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Our hotel was in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
We decided to cross the United States of America/Canada border to visit the American Falls.
We learned from a woman sitting next to us on the People Mover that we needed all
our official documents to cross here at the Rainbow Bridge.
We went back to the car and retrieved them.
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In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on a visit to Niagara Falls dedicated the site of the Rainbow Bridge. A monument commemorating this occasion was erected on the Canadian shore.
The Niagara Gorge is 200 feet deep and approximately 1,000 feet wide. The span of this bridge is 950
feet. The water current under this bridge averages 26-30 miles per hour. The water depth is in excess of 175 feet. In one minute it is estimated that six billion pounds of water cross under the Rainbow Bridge.
The official opening of the Rainbow Bridge took place on November 1st, 1941.
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On the way across the border to New York state. Off to the right is the column-like Observation Tower
located in the Niagara Falls State Park. Two glass elevators provide access to the base of
the gorge and the boarding site of the American side Maid of the Mist boat ride. Down at the
base of the gorge you
may climb a series of stairs to the Crow’s Nest and let the spray hit you. Next you can see
the American Falls and further down the spray from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
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A good view up the river from the Rainbow Bridge. The contrast between the trees and the
sky is tough for the camera to handle. The picture's better if you enlarge it.
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This is a close up of the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Bridal Veil is the very small
torrent at the far right of the ridge of flowing water. The talus (broken rock ) at the base of the Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls reduces
the uninterrupted fall of the water to as little as 70 feet (21m).
The crest line of the Bridal Veil Falls/Luna Falls is approximately 56 feet (17m) in width.
It is located immediately South of the much larger American Falls but separated from the main
waterfalls by a thin strip of land known as Luna Island.
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Using the telephoto lens brings this view of Horseshoe Falls. I don't think
there are dust specs on the lens, rather I think what appear to be specs are birds.
Fish that fall over the falls are usually not killed, but can be stunned. They
hover near the surface for a while they recover, and birds are always on the
lookout to grab them. To the right of the falls is the Journey Behind the Falls
walkways we were on the day before.
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Below the Rainbow Bridge, Megan noticed this very small,
heretofore undiscovered and un-named falls on the
American side of the river. She named it "Meggie Falls". I hope the general
public will henceforth refer to it as such. My thanks in advance.
The cloudy white water results from supersaturated calcium carbonate dissolved in the
colder water of Meggie Falls hitting the warmer water of the Niagara River.
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