At one stage Niagara Falls
was nicknamed the 'Honeymoon Capital of the World'.
It is suggested that apart from the beautiful sight, the falling waters
generate negative ions, which create natural endorphins and serve as an
aphrodisiac to make people fall in love.
The waterfalls make up an international border between the
United States and Canada and are part of both countries. The United States part
of the waterfall is in New York State. The Canadian section is part of Ontario.
Falls known as the American Falls are located on the American side, and the
falls on the Canadian side are known as Horseshoe Falls.
As early as 1801 Theodosia Burr the
daughter of Aaron Burr, later to be the 3rd Vice President of the United
States of America, chose the Niagara Falls for her honeymoon. A few years
later, Jerome Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, took his bride,
Elizabeth Patterson a rich heiress, to the Ontario side of Niagara Falls.
The best known honeymoon, of course, is that taken by
Marilyn Monroe in the film, ‘Niagara’. The honeymoon is all about a wife
planning with her lover to kill her husband. Nothing turns out as she hopes,
but lovers were not deterred by her unfortunate end and continued to visit
Niagara on their honeymoon.
The contemporary Niagara
Falls includes wedding chapels overlooking the falls as well as hotels that
promise vibrating beds and heart-shaped tubs. No longer the popular honeymoon
destination that it used to be for almost 200 years, Niagara Falls continues to
be one of the great sights to see.
For those who are not
into wedding chapels or vibrating beds, there is the possibility of hiking
among the natural wonders, visiting some great botanical gardens nearby or
checking out the ice wine vineyard. Unlike ordinary wine which is dependent on
ripe grapes, ice wine is made out of frozen grapes. Legend has it that ice wine was discovered by a German
winemaker who was away from his vineyard when his grapes were ready to be
picked. Finding, on his return, vines dangling with frozen grapes, he decided
to make the best of a bad situation, and processed them in the normal way. The
result was the ice wines which are used as dessert wines.
Representing this style
of wines is the Inniskillin Winery, which is within driving distance of Niagara
Falls. Perhaps one of the memories of your
visit to Niagara Falls could be couple of bottles of ice wine picked up at the
Winery.
Extract from
'Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle'
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