Niagara Falls is certainly one destination that is on everybody’s bucket list. We decided to take the opportunity to experience Niagara Falls from the Canadian side and it was worth the extra effort. Our first recommendation would be that if you are driving to Niagara Falls, cross over into Canada and experience what it is like to drive on roads that are built for the snow and ice. Living in Indiana, we headed north to Detroit, Michigan and crossed over into Canada at Windsor. We took King’s Highway 401 from Windsor and headed east. One of the great things about King’s Highway is that they have these islands in the median where you can eat, get fuel, and pick up souvenirs. They are wonderful for breaking up the drive!
Arriving in Niagara Falls, Ontario, pictures do not do the falls justice, but we had to try… Below, you can see the Niagara Falls Visitor’s Center, one of the many boat tours that take you right up to the falls, and a picture showing you how close the Visitor Center’s veranda is to the actual falls themselves.
Right or wrong, for this trip, we used a Groupon to experience all the falls has to offer, from the US side of things. The next morning we crossed back into the United States at Buffalo, New York and took a tour bus for the day. Our first stop was the Maid of the Mist boat tour. Nothing can express the amount of power and noise that you experience as the falls come rushing over the rocks and within a couple hundred feet of the boat. As a boater myself, I can appreciate the skill needed to keep these boats heading in the right direction.
The next stop was Goat Island and Terrapin Point. Similar to the Canadian side, you can get REALLY close to the falls. From Goat Island, we moved onto the Cave of the Winds experience.
Cave of the Winds takes you down to the base of the falls and you get to experience the smaller Bridal Veil falls as the come down on top of you at the “Hurricane Deck.” This is by far the best experience at Niagara Falls along with the Maid of the Mist boat tour.
Whirlpool State Park was the last stop on our bus tour. It is a New York State State Park where the falls discharge down Niagara River and as the river makes a 90 degree turn, a whirlpool is created. If you are adventurous, you can take a jet boat tour that takes you into the whirlpool area. There is also a tramway that runs above the whirlpool that you can also ride on. You can see the jet boat and the tram cable in the first picture in the gallery below.
Niagara Falls at Night – This is a great experience at night! Fireworks and lights illuminate the falls on certain nights of the week! There are several restaurants that you can schedule a dinner in view of the fireworks as well, but they sell out quick.
