Andrzej
Sightings

Rumble at the Falls

Dana at Niagara Falls

It was one of those brilliant, blue-sky sunny days, albeit a trifle cool out as the Dana and I rumbled our way southward towards Buffalo to cross into the US of A towards the Meet In the Middle rally. Since Dana had never seen Niagara Falls we swung off on a little detour so that she could get a glimpse of this magnificent natural wonder.

Riding by the tacky tourist traps bedecked with glittering lights, garish paint jobs and polyester-clad, camera-laden tourists, we thought we had made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Vegas. Once past the wax museums, horror palaces, casinos and fast-food emporiums, we rolled through some loose gravel (winter is over...now it's construction season!) and onto the waterfront promenade.

The boulevard was freshly surfaced with smooth pavement and flanked by vivid green parks, overhanging shade trees and brilliant flower beds as we rode on looking for a suitable parking spot. Dana was trying to pay attention to the road (worried about the new Sporty paint and chome job) as we drove by the Falls off to our left. The plumes of spray were floating upwards over the cascades of water and creating glorious rainbows suspended in the air.

Not willing to pay $8 per bike for a 10 minute stop to get a closer look at the torrents being savaged by the forces of gravity, we rode on past till we stopped at a U-turn. Beckoning to Dana, I yelled over the rush of the falls and the growling of the bikes that she should follow me exactly.

Retracing our steps back along the lane, I pulled up onto an immaculate cobbled sidewalk (that IS what those ramps up from the tarmac are for, isn't it?) that I had spotted on the driveby. Locking up the bikes, we grabbed the camera and wandered down to the rail for a close look at Niagara Falls. I hadn't been there in many years, and had forgotten what a grand sight they make. The deep aqua-green of the water rushing over the edge, almost hypnotic and deceiving in it's volume and brute power. I can only imagine the effect on Dana, having hever seen them before. She was truly awed by the sight (kind of like the first time I wore my chaps sans jeans....but then that is another story.....). Took the obligatory photo-op shots amidst some rather curious stares from the other tourists...guess it was the black leathers from head to toe.

Women, having bladders even smaller than a stock Sporty tank (or maybe it was the incessant torrents of rushing water?) resulted in Dana having to answer the call of nature (makes one wonder if you can get a bigger replacement bladder for them just like the bigger tanks for the bikes?), I waited patiently (really!). A tourist waved me down and asked if the two bikes parked on the sidewalk just outside were mine. Wonder what his first clue was? On answering affirmatively, he mentioned that a cop was checking them out and was about to ticket our scoots. I ran out to the bikes....fortunately it was not the man in blue, just a parking enforcement guy. He said that we couldn't park there, so I put on my most innocent face (a tough task at best!) and mentioned that we had not seen any signs precluding us parking there...and besides, my lady was off making like Niagara herself. I guess I sucked up to him enough, as he let us off without the obligatory tax grab ticket with the understanding that we would move them as soon as Dana stopped with the Falls impression.

The illicit picture!

As soon as Dana returned, we unlocked and hopped on the bikes. Rather than backing them up quite a ways, we had to ride forward down the sidewalk for about 50 yards. I looked at Dana....she looked back....big grins spread on both our faces at the same time! Firing up the bikes, I waved for the blue-hairs waiting for a bus in front of us to make a bit of room and we rumbled on by (probably made their day)...bypassing the pedestrian ramp, we hooked right, over a cobblestone courtyard done in swirling brick patterns, and pulled the bikes right up to the the railing overlooking the falls. Not even shutting of the engines in case we had to make a quick getaway, I hopped off my bike and took a few shots of the bikes and Dana with the Falls and rising mist in the background.

A few teenage wannabe's were most amused by this turn of events as other more conserative tourists scrambled to get out of the picture. Guess having your pic taken by loud Harley-riding, black-leather clad bikers was just too much excitement for them. The poor Amish family off to one side, dressed in their simple black farm clothes and lace bonnets, looked like Satan himself had arrived to consume them with fire and brimstone. I'm sure they were of a mind with Arlo in thinking we were mother-rapers or even worse, father-rapers! Hopping on my scoot, I yelled at Dana, "Let's get out of here before they arrest us!", causing the teenagers much glee. Rolling gently onto the throttle in first gear (out of consideration for the terror-factor the Amish would experience otherwise), we gracefully looped out over the courtyard, down the sidewalk ramp, onto the boulevard, and back on the road towards the Meet In The Middle rally in southern Illinois.....

A special memory of a special moment with a special lady......

..........Andrzej

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Last modified on October 24, 2001

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