Credit Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation
While the mention of “Niagara Falls” – a prime destination for intrepid world explorers, starry-eyed honeymooners and notorious daredevils, alike – invariably summons magnificent postcard images of thunderous cascades of millions of gallons of verdant green water eternally plummeting over the famous trio of ever-spectacular, rainbow-arced, mist shrouded falls, groups on a comprehensive Niagara Falls adventure-quest will also want to visit the quaint, nearby town of the same name as well as the surrounding history-and-landmark-rich region.
The iconic Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation more than 12,000 years ago – the same forces that shaped the legendary North American Great Lakes and the powerful Niagara River. All were carved from the Earth by a massive continental ice sheet that passed through the area, deepening some river channels to form huge lakes, and damming others with endless tons of debris; modern scientists argue that there is an old valley, buried by glacial drift, at the approximate location of Welland Canal. The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as a potential source of reliable, affordable power; the earliest known effort to harness the raging waters into useful submission was in 1759, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the Falls to power his sawmill.
Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from the falls, affords eager visitors the closest view of the falls and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians; Whirlpool Rapids Bridge lies one mile north of the Rainbow Bridge and is the oldest bridge over the Niagara River. A plethora of intriguing points of historical interest will ensure travelers on Upstate hiatus a gloriously enlightened getaway, while scores of fabulous area attractions including miles of scenic hiking and biking trails, a variety of exciting personalized tours by land, water and air, wet and wild white water adventures and leisurely cruises afford the adventurous explorers and history buffs as well as the dedicated hedonists in your group a perfectly personalized Niagara Falls stay-cation!
