IIRC the Canadian side (Horseshoe Falls) is on the right, eh.
Is that a gorgeous photo or what, eh?
Reminds me of the only time I ever fainted in my entire life........Was visiting Niagra Falls in 1968 & while riding down the glass elevator to the Maid of the Mist boat, I passed out - fainted dead away........for a long time after that I thought I was “allergic” to heights.........Not so anymore...Hey Allan - I can take you to the top of the Arch in downtown St. L. - been up there many times & have never fainted!!
Dottie: I’ve heard about that tiny little ride to the top of the arch. You’re on! When do you want to go?
Bob: I remember reading about that guy. It was indeed a bloody miracle he was rescued.
Allan - am going to e-mail you my schedule......maybe we can do lunch downtown, perhaps at Union Station, and then visit the Arch.........great view from the top & the grounds are beautiful.........I often go downtown on holidays or weekends with my camera (no crowds, no traffic) and take pics........
Cool. Thanks Allan. I missed that one.
-Dan D,
Canuckistan
If your looking to go to the top of the arc you better not have any claustophobia fears LOL. the barrels they take you up in are not very big.. was there around 1998… they already had sensitive metal detectors too.. picked up an altoids tin I forgot i even had in my pocket.. I think I had walked right through the airports with it before and didnt set off the metal detectors there..
Infinity - no problem going up in the Arch - the modules fit 4 people and the ride up isn’t but a few minutes - been up many times over the years........been up more times than native St. Louisans.........I work with native St. Louisans who have won’t go downtown as they are afraid of driving on the highways..........
DOTTIE: Great! I think I can find my way downtown to meet you there and bring my camera too. You can be my tour guide. I’ll buy you lunch in return.
WARNING: I am extremely claustrophobic. Have been since I was a young baby (childhood trauma, maybe I’ll tell you about it one day). I mean EXTREMELY, DANGEROUSLY claustrophibic. I can handle spiders, snakes, charging rhinos & water buffalos (yeah, been there), heights, even shopping malls .. but being enclosed too tightly causes me to have trouble breathing and after a few minutes a full-blown panic attack and mental blackout sets in that, in the past has caused physical damage to people and things around me. I’m not kidding.
Skipper,
DO NOT go up into the Arch. You have to ride in little cars the size of washing machines - your knees are touching everyone else’s knees. AND....the little cart makes loud mechanical adjustments to make up for the curve of the arch as you go up - the last thing you’re thinking of when it happens. About that time, you figure you’re dead. Then you get up there in a space about as wide as a small hallway loaded with people leaning to look out the tiny windows. Your mind INSISTS on telling you that if you lean to look out, you’ll make the arch fall over. Then, all you can think of is getting down without making a fool of yourself.
If you are claustrophic, do not go. Take Dottie for a nice lunch and enjoy her lovely company, but do not go up the Arch.
I’m not claustrophobic or much of a scaredy-cat, but the Arch changed all that for me.
Oh, one other little small note about the arch.
It was built to withstand winds enough so that it will sway up to SIX feet in the highest winds. THREE feet in hair-blowing wind, and a few feet in regular breezes. Yes, the floor moves under your feet. You take a step and your foot lands in a different place than you planned.
Thanks Skipper, It was pretty cool to live near the the Falls. No matter where you were, you were never lost, because all you had to do was look to the sky to find the rising cloud of mist and you knew where you were.
Thanks again for showing me home!