Daily Archive for September 10th, 2007

Observations from Saturday trip to Marineland

I went to Marineland on Saturday with my wife and two sons. It was a beautiful day, but the park wasn’t very busy. There were no line-ups for any of the rides. Here are a few observations from our visit:

  • I went on the boat carousel with my two sons. The ride was very creaky. I’ve been on it several times this year, but it was never this loud
  • I went on Hurricane Cove for the first time. It’s much faster than I expected. I was on boat #2, but it didn’t spin around at all
  • The Lady Bug Roller Coaster was fine. My kids love it.
  • The Space Avenger ride also made terrible creaking noises
  • The Tivoli Wheel creaked when we first got on it (there were only two other people on the ride). Once it filled up and was loaded/balanced properly, the creaks stopped.
  • There was a different splash show. It was in the other tank and was performed by Ike and Athena (instead of Kiska and Nootka). Some of the tricks Ike did were different. I wonder if Ike learned those tricks at SeaWorld.
  • Kandu’s Twister looks very old but runs fine
  • Topple Tower wasn’t very busy at all. There were only a few people on it.
  • There were lots of wasps around. It was very annoying. And of course there were lots of seagulls as well.
  • The Aquarium Dome smelled as we walked in. We went downstairs to view the fish and tank, and the training tank was green and there were big chunks of feces on the bottom. The last time we were there they had put two walruses in there. I guess the filtration system isn’t strong enough for them.

Niagara Falls is guaranteed to leave you misty

From the New York Daily News:

There’s still plenty of good weather left for a weekend getaway. But if your wanderlust leans toward an international destination that doesn’t require a passport, is reachable by car and boasts one of the world’s natural wonders, consider a visit to Niagara Falls - on the Canadian side.

We know what you’re thinking: Your grandparents went there on their honeymoon a million years ago.

Yet Niagara Falls is still a popular travel destination, attracting upward of 12 million visitors a year.

A Calgary resident’s impression of Niagara

Here is a LiveJournal posting of someone who is from Calgary who was in Toronto and came down to see Niagara Falls:

We went to the Niagara whirlpool, then the top of the falls (tablelands?) and then down to the entry to the Maid of the Mist, which happened to close 10 minutes before we got there. SO disappointed…

Making your Trip to Niagara Falls an Affordable One

From ArticleBase:

The summer months are the busiest time to visit the great Niagara Falls. Tourists from all over the world flock to the city and fall in that inevitable trap of paying for overpriced meals, accommodations and parking. With my help, you will be able to pull this off with half your money still in your pocket when you return home.