N is for Niagara Falls #AtoZChallenge

I grew up 90 minutes away from one of the biggest tourist attractions in the province of Ontario, dare I say in all of  Canada: Niagara Falls.

My newly immigrated parents honeymooned at Niagara Falls, back in 1954. Their honeymoon consisted solely of a day trip to the Falls and stopping for Chinese food on the way home, because it was all they could afford. They didn’t even have a camera at that time so they could take photos.

However, when you are newly immigrated to Canada, and your relatives from the Netherlands (a different set every summer) want to visit, it means a lot of return trips to Niagara Falls and plenty of opportunities to take pictures.

So since their honeymoon, my parents managed to fill albums with photos of the yearly summer pilgrimage to the Falls. Here are just a few:

My mother and her mother at the base of the falls, 1964
Tante (Aunt) Bep (actually my grandmother’s cousin) and Oom (Uncle) Joe, at Niagara Falls 1968?
L-R: Tante Bep, Oom Joe, Baby Sis, Me, Lil Sis, Mom – in front of the Floral Clock. Dad behind the camera, natch. 1968?
Floral Clock Niagara Falls, 1980s? (based on jogging suit I spy, just right of centre)
Oom Henk at Niagara Falls, 1980s (based on acid-wash jacket)

I think I have been to Niagara Falls almost every summer since I have been alive.

There are pictures of me pregnant, pictures of me with the kids of varying ages, pictures of me with my ex, pictures of me with my last husband. And lots and lots of pictures of the Falls.

I’ve even ran a half-marathon at the Falls – in 2015.

Ready to run!
The course
Race humour
Mom joins me to cross the finish line. One of my favourite shots of us. She wouldn’t finish out the year.

No doubt this summer I will be there again.

Do you have a place that you like to visit every summer?

Rock on,

The WB

Can you guess my theme for this year’s A-Z Challenge? All of my A-Z posts this month will be tied into my theme, which is represented by the title of a song that was popular when I was a child. Can you figure it out as the days (and posts) go by? Leave your guesses (one per day only, please) in the comments. At the end of the challenge, I will reveal the theme. Have fun!

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

16 thoughts on “N is for Niagara Falls #AtoZChallenge

  1. For whatever reason, WP won’t let me *like* any of your posts today.

    I can see why the last photo of you and your mom is so special 💕 2015, eh? It seems that you and I ran that race in the same year! I had a TERRIBLE race 😖

    1. WHAT!?!? We both ran the same race!?!?! For the record, my race wasn’t so great either. There was a long stretch (as I’m sure you remember) in the blazing sun with no shade and no breeze. For the first time in a half-marathon, I seriously doubted that I could finish. I adjusted my speed and mental game and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I also poured water on me and in me. And I recovered enough to finish. It was TERRIBLE – that stretch.

  2. Your photo with your mom is so happy. I’ve never run a marathon, or walked one for that matter, but I admire those of you crazy people who do it. We rarely go to the same place each summer. Unless you consider our deck to be a summer destination.

  3. I’ve only been to Niagara Falls once, but it did not disappoint. We also visited Kakabeka Falls and loved it as well. We have a special place that we go several times a year. It’s Hungry Mother State Park and we have stayed in the cabins, stayed at the boutique hotel downtown, hiked ever trail and paddled the whole lake. It is my favorite spot. Not fancy or famous, just comfortable.

  4. Jean R.

    I’ve only been to Niagara Falls once but always wanted to go back. As for places I like to go every summer, mine would be the lake cottage where I spent all of mu summers growing up. It’s still in the family.

    I believe there is a song named Niagara Falls. That’s my guess for this post.

Here's where the magic happens. I love comments!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.