Day 2: Niagara Falls, NY to Columbus, OH
This morning to Niagara Falls (American side). Chilly, but the clearest of clear blue skies you can ever imagine. We couldn’t have picked a more perfect sightseeing day! (Can’t believe I’ve never been before.) Found some neat things in the gift shop, too.
Niagara Falls (the American side)
Did you know:
750,000 gallons of water plunge over the Falls every second during peak flow
“Niagara” comes from a Native American word meaning “a split in the flat land”
The average depth of the water under the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian side) is 170 feet, which is the same as the Niagara Gorge walls are high
The American Falls are 1,100 feet across; the Horseshoe Falls are 2,500 feet across
The Falls were formed 7 miles downstream; they’ve “moved” due to erosion, AND
In 1876, Maria Spelterini was the only woman to tightrope across the Niagara River. She crossed with nothing but a balancing pole wearing snugly-fitting peach baskets on her feet. (Wow!)
Just before we headed out of town, found a fabulous treasure: DiCamillo Bakery. One sniff, and you know it’s going to be good - the third and fourth generations run it, clearly using the old-style recipes. Got some fig cookies (think iced fig newtons), a cake dunking stick donut, a custard-filled donut with chocolate icing, a cinnamon roll with a swirl of apple pie filling inside (what a great idea!), and a Napoleon slice. Delish!
Nice weather and very light traffic on the short drive through Pennsylvania, where we skirted the edge of Lake Erie. As soon as we entered Ohio, the predicted bad weather hit: light, spitting rain most of the way through Ohio. (Sorry to all my Ohio buddies out there, but y’all drive like crazy people, even when the traffic is heavy and it’s raining!)
Stopped at a nice hotel off I-270 in Columbus for the night. Dad had mentioned a Reuben sandwich sounded good for supper, so I asked at the front desk. The kind clerk mentioned the best Reuben she’d ever eaten was at a German restaurant about 15 minutes away called Hofbrau Haus. Naturally, we had to eat there for dinner. You can rest assured the Munich Taster’s Plate got licked clean: Jaegerschnitzel, Frankfurter, Bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, and a real Bavarian-style Brez’n (pretzel). Of course, you have to wash down this meal with Weissbier. When I praised the quality of the pretzel, the waiter told me they are imported from Munich. Did I call it, or what?
Good night, y’all - tomorrow we’ll be at Uncle Gary’s house!
Weissbier brewed onsite using a German recipe