The Niagara River isn't really a "river". It is actually a strait - a relatively narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). The two lakes are part of an even larger mass of water - The Great Lakes System.
The Niagara Falls is voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S State of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
The Niagara Falls is renowned both for beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.
Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summer time. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors is expected to increase, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year. The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the rapids immediately below the Falls since 1845. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.
The Adirondack Park
The Adirondacks in New York State, represent the largest natural wilderness region in the eastern United States. It is the largest park and the largest state-level protected area in the contiguous United States, and the largest National Historic Landmark.
The six-million-acre Adirondack Park was established by the New York State Legislature in 1892, and has evolved to a patchwork of public and private lands, where thousands of people live, work and play in a protected environment of mountains, forest and streams. Nearly half of the Park is forest preserve, meaning that the land was set aside to remain in its natural state. Spanning most of the park's lands are vast forests of pine, maple, and birch. The park supports 500,000 acres of true old growth forest, 200,000 acres of which have never been logged. Adirondack attractions offer fun-filled days at theme parks, indoor and outdoor museums, art galleries, nature walks, antiquing, and of course, shopping.
Great photos!
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