River Walk

Joy and I spent the heat of the afternoon walking along the sunken river walk. Joy’s friend Carrie directed us to Boudro’s on the walk, where we had the best guacamole of our lives. The steak was delicious, but the guacamole was only topped by the double chocolate brownie. The guacamole recipe is available on their website.

Canadian River Walk

After an easy passport control check, we went straight to Skylon Tower for the best view of the falls. Two ferries take passengers into the mists of the falls, one from the American side and a sister from the Canadian side. We walked along the riverside after riding up the tower, and spent the evening touring the city looking for dinner.

Niagara Falls, New York

The American side of the falls feels like a tourist trap. The main attraction consists of a large state park and the concrete jungle of junk shops that abut it. The roar of the falls amazes bystanders, and visitors get very close on the American side.

Posing next to the statue of my hero, Nicola Tesla, made one of the highlights of my park visit.

Night Lights

We tarried on the Canadian side of the falls in expectation of the show. As night fell, giant spotlights blazed forth across the river. The ever-changing red, white and blue colors made for a very patriotic display, for an American at least.

Riverfront

Our first night in town we ate in the trendy Station Square shopping district. After dinner, we meandered through downtown, looking at facades of skyscrapers, churches, banks and theaters, crossing two bridges on our walk back to the hotel.

The Steelers

I wanted to see a pro football game. Pre-season tickets can be had for a reasonable price, so we took a trip to Pittsburgh to see the Steelers play. All sorts of watercraft moved along the river or moored alongside the stadium. We spent the day enjoying parks and historical sites along the river, then crossed a bridge and ate dinner in a local restaurant near the sports complexes. The sun slid behind Mt Washington as we joined the river of fans flowing toward the stadium.

Round Tower

The view from the top of the Round Tower rivals that of St. Paul’s in London. Built to house an astronomical observatory as part of the new university, it still has a telescope at the top. The coolest feature is the spiral staircase, which winds around the inside of the tower in place of a stairway.

A Cold Walk

The temperature was low and the breeze was strong on that October morning. We bundled up as much as we could. We walked from one end to the other, passing rapellers waiting to take their own trip down.

It’s Big

The catwalk is high above the river below, and stretches 3/5 mile across the gorge.

BASE Jumping

The big deal at Bridge Day each year is BASE jumping. Over 800 jumps were made this year. We got to see jumps from the roadway, the catwalk, and the river below. It is incredible to see a person falling and hear the snap of the parachute opening from 50 feet away.

]]> http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/west-virginia/bridge-day/feed/ 0 46 http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/illionois/downtown-chicago/ http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/illionois/downtown-chicago/#respond Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:31:16 +0000 http://blog.rjnuckolls.com/?p=29

Downtown

We parked downtown and dined at the Hard Rock Cafe. As evening approached, we walked across bridges and past storefronts to the Sears Tower. Skyscrapers were invented in Chicago, and many fine examples are on display.

Visitors

We rode the elevator to the observation deck of the Sears Tower as the sun was setting. It was a quiet weekday so there were not as many people. We walked around and around, watching the sun set on the buildings below and looking out over the lake. The 103rd floor was closed, so we stopped at the 99th. There was a gift shop.

From Above

The view of the city is amazing, almost unreal. The height makes the other buildings seem like toys on a stage just the other side of the glass. Never was the directionality of the day’s last rays made so clear as the orange glow on the high-rises showed. The sun dropped to the horizon as we walked around the tower. We stayed until dark. I was amazed to see bugs on the windows.

Newsroom

We strolled past the ABC studio as they were preparing for the 10:00 newscast. The have a really cool twisted LED display on the wall in front of the studio, and glass windows revealing the newsroom.

]]> http://www.rjnuckolls.com/north-america/illionois/downtown-chicago/feed/ 0 29 http://www.rjnuckolls.com/europe/britain/leeds-castle/ http://www.rjnuckolls.com/europe/britain/leeds-castle/#respond Sat, 10 Sep 2005 14:28:40 +0000 http://www.rjnuckolls.com/?p=431

Castle on the Lake

Leeds Castle is our favorite castle. A residence until the 1970’s, it still has the furnishings and feeling of an elegant home. It feels like you could live there. It is a lovely setting, with a Romantic garden covering the hills around the lake.

Castle Defended

There are several buildings which make up the castle. One even sits on a stone outcropping. The entire castle is surrounded by water and connected to land by a stone bridge and guardhouse. The castle’s Norman origins can still be seen in the arches in the wine cellar. Evidence throughout the castle shows the many additions made over the years.