Niagara Falls

By Charliann Reed

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Planning a trip to Falls soon? There sure is a lot to see and do here. The hard part is figuring out what's special and memorable . . .There are literally hundreds of things to spend your money on at Niagara Falls. You are going to need to decide which ones are most important to you. These are the things we did, and what we thought of them:

Maid of the Mist This little boat takes you up past the American Falls right into the middle of the Horseshoe Falls. It sits there for about 10 minutes or so, while you experience the thunder of Horseshoe Falls roaring down all around you. You will get quite wet. This was easily the most memorable of all the things we did at Niagara. Surprisingly, because this is very much a tourist trap if there ever was one. They cram everyone in like cattle on this little boat. But ignore all the people around you, and try to get up at the front of the boat. You can truly experience the falls here like nothing else. The cost is about $11 U.S. ($13 Cdn). On the Cdn side, it is located at Clifton Hill; on the American side, it is located at Prospect Pt.

Prospect Pt. Observation Tower You can get a good close-up view of the American Falls from this location, but it is not worth paying just to go up in the tower. If you want to go here, we recommend also going on the Maid of the Mist from Prospect Pt. as well. You can save money by combining the two fees.

Cave of the WindsLocated on Goat Island, a guide will lead you down right to the base of the American and Bridal Veil Falls. You can go up on the Hurricane deck and get completely drenched from the spray of the Bridal Veil Falls. This is a great experience.

Goat Island / Luna Island Luna Island is the little island in between Bridal Veil and American Falls. An observation platform on the island lets you stand right at the brink of these two falls. It is a lovely walk around Goat Island. Go to Terrapin Pt. to get to the brink of Horseshoe Falls from the U.S. side, and also be sure to check out the Three Islands and see some of the rapids above the falls.

Journey Behind the Falls On the Canadian side, this excursion takes you down on an elevator to a viewing platform near the base of Horseshoe Falls. A tunnel also leads you behind the falls to a couple portals where you can see the falls from behind. This is a somewhat interesting view, but it is not worth the high fee ($10 Cdn). For what you get for your money, we think this should be free, or at least only a minimal cost. There are many better things to spend your money on in Niagara.

Illumination Lights At night, Niagara Falls are lit up with colored lights, changing color every few minutes. It is a really nice experience to go down to see the falls at night. The best views are from the Cdn side. On summer weekends, there are also fireworks at the falls.

Whirlpool About two miles below Niagara Falls, the Niagara River rushes through a narrow channel creating huge rapids. It then hits a sharp bend in the river, where the fast rushing water reverses direction, creating a giant whirlpool. From the rim of the gorge it does not look like much, but up close it is an amazing sight (especially the rapids). We recommend taking the hike down to the bottom of the gorge from Whirlpool State Park on the U.S. side. There is no fee, and it is a great 5 mile (8 km) hike (RT). You can also get down to the Whirlpool by elevator on the Cdn side, but there is a fee (it is called the Whitewater Walk).

IMAX In Niagara Falls Ontario is an IMAX theater showing the Niagara Falls film throughout the day. The film is all right and not a complete waste of money, but we were quite disappointed. Some of the scenes in the film were quite lame, and a lot of information was left out of the film. The daredevil museum in the theater (free) is interesting to see, however. If you really want to learn about the history of Niagara Falls, we highly recommend reading Pierre Berton's "Niagara - A History of the Falls".

Skylon Tower We decided not to go up on the Skylon Tower, but we mention it here because it is probably worth the fee, and gives you a great view of the Niagara Falls from above (on a nice day).

Other Falls If you have the time, there are some other waterfalls in the Niagara area. Obviously, they cannot compare with Niagara Falls, but there are some nice ones for waterfall enthusiasts to see. Be sure to check out some of these on our Ontario and New York pages or click on my worldsaurus profile.


DIRECTIONS:

From Buffalo Niagara International Airport:
Take Route 33 to Interstate 90. Take Exit 50 and merge onto Interstate 290. Take the Interstate 190 North Exit and cross the South Grand Island Bridge. After crossing the North Grand Island Bridge, immediately take Exit 21 to Robert Moses Parkway. Continue on the Parkway as it turns into Prospect Street. Signs will direct you to Niagara Falls State Park’s parking lots.

From the East:
To travel to Niagara Falls from the east, take Interstate 90 West to Interstate 290, then take the Interstate 190 North Exit and cross the South Grand Island Bridge. After crossing the North Grand Island Bridge, immediately take Exit 21 to Robert Moses Parkway. Continue on the Parkway as it turns into Prospect Street. Signs will direct you to the state park’s parking lots.

From the West:
When traveling to Niagara Falls from the south, either take Interstate 90 West through New York or Interstate 90 East through Pennsylvania to Interstate 290. Take the Interstate 190 North Exit and cross the South Grand Island Bridge. After crossing the North Grand Island Bridge, immediately take Exit 21 to Robert Moses Parkway. Continue on the Parkway as it turns into Prospect Street. Signs will direct you to the state park’s parking lots.

From the South:
When traveling to Niagara Falls from the south, either take Interstate 90 West through New York or Interstate 90 East through Pennsylvania to Interstate 290. Take the Interstate 190 North Exit and cross the South Grand Island Bridge. After crossing the North Grand Island Bridge, immediately take Exit 21 to Robert Moses Parkway. Continue on the Parkway as it turns into Prospect Street. Signs will direct you to Niagara Falls State Park’s parking lots.
Niagara Falls Directions From Canada:

From Niagara Falls, Ontario, take the Rainbow Bridge across the Niagara River. Turn right and follow the signs to the falls.

For Further Park Information, Please Call (716) 278-1796.

PLEASE NOTE:
For official Canadian crossing border info, visit www.canadawelcomesyou.net

When crossing the international bridges be sure to bring either a birth certificate or valid passport in addition to your drivers license. If you are bringing children with you, their birth certificates are required (either original or certified copy only). If the children are not yours, you must provide a signed hand written note by the parent indicating how long the child will be in the country you are visiting along with telephone numbers for the parents. You will be denied entry if you are lacking proper documentation. (family photos can help too!)

If you make purchases and travel between Niagara Falls Ontario and New York, be sure to save receipts. When crossing the international border, you will be required to declare all purchases. Certain items may be taxable or you may qualify for tax refunds. Please visit the duty free stores located at the bridges between the U.S. and Canada for more information.




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