"O Canada" Visiting Niagara Falls
I've always heard that if you're going to visit the falls, visit the Canadian side. Anyone with a passport will for sure prefer to cross the boarder for an international experience. Why else do you have your passport?
Let's start with our drive up from Virginia. The mountains and small towns we drove through were simply gorgeous. We passed by wineries in Maryland and a ski town in Pennsylvania before coming to a complete stop on the Peace Bridge. To our shock, as we pulled out our passports for the Customs agent, she asked if we were bringing marijuana into Canada. My husband (Army Officer) and I looked at her in complete shock and said are you serious? She simply laughed and said yes, it's legal on this side of the bridge but not the side you're coming from.
Now that we're safely through customs and on our way to Fallsview to find a hotel. (remember: I used the HotelTonight app from my previous blog) As I am a member of Hilton, I found an Embassy Suites on the site for $101 per night. What a steal as it includes an evening reception with complimentary beverages as well as a hot buffet breakfast. Parking at the hotel was $50 - $70 per night so I'd suggest parking at a nearby restaurant or store. Everyone offers an overnight parking rate. We parked across the street at the souvenir shop for $20 per night.
With parking taken care of and a simple check in, we admired the view of the Canadian Falls from our room. It is such a beautiful body of water from every angle. With the Falls on our minds, we quickly scheduled our ride on the Hornblower Niagara Cruises. We booked the Fireworks Cruise that included sailing to both the American and Canadian Falls as well as a Fireworks show promptly at 10pm. We had time to kill, so we arrived at The Hornblower check in line early and took the Funicular down to the Riverside Patio where we enjoyed a nice glass of wine and danced to the tunes that the DJ was spinning before our boarding time. To say the illuminated Falls were beautiful is an understatement. No picture can capture what we saw in person. While on the tour, don't forget to put on your free poncho - you'll need it if you don't want to get wet. If you have Groupon, check the app for tickets to the Hornblower. I believe it's almost a 40% discount buying it through their app. Not sure of the specifics as we bought directly from Hornblower.
With the Falls behind us, we decided to venture off to Clifton Hills on day two. There is nothing to say except; lights, camera and action! Clifton Hills is lit up bright and people are everywhere. The street kind of reminds you of a Vegas strip for kids. There's a speedway, a Ferris wheel, arcades, mini golf, bars, restaurants, haunted houses, bowling, wax museums, 4D Movies and so much more. I recommend purchasing the Clifton Hill Fun Pass as it includes six attractions for one low price. Each attraction is approximately $10-$12 so bundling six for $30 is a steal.
If you're visiting Niagara on a cold or rainy day, head over to the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. Directly across the street from Niagara Falls the waterpark offers over 3 acres of indoor water fun including sixteen thrilling water slides (some as high as six stories), a massive indoor wave pool, year round outdoor sundeck and activity pool, the mammoth "Beach House" Aqua Play area and much more.
If you're going to Niagara for a girls (or guys) trip, there are several casinos and night clubs and everyone comes out at night.
I didn't really mention restaurants because they are standard in the area. No one goes to Niagara for the food. The restaurants are very American with chains such as T.G.I. Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, Ruth Chris, IHOP (lots of IHOPS), Mexican and fast food take out.
Niagara is a place for all! I'm sure I've missed a few things but there is just so much to do there.
All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.
Now, pack a good pair of walking shoes and some comfy cloths and book your weekend getaway to Niagara Falls.
~KEM
