facility linked with Lisa Smith who works at the hotel. Lisa took me to a tropical courtyard that is characteristic of Cairn Croft Hotel and explained that the hotel name comes from the original owner, Cairn. Also, "Scotland" inn called "croft". Today the hotel is still owned by the family, friends of the owner hand-drawn patterns of patterns in the aisles surrounding the tropical court. Lisa points out that this hotel is the first Best Western hotel in Canada and has been widely updated in recent years. The company was founded in 1946 and was originally a link between real estate that each hotel recommends other accommodation facilities to travelers. The Best Western Hotel Chain had the only hospitality reservation system targeting all in the US and Canada until 1962.
After a long history of company growth, Best Western is today the largest hotel chain in the world, with more than 4000 hotels in about 80 countries. One of Best Western 's unique marketing proposals is that it allows high - speed Wi - Fi access at all hotels. It was deployed throughout the chain in just 8 months in 2004. From an organizational point of view, the West is unique as it is not a traditional franchise operation. The Best Western is actually operated as a non-profit membership association, each property is individually owned and each franchise acts as a member of this association and votes. Interestingly, the hotel is allowed to hold his / her identity and can hold its own independent name as part of this identity like the name of Best Western Cairn Croft.
Lisa began offering tours to me through a tropical courtyard and initially explained that the building is a U-shaped motel with an outdoor courtyard. One of the improvements to the property was the creation of a tropical environment with roofs set up on the courtyard and a hot indoor pool, exotic trees and plants, Cairn Croft completed in your favorite playground for families with young children Destination. Bourbon Street Bistro overlooks the swimming pool, offers cocktails, snacks and pizzas, and live entertainment on weekends and holidays.
The family feeling of this property is also proved by the fact that many employees have worked here for many years. Lisa said that many of the staff were here for 15 or 20 years but are rare in the hospitality industry. Customers often become repeat customers and go back in time for a special weekend in Niagara Falls. Croft Lounge is a popular Hangout on the weekend and you can enjoy karaoke, theme night, weekend dance music.
Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel has become a popular spot for weddings, especially for the bistro gazebos like the tropical courtyard and the garden next to the pool. Lisa added that this property is particularly popular with same sex couples marrying from the United States to Canada. Most of her customers have come within 3 hours, many of whom are enthusiastic golfers who want to use the rich and affordable golf course on the Niagara peninsula.
After this overview, the time has come for me to walk down the road and start a busy schedule of discovering at Niagara Falls, Ontario. I visited the Skylark tower which is the most famous landmark of Niagara Falls and started my day. Construction of the tower began in May 1964 and in 17 months the Governor of New York and Prime Minister of Ontario officially opened the tower. I entered the main floor holding several retail stores and arcades and received one of the "yellow bug" elevators. As I went up from the main level, there was a decline in both the US side and Canada side.
I went straight to the top floor housing the observatory. This indoor / outdoor observatory is the highest location in Niagara Falls, and it seems to be nearly 8,000 square miles in Canada and the United States. Scenery such as Toronto and the skyline of Buffalo can be seen from above, circular sidewalk offers panoramic view of 360 degrees. Regular signs identify various landmarks surrounding the tower.
In the center of this observatory there is a souvenir shop and you can go to the observation deck outside through a glass door. I went outside from the place where the wind was blowing, on this rather gray and chilly day. American and Canadian waterfalls, and goat islands and Niagara Falls, New York's view suddenly breathed. Just by looking at the waterfall from the air, you can clearly see the magnitude and beauty of this natural marvel.
When it got cold, I hurried back and went down the stairs and checked the rotating dining room. It must be a wonderful restaurant with colorful lighting and a colorful Niagara Falls waterfall set on stage.
I was able to know more about Niagara Falls at the next visit. Just a few minutes across the street from the Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls Imax Theater is a contemporary facility with a truly spectacular IMAX presentation. "Niagara: miracle, myth, magic". I always love the IMAX presentation and I wanted to learn more about the unique historical background of Niagara Falls.
The movie began with the legend of Maid of the Mist and dramatically produced the first sightings of Niagara Falls by 17th century European explorers. It covered the story of all kinds of Daredevil and High Wire Performance artists who began to make Niagara Falls the attraction of tourism from the early 19th century. Even the story of a 7 - year - old American boy Roger Woodward (Roger Woodward) swept over the Horseshoe waterfall of rescue clothes (the only survivor who crossed the waterfall without an escort) was told in a moving image It was.
