I have always loved Niagara Falls. I can remember my very first time.. I was 6 and it was the only time my Oma and Opa visited from the Netherlands. At that age, I don't think I could really comprehend what I was seeing... where does all this water come from? Doesn't it ever run out? It just keeps falling like that? All the time?? Other than that, i thought Canada was a nice place to visit. My parents, my sister, and myself, with my Oma and Opa.... we walked, and took in the sights. There wasn't much to the town at that time.  As a child, it was something, that I could be standing in Canada and looking across at America. There wasn't anything at all on the American side of the Falls at that time... Canada was the place to be! And when nighttime came, the Falls became magical!! The lights making the water dance with color!! I was in awe!

I have gone back to Niagara Falls several times since then. Each time, staying on the Canadian side... though the American side slowly added some tourist "attractions"... and each time, the Canadian side was built up just a bit more than I remember from the last time. But, the Falls still held that amazing feeling over me. (They're still going? How haven't they run out of water yet?? HOW MANY GALLONS PER MINUTE?? (More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow,^[4] and almost four million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. Wikipedia) I just love walking along the river, starting at the Horseshoe Falls, and walking as far as the sidewalk will take me. Over the visits, I have experienced almost everything Niagara Falls had to offer.

Until this winter. I have only visited the Falls in summer... ever... but a few weeks ago, I read that the Falls were.... frozen??!! I know it's been a long, cold, winter... but, frozen!? I saw a few pictures online, but the photographer in me said.. "I have to see this for myself!" This hasn't happened since 1911!!

I was there this past weekend... and it's been many years since I had been back. I was a little taken aback by how much it had been built up! What used to be the Minolta Tower, was barely visible with all the "new", tall hotels built around it! Granted, I stayed in one of those, and had a spectacular view... but it's always a little sad to me to see the simplicity of a destination erased.

The Falls still had that "breathtaking" beauty, and effect over me... but, it was unbelievable to see almost all of that water frozen... stopped in time... partially anyway... the rushing water over the Horseshoe Falls still moved... though not as fast as usual... but the "chunks" of ice around them, and at the bottom were immense! Some ice formed what looked to be huge rocks in the water, I just couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing! The American Falls, however, were almost totally encased in ice! There was very little moving water visible on that side. Incredible!  Granted, the actual Falls were not completely frozen... there is just too much rushing water for it to completely stop moving... or, it hasn't been quite THAT cold... but, to see the amounts of ice covering the Falls was worth the trip! If you don't get a chance to see them for yourself, I hope that you'll enjoy my images from the Falls!