What a Tour!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

What a Tour!

It was cold last night; very cold. I spent a few hours in the middle of the night wondering what I could do to get warm. When I looked at the clock it was 2:55am. The next thing I knew was that Tom was crawling out of bed and getting his shaving kit to go to the wash house. I looked at the clock; it was 5:45am. I called to him, “You can’t go to the wash house now. They don’t unlock it until 6am.” “Ooooh,” came the disappointed answer. “I just thought I’d get a head start on the day.” He turned the heat on and crawled back into bed for 15 minutes.

Temperature outside was about 30 degrees. Temperature inside was about 42 degrees. I felt bad for the people who spent the night in a tent.

We went to the shower house, which feels just a tad bit warmer than the restroom. There is no heat in either room but the construction of the shower house just makes you feel warmer. I think it was newly reconstructed in order to conform to the ADA law. There is a “handicap” bathroom in there with ample room for a wheel chair but not a grab bar in sight. Don’t know how anyone could transfer herself from her wheelchair to the toilet or vice versa. I assume that the men’s room is the same. There is no designated handicap shower or any shower with the correct equipment for a handicap person to take a shower. There is a ramp up to the outside door to remove the step up, but that’s all. Although the sinks are high enough to get a wheelchair under them I think the sinks are on top of a box-like construction where a person’s feet can approach the sink but that’s all the further a person in a wheelchair can go. geesh! The restrooms are just a plain old cinder block construction painted to make you feel better.

Through the rain (yes, again) I canhear first the fireworks and then the canon fire. Tonight the Canadians and the Americans are having a re-enactment of the battle, during the War of 1812, with the British for the land which is now Niagara Falls, Canada and Niagara Falls, NY. I think it is the entire weekend that the “soldiers” will be in the Park in Niagara Falls, Canada, with their tents and what-not. That would be neat to see. I have two friends (Hi, Martin and Andrew!) who participate in Civil War re-enactments, more so Martin than Andrew.

Today was the day that we were to take the tour on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We were told yesterday that the tour was to start at 8:30 but be at the tour office a few minutes early. On our way to the tour office we were told by the man who works in the campground office that the tour would start at 8:50. By the time we arrived at the tour office the man who works at the campground office had already told the tour agent, who was different from the person we bought the tours from yesterday, that we thought the tour was to start at 8:30. He apologized and told us that the tour started at 8:50 and they always have. At 8:30 another couple, Vince and Laura, showed up expecting an 8:30 tour start. So we four waited together until the bus arrived at 8:50. It turned out that we were the only ones on this tour on a 24 passenger bus! …Which was great for us.

The bus driver’s name was Martha and she was very knowledgeable as to the facts on both sides of the Niagara River. From the time we left the campground she told us about the things we were seeing and what roads we were on. I’m sorry that she will not be our driver tomorrow. She had dates and names down so pat. She even told us how to avoid the tourist traps, except for the one she delivered us to in order to use the “wash room” (Canadian term for “restroom) before the Maid of the Mist ride for our tour mates and the Skylon Tower ride and view for us, because we will get the Maid of the Mist ride tomorrow. She told us what to expect at the border crossing (open your passport to your picture and hold it up) and how to act (don’t kid with the agents). We got to walk behind the Falls, see the Giant Whirlpool, the Botanical Gardens and the floral clock. The clock is designed new each year and created and planted by the students of the horticultural school on the grounds of the park. There were pictures of the designs of the clock for each year from 1950 to 2007 in the base of the clock. The falls were awesome from every viewing perspective we had.

We got back to the campground a little after 2pm, which wasn’t bad timing for a 4-hour tour. I think a lot of the extra time was added as we waited, and waited and waited some more outside of the customs office just after we crossed the bridge into NY. After at least 10 minutes an agent came to the bus, collected our passports, took them to scan them and then brought them back. We were free. Once at the campground Martha drove around and let us off at our respective RVs. It was good to be home, but not for long.

We went out to find a restaurant for breakfast tomorrow, find the church and stop at Target to buy a few things we needed. Then back to the trailer and crashed.

The rain started just as we were coming out of Target and has continued for the most part since then.  I think the weather forecast says it is supposed to be showers tonight, but so far the rain has not stopped long enough even to run to the restroom and back without an umbrella.
I feel very tired tonight. It’s not supposed to be as cold as it was last night. I hope not. When I get tired I get cold, and I don’t need a cold temperature on top of being tired. Right now, at 8:30pm, it is 45 degrees outside.