Niagara Falls, Ontario: Rainbow Bridge

Have you ever seen the view of the Niagara Gorge from the Rainbow Bridge?

Come to think of it, I think I mean the view of the Niagara Gorge on the Rainbow Bridge. 

Many haven't - even those who live in the area. They probably have crossed that bridge and looked over the side while waiting to go through customs in a car. A view from the actual bridge, during a walk across an international boundary, is another matter entirely.

The photo shows that view on a fall day full of sunshine.

The original bridge between the countries was called the Honeymoon Bridge. It collapsed in January 1938 after an ice jam, sparking some frantic construction. Builders put up the replacement in a similar spot in 1941. The name "Rainbow Bridge" was picked out because the mist from the Falls causes all sorts of rainbows. The arch design is the same one that was used for the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, which is closer to Lake Ontario. 

For those wishing to follow in our footsteps, it's an easy process to walk across the bridge. Park somewhere in the vicinity of the customs area if you are on the American side. (Lesson 1: The closer you park, the more the charge. If you are walking, add a few blocks to the walk to the bridge entrance to save money.) Soon you'll see signs directing pedestrians toward an entrance reserved for their use. Visitors have to go through a revolving metal door, and - before they know it - they are on the bridge. The view, of course, is terrific. Just be prepared for a little extra wind up there. The Falls are big enough to cause their own weather. 

After crossing the gorge, visitors must clear Canadian customs - so bring a passport or enhanced driver's license. People end up right along the shore, making it an easy walk to see many of the views and attractions of the riverfront. Canada has done a nice job connecting all of it up for walkers. When done, pedestrians must walk back essentially the way the came - after paying a toll ($1 in quarters or $1.25 via credit card tapping, as of this writing) in the Canadian customs building. There's another customs check on the U.S. side, which includes the usual questions. It's a speedy process until it's the middle of tourist season and there's a line. And you're back where you started. 

Niagara Falls ranks as one of the great natural wonders of the world, and local residents should take advantage of this opportunity to see it in a new way.  

Buffalo, New York: TR Inaugural Site

It's a tradition for American Presidents to be sworn into office on the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C. However, there have been exceptions. Tragedies and other special circumstances have gotten in the way. President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office on an airplane in Dallas; the vehicle became Air Force One once he was sworn in. Calvin Coolidge did some solemnly swearing that he defend the Constitution in the parlor of his home in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. Chester Arthur did the same in his New York City home after James Garfield died. Naturally, some Presidents took the oath before the Capital was built.

That leaves one President left - Teddy Roosevelt. You probably know the story if you've studied a little American History. President William McKinley was shot at the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo in 1901. He lingered for a while, and perhaps might have survived the assassination had he been shot in the exact same way some years later when medical advances had arrived, but he didn't make it. 

Vice President Roosevelt already had been to the exhibition earlier that month, and was in the Adirondacks of New York State when he received the news about McKinley's death. It wasn't easy to get from there to Buffalo back then, but he eventually he made it. Upon arrival, he was sworn in as President in the parlor of the Wilcox Mansion in Buffalo. 

Happily, you can still see what the place looked like when TR was "promoted." The photo is very close to what you might have seen in that same room in 1901. The house has been restored and became a National Historic Site in 1966. It is now run by the National Park Service. 

Happily, the NPS has made some improvements into the area. In particular, a hologram of Teddy now rests in an upstairs room. You can ask any question of President Roosevelt, and he'll answer you in good humor. He even had some nice things to say about William Howard Taft and Charles Evans Hughes, and was happy that his charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War was well remembered.

One catch - visitors are told to arrive at specific times (usually the bottom of the hour) for guided tours. You can take your time looking around the upstairs area once the formal tour is over.  

Chobe National Park, Botswana

We might have saved the best for last on our trip to Africa. Chobe National Park is an amazing place - a huge space filled with wildlife. For example, if you don't see an elephant while you there, you just aren't trying. The same could be said for impalas; they fill up the field in this photo. At times it seems like a new sighting lurks around every corner. 

The idea to make the land in this part of the world a national park was raised in 1931. They made it a non-hunting area in 1932, and expanded the territory a couple of years later. Chobe Game Reserve was created in 1960, and it graduated to national park status in 1968. It took a little time to get human activity, such as the timber industry, out of the area, but the job was finalized in 1975.  

The only warning about such a trip involves the roads. Those who travel the grounds in a 4X4 should know that the roads aren't exactly smooth. OK, they are very, very bumpy. There is some serious bouncing around, particularly if the driver is in a hurry to get somewhere (walkie-talkies are used to spread information about an animal that appears near a road.) So put on a seat belt, and hold on. 

Kasane, Botswana: Chobe River Cruise

River cruises can be a good, easy and intimate way of exploring natural surroundings. It's particularly true for the Chobe River, located in Botswana. It explores the edge of Chobe National Park, and the river attracts all sorts of creatures to its shores. 

Most of the cruises start in Kasane, located near the border with Zimbabwe. After boarding, the boat heads up river and eventually checks in at the boundary of Chobe National Park. That's essentially where the best parts begin. You'll be able to see wildlife while sipping on a beverage, which is a good way to practice tourism - especially if you aren't driving. 

When we were there in August, there were some islands in the middle of the river. As you can see in the photo, a large colony of elephants hangs out there. I'm not sure if they spent most of their time there or were just visiting for a while. Still, it's quite a sight. Hippos and crocodiles hang out close to the shore, and impalas run around the area as well. 

By the way, this region is known for malaria. It's less of a problem in the winter, but checking out the medical options before visiting is a good idea.  

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: International Bridge

Victoria Falls represents a huge obstacle when it comes to moving people and products from one side of the river to the other. To compensate, a bridge was built a bit down river from the falls to connect what later turned out to be the cities of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and Livingstone, Zambia. It's even an attractive bridge that fits in with the surroundings smartly. 

The bridge was constructed in England in the early 1900s, and designed to be part of a railroad that ran from Cairo to Cape Town.  From there, everything was shipped to the site, and put together in a mere 14 months. It opened for business in 1905. The bridge received a grand opening ceremony featuring Sir George Darwin, the son of Charles. 

This bridge represents the only rail connection between the two countries, and is one of only three roads tying Zimbabwe and Zambia together. Tours are available. For those who have an interest in such things, you can walk across the bridge. But there is a charge for a visa, and there's other paperwork involved. Keep that in mind before you decide to add to your list of countries visited. 

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

How do you like your waterfalls? The obvious starting point to a discussion about Victoria Falls is to compare the site with a distant relative: Niagara Falls, which is well known to North American audiences. 

Victoria Falls is twice as tall as its counterpart in the West, and it is twice as wide. The African water seems to be spilling over a wide delta of sorts. It takes quite a while to see it all. Niagara Falls is more concentrated and powerful, so seeing the rush of water over the rocks is quite intense. They are both exciting to see in different ways. 

One other difference - there is virtually no economic development around Victoria Falls. It's a rain forest with trails for visitors. That is not the way Niagara Falls does it, to put it mildly. To each its own.  

Victoria Falls is considered to be the waterfall that produces the largest sheet of water in the world. It's worth noting that the water levels change during the course of the year. We saw it in early August, and there was enough water falling to create a mist that obscured the bottom of the falls. A few months ago, that wasn't the case. It's partly on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, although we stayed on the Zimbabwe side.  

By the way, you can see the mist from Victoria Falls over long distances when cruising on the Zambezi River.