Hey y'all! Long time, no see! I haven't posted in a while, but I just went on a mini-vacation to one of the most popular east coast vacation spots in the U.S., Niagara Falls! (The New York side only; the Canadian boarder was closed). I was only there for about 17 hours, so I did not experience the entire city, but I have some tips and recommendations to share!
Pictured Above: The view from Prospect Point. How beautiful!
First, the drive. I drove from Virginia, but I passed through some really adorable looking towns in Pennsylvania, and I had a strong desire to stop in Buffalo, New York, which is mere miles from the falls, but I was alone and the drive was already 7 hours long. If you are doing this drive from the south (which is likely), consider adding some stopping time to your itinerary. This allows you to see some cool new places and get some much deserved leg-stretching breaks in.
Second, the city/town of Niagara Falls. First impression: not particularly charming. I expected an adorable tourist town with cute souvenir shops and cafes, maybe a cobblestone street with outdoor seating and live music. Granted, I did not explore extensively, so maybe this does exist, but if so, it is not near the falls. And to be honest, the area seemed pretty run down and empty. Of course, I was there during an international pandemic, but the buildings look empty and there weren't a lot of people going about their everyday lives.
What there were a lot of was hotels. So many hotels. So if you are staying the night here, you will have no trouble finding a place to stay. I stayed in the historic and quaint Red Coach Inn, which I HIGHLY recommend. Not only did I stay in a room that was named (the Essex room) which made me feel like a queen, not only were there bath salts and a Jacuzzi tub, not only was a delicious and made-to-order breakfast included, BUT the inn is literally-LITERALLY- right across from the park. Cross the street and you have reached your destination. Also I had the scallop Florentine for dinner and a glass of wine, both of which were exceptional and made the entire experience a 10/10. The staff were all kind and helpful. And again, literally a two minute walk from the entrance to the park. What are you waiting for? Book a room and go!
Third, the Niagara Falls State Park: The oldest state park in America. When you come here, I recommend first and foremost: get there early. Beat the crowds, because there will be crowds and they make the experience slightly less mind-blowing. In addition to getting there early to save your sanity before hoards of children and people taking pictures in your face arrive, you will want to get in line early. There are two main attractions at the falls: the Cave of the Winds and the Maid of the Mist. The first of these is a walk across a bridge at the base of the American falls, and the second is a boat ride into the Horseshoe falls (yes, the scene of Jim and Pam's wedding on the Office, and yes, literally into the base of the falls).
Video(d) above: A very poorly shot video of the bottom of the falls and, at the end, an unflattering shot of me to demonstrate how strong the wind was.
While I was there, the Maid of the Mist had just opened back up from COVID-19 restrictions, and the Cave of the Winds was not yet open again. This may explain why the lines were so long for the boat ride, but from what I understand, a lengthy line is common. Still, the Maid of the Mist boat ride was totally worth it. The cost was $22.25 per adult, and I believe $13.00 for children (6-12 years old), while 5 and under are free. The total time on the boat was about 20 minutes. The boats leave every 30 minutes (10:00, 10:30, etc.), starting at 10:00 and ending at 4:00. The ticket booth opens at 9:30, and I arrived at about 9:15 and there was already a line of about 20 people. The boat can hold up to 460 people, but the earlier you get onto the boat the better spot you get for photos. If you are here, this is a must.
Pictured above: Photos from the Maid of the Mist experience! The top (left to right) shows the American Falls, a photo of the boat's logo, and the Bridal Veil Falls. The bottom (left to right) show the Horseshoe Falls, me rocking the very fashionable rain poncho (that you get to keep), and a photo of the boat making its way to the dock.
There were four main overlooks to go to around the park: Terrapin Point, the top of the Cave of the Winds outlook, Luna Island, and the Three Sisters Islands, which were actually on Goat Island, and one not on the island, Prospect Point, which was the best view and right by the ticket booth for the Maid of the Mist. Prospect Point was my favorite, because you can not only see all three of the falls, but a beautiful rainbow blessed all of my photos here. There was also a good shot of the Canadian skyline, which I thought was also really lovely.
Pictured above: A view from the Cave of the Winds overlook, another shot of the Canadian skyline from a random viewpoint, and a photo of Rainbow Bridge to Canada at the Luna Island viewpoint.
Side note: the Canadian side looked super fun and if the boarder is open when you go and you have your passport, I think you should go! The bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. is basically in the park, so you do not have to go out of your way. They had an observation tower that overlooked the falls that probably had insane views of the falls and of the surrounding area in general.
Pictured above: This is a view of the skyline (again) from one of the bridges crossing between the Three Sisters Islands.
I also visited the falls at the end of June, and it was HOT. I did see some golf carts that I believe you could buy tickets for to avoid walking, but due to COVID this was not open. I would recommend walking because the views are wonderful. The island is covered in little streams and river views that you may not see if you are not walking around. I would imagine the best time to go would be late spring or early fall, especially if you do not like the heat.
Overall, if you have the chance to see the falls, I highly encourage you to go visit America's first state park. It was truly stunning. If you do visit, let me know what you thought and how your overall experience was! Thanks for reading, and as always, feel free to like and share!
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