Outside the screening room of Imax Theater there is the Daredevil Gallery. There are a number of interesting vessels in this gallery that various Daredevils used to move over the waterfalls. The most famous is a 63 - year - old school teacher, named Annie Edson Tayler, the story was also told in Imax 's movie. Participating with her cat was the first person crossing the waterfall for a public stunt in a wooden barrel cushioned with a big mattress. Unfortunately, the long-awaited public of talking about her public was not realized and she died as a poor man.
The other Daredevil dropped with metal barrels of all shapes and sizes with various results. Some people arrived unlawfully unscathed on the other side of the big cascade, others suffocated by internal injuries. It was rather creepy to see some of the actual vessels used when the attempt to cross the Falls failed. One of the most frightening exhibits is the "George Stathakis Death Barrel" which failed when passengers were confined and distorted in disturbed water behind the waterfall in 1930 in 1930. Today, such a Daredevil Stunt is actually prohibited. Those who are going to cross the Niagara Falls certainly face a large fine.
In order to continue the historical theme of Niagara Falls, the next time we watched the movie theater "Skylon The Falls 3D / 4D Movie" on the base of the Skylark Tower. Special effects include air gases, water spray, moving seats to create multi-sensory experiences of movies, and so on.
There was time to explore the Niagara Falls, but I had to get closer. So, I walked Murray Street, turned right at Niagara Parkway, and walked beside the Niagara River. The weather at this time was gray and cold, it was raining. I was happy to evacuate to the Table Rock Center (a shopping and restaurant complex located at the end of Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which is currently being refurbished). Most of the souvenir shops and fast food shops were open. I quickly had a pizza and engaging conversation quickly with my five British women in Niagara Falls to spend a pre-Christmas vacation. They seemed to have had quite a fun time in Canada, and the temperature rose while walking. Probably it was used to it.
To satisfy my hunger, I was really ready to be personal close to the waterfall. "A trip behind a waterfall" is one of the best ways to experience the true power of Niagara Falls. I got off the elevator at the table lock center on the lower floor and started my journey behind a huge waterfall. Known as "scenic tunnel" until the early 1990s, this attraction consists of two tunnels and an outdoor observatory. The tunnel dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and spreads about 46 meters behind the waterfall. I walked in a long basement corridor with orange lighting, stopped intermittently and read the wall information poster. In these exhibits we will present the history of Niagara Falls, its geology, the explanation of famous tourists including President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.
Towards the end of the tunnel there are two small side tunnels, each leading to an opening. Also, the portal provides a view from the back of the falls. One of these portals was partially covered with ice pillars and presented a perfect motif for a passionate photographer. Past visitors were able to admire the mass of water, not a few meters away, but access to the portal was blocked by metal barriers for safety reasons. The dull roar of falling water spread across the underground space and provided the idea of millions of liters of water power falling under Horseshoe Falls per second.
The statistics show why Niagara Falls is one of the wonders of the world's natural wonders: the most impressive Canadian Horseshoe Falls among the three waterfalls in Niagara Falls has a length of over 670 meters Its height is the most powerful waterfall in Niagara North America. The depth of the Niagara River under the Horse Hoe Falls is estimated at 56 meters. The straight line of the American waterfall is 253 meters. Approximately 90% of the water in the Niagara River attacks the Horseshoe Falls, the other 10% go down Canadian Falls from the American Waterfall and Bridal Veil Waterfall, away from the Canadian Waterfall, all the Guad Islands, which are uninhabited islands The point of cascade.
I reached an external observation platform that now provides an excellent side of the Horseshoe Fall curtain when they rush down the river. Tourists from all over the world enthusiastically took this unique sight. Even on this gray day the view was impressive and a cascading heavy water thunder filled the air as one fifth of the world's fresh water was dropping on the 13th floor to the river below the river .
Impressed by this natural wonder, I came back along the Niagara River and returned to my car parked in the Fallsview casino resort. I was thinking what to do next. I felt it was cold thoroughly, so I was looking for a nice place to warm up.
Niagara Falls is just a few minutes from Bird Kingdom, one of Ontario's new attractions, just a short drive from Horseshoe Falls. This tropical region is definitely trying to revive my cold bones and it will be my next stop at the discovery of Niagara Falls.
