“As long as Niagara Falls
As long as Gibraltar stands
‘Til Hell freezes over
I’ll always be your man”
- Chicago (1986)- written by Steve Kipner and Bobby Caldwell
I haven’t visited Niagara Falls since I was a child and Eva has never been there, so it’s been on our “to do” list for a while. We were taking care of three cats with terminal cancer, one after the other, the past few years which made it difficult to get away. But with our remaining pets currently healthy, and having survived my prostate biopsy and cardiac ablation procedures, it seemed a perfect time for a getaway to celebrate Eva’s 70th birthday. We realized that January was not a great time to head north, but when we saw Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman would be reuniting as the “Guess Who” for the first time in over 20 years, and they were only performing in Canada, we decided to get out the winter clothing and head to Niagara Falls for their first show on the tour at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Ontario. Being a fan of the band Chicago, as we got ready for the trip I couldn’t get their song “Niagara Falls” out of my head. It was a not-so-successful single from their 18th album. But I still remember the first time I heard this song, as it was the first song on their first album without Peter Cetera, and I was anxious to hear his replacement.
We started having second thoughts about the trip when the big snow and ice storm hit the northeast the week before the show, and a massive 40-car pileup shut down I-81 in New York. And to make matters worse, there was talk of another big storm coming through the weekend of our trip. But we closely watched the weather forecasts, and it appeared that the storm would be heading out to sea, and we would probably be OK (aside from the bitter cold). So we packed our bags, brought warm clothes, and loaded up with our emergency supplies of food, water, a show shovel, and cat litter for traction if we needed it.
It’s a 6-hour drive from Harleysville PA to Niagara Falls, Ontario. The ride went smoothly (aside from some debate with google maps about which route we should take). It helped that we took turns driving (listening to Sirius Classic Rock when I was driving and Sirius Pop Hits when Eva was driving). It took no time at all to cross the border, and before we knew it, we arrived at the Fallsview Resort. We parked in the garage and wheeled/carried our luggage into the Casino. I saw a big sign with an arrow that said “hotels” so we followed the arrow, up a staircase (no escalator) and down a long hallway. We eventually came upon two hotels- the Wyndham Grand Fallsview and the Hilton Fallsview. I checked my reservation and it just said Fallsview Casino Hotel, but didn’t mention a specific hotel chain. I asked at the desk, and they said my hotel was actually in the casino, so we had to head back to where we came from. As we started walking back, an employee asked if we needed help, and I said we were looking for the casino hotel. He said the two hotels were the Hilton and the Wyndham, and he wasn’t aware of another hotel at the casino. After the long ride, I wasn’t in the mood for all this confusion. He said he would check with someone, so we waited in the hallway with our luggage. Then another guy came up and also asked us if we needed help. Well, he was great- knew the place inside and out, and told us exactly where to go. He joked that everything in the area was called “Fallsview”, so it did get confusing. And then he surprised us by telling us he was Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls Ontario, a position he has held for 15 years. He was very helpful and friendly. If I ever move to Canada, he has my vote!
The Fallsview Casino Resort is a beautiful place, with shops, restaurants, two music venues, and great views of the Falls. The first night we had a delicious dinner and got the lay of the land, and Eva hit the slot machines (without much success). The next morning, we ventured out to see the sights. First up was the Niagara Parks Power Station and Tunnel. It was an interesting experience, diving into the history of the visionaries behind it, as well as the workers that kept it running for 100 years. They have a section dedicated to the awe-inspiring power of electricity, which includes a Tesla coil demonstration. In elementary school, Nikola Tesla saw a picture of Niagara Falls and dreamed of using water to generate power. In 1893, he turned that dream into reality by working on the world’s first hydroelectric power station with George Westinghouse. At the time, direct current (DC) electricity could only travel 100 yards—just enough to power a lightbulb! Three years later, despite many challenges, the Edward Dean Adams Power Plant, based on Nikola Tesla’s AC power system, was built on the upper Niagara River. In 1896, the flip of a switch sent the first power surge from Niagara Falls, New York to Buffalo, New York- quite an achievement at the time. Our tour also included a walk down a remarkable 2,200-foot-long tunnel, which was excavated with only lanterns, rudimentary dynamite, pickaxes and shovels, leading to an observation deck at the river’s edge.
Next it was the “Journey Behind the Falls”, where we descended 125 feet and explored the 130-year-old tunnels through the bedrock, leading to an observation deck. The lower deck, which is more open to the elements, was closed due to the weather, but we still enjoyed the views from the main observation area. We witnessed a marriage proposal on the deck, and the bride-to-be was overjoyed, not bothered at all by the freezing cold. They also have viewing portals cut straight through the rock in other sections of the tunnels, but all you could see there were solid sheets of ice. Overall it’s not a great attraction in the winter, and they warn you when you buy your tickets, but the views from the observation deck made it all worthwhile.
Lastly we went on the new attraction called “Niagara Takes Flight”, a Disney-like ride, simulating a flight over the Falls and surrounding area. You soar across 34 miles of parkland, from the shores of Lake Ontario to edge of Lake Erie, as breathtaking landscapes unfold beneath you- gliding over swirling rapids and steep rock faces, past lush forests and through dramatic battles that changed the course of history all before getting closer than ever to the thundering Horseshoe Falls. It was a fun ride, and best of all- it was inside so we could stay warm!
Then it was time for the real purpose of our visit- the Guess Who concert. The OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino has been ranked #1 in Canada by Billboard Magazine for venues with 2501-5000 capacity and in the top 10 worldwide. The world-class theatre has 5,000 seats and state of the art technology- it’s a beautiful venue. At first I was a bit disappointed when they made it clear that photos and videos were strictly prohibited (at the band’s request). But I must admit it was nice to see a show without hundreds of cell phones up in the air taking videos and pictures. The venue published professional photos on social media after the show, and that was fine with me. After six decades and a hard-fought battle to reclaim their name, it was great to see Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings together again as the Guess Who. They played for two hours, covering all the hits, a few deep cuts, and three Bachman Turner Overdrive songs. It was their first show in this Canadian tour, and they had a few sound issues at the start, but they got it worked out and put on a great show. Both Burton and Randy sounded really good, and they seemed to be having a great time together on stage, frequently praising each other. They made no political comments during the show, but they did express their love for their Canadian fans.
The next morning after our action-packed weekend we were ready for the ride home. Thankfully the snow stayed away and it was clear sailing. It was a great mini-vacation, and we hope to go back again some time when the weather is nicer and take in some of those activities that are closed in the winter. I’d still like to knock off that bucket list item of flying in a helicopter over the Falls, but the weather was prohibitive this time around. And we did learn that a 6-hour ride is not that bad, especially when we take turns driving, compared to the waiting and delays and cancellations and long lines at airports. Stay tuned for our next adventure in my golden years!
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