PeterPan Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 We're thinking about a little trip to Niagara, just two days total. What things would be the best of the best, the don't miss, to do then? I've heard there's a boat ride, so that sounds awesome. We like wild fun, good food, amazing engineering, and history. Oh, and any preferred places to stay? TIA! PS. We'd take friends along to hold the baby during that wild boat road. Everything else would be best if stroller or sling-friendly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Ok, I've been researching this some more, and I'm confused. Do you have to cross the border to do Niagara Falls? Will we need passports? If so, we're toast, that's for sure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 You can do Niagara Falls from the US side, but imho, the Canadian side is better. You would need a passport for anyone over the age of 16. Passport cards are much cheaper than the traditional book (required for flying out of the country). I don't have a lot of help for you on the US side as we prefer (and do) the Canadian side. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Definitely do the Canadian side if you can. Maid of The Mist is great. Do the walk to the rapids, as they are very impressive. There's a little town nearby, and it's fun to walk around (street is very quaint). Also, the butterfly exhibit place really shines--tons of butterflies right in front of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 If you decide to the US side, we like going to Goat Island. Drive in, park, walk to the falls, then do Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds. There is nice little trolley thing you can ride around in. There are places to picnic, bathrooms, shops etc. Parking was easy and quick. Also go to the observation tower. There is also a bridge to Luna Island. That's IMO the easiest most kid friendly way to go on the US side. It is stroller friendly too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie463 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Plan to go the Canadian side if you can. Maid of the Mist is definitely a must! There is also a fun Brazilian steakhouse (albeit a bit pricey for a large family) called Cococabana. The small town nearby that was mentioned is called Niagara-on-the-Lake. Very cute. Google it and you'll find a ton of information. If you will have an opportunity to travel around the region a bit, consider this area that is just south of Buffalo (info from the kidsoutandabout.com website): Experience: Discover the Joy of Toys Where: East Aurora, NY The deal: All-day entertainment for as little as $20 per family Unleash your inner child, or wax nostalgic with your kids in East Aurora, home of the Fisher Price Toy company. Visit the Toy Town Museum, Vidlers 5 and 10, and Explore & More Children’s Museum. Vidlers 5 & 10 676-694 Main Street, East Aurora 716-652-0481 or 1-877-VIDLERS Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 am-5:30 pm, Friday 9 am-9 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm Toy Town Museum 636 Girard Avenue, East Aurora 716-687-5151 Winter hours: Monday & Tuesday 12-5 pm, Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-4 pm Admission: free, donations appreciated Explore & More Children’s Museum 300 Gleed Avenue, East Aurora 716-655-5131 Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm Admission: $5 ages 1 and up And another recommendation for an absolutely FABULOUS kids museum is to travel about an hour east to Rochester to visit the Strong National Museum of Play. Have a great vacation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 This isn't Niagara, but it's one of our favorite places up there. It's about an hour and a half from Niagara. Genesee Country Village and Museum It's similar to Williamsburg or Sturbridge only it's the 19th century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 IMO, the NY side is the best if you want a nice park-like setting. You can do the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, Observation Tower and more. http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/Activities.aspx Also, as of June 1, 2009 you need either a passport or an enhansed driver's license to enter Canada. Beginning June 1, 2009 U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry are required to have documents that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), most commonly a U.S. passport, a passport card, a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST, or an enhanced driver's license. See the complete list of WHTI-compliant documents. http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 WARNING: The Toy Town Museum is going thru a transition and is not currently operating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I posted this a while ago: Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House http://www.darwinmartinhouse.org/ Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest "Prairie House," the five-structure Darwin Martin House Complex, designed and built 1903-1905 in the great city of Buffalo, New York. Our Lady of Victory Basilica & National Shrine http://www.ourladyofvictory.org/Basilica/Welcome.html Albright-Knox Art Gallery http://www.albrightknox.org/ The main event takes place behind the classical façade of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Here you’ll find one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary art anywhere in the world, what Thomas Hoving, former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has called “an overwhelming art experience.†After you’ve had your fill of art, enjoy a refreshing repast at the Muse restaurant and the view of the always-striking sculpture garden. (from visitbuffaloniagara) Erie Canal Cruise http://www.lockportlocks.com/ Much remains the same on the Erie Canal today as it was in the 1800's. Hand-dug to connect the Hudson River with the Niagara River, the 363-mile Grand Old Erie Canal is truly a great engineering feat. Originally, 83 stone locks overcame the 571-foot difference in the level between the rivers. Enlarged in the early 1900's, now 35 locks allow larger vessels to travel across New York State. Experience a unique 2-hour cruise which includes "locking through" and being raised the 49 ft. elevation of the Niagara Escarpment (the same one that creates Niagara Falls) in the only double set of locks on the Erie Canal. You will pass under bridges that raise straight up, see water cascade over Lockport's famous "Flight of Five" 1840's locks, and travel through the solid walls of the "rock cut" as your Coast Guard licensed captain describes the architecture, sights, and folklore along the way. (from their website Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site http://www.nps.gov/thri/index.htm (NOTE: newly renovated & reopening June 20, 2009) An Unexpected Inauguration that Changed the Nation As president, Theodore Roosevelt created protections for ordinary citizens, began regulation of big business, and made the US a major force in international affairs. Yet one of the most important presidencies in America's history nearly didn't happen. See the place where a brief, emotional, and improvised ceremony in Buffalo, NY brought TR into office, and forever altered the nation. This is closed until Fall 2008...I don't know when your trip takes place. from their website Niagara Falls http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/default.aspx This is the New York side. I am a big proponent of visiting the NY side. It is a beautiful state park. From the I love NY website: The granddaddy of New York waterfalls. In your quest to find the latest, hippest undiscovered getaway, you might be tempted to dismiss Niagara as an over-traveled tourist destination—and you would be wrong. Seventy years of Hollywood cliché have done nothing to diminish the stunning natural showpiece that is Niagara. These days, the Canadian side of the falls garners a lot of the attention, beckoning with restaurants and tourist attractions galore, but the New York side offers a somewhat quieter option, rooted in the naturalistic tradition of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed the magnificent park that surrounds and bridges the falls. The views from Luna Island and Terrapin Point are everything you’ve been told or imagined, and a ride on the Maid of the Mist or a descent to the Cave of the Winds will offer incredible vantages on what is one of the greatest natural wonders in North America. Anderson's And this is yum, yum, yummy Buffalo food: http://www.andersonscustard.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Ooo, this is good! I didn't REALIZE there was a passport card option in addition to regular passports. Cool! This trip, if it happens, will be too spontaneous to get one of those, but it would have been a good thing. And thanks for the alternate sites on the US side! You're right, we need to just do it and not be perfectionist. We're not big tourister, shopper people anyway. We like to go somewhere a little more wild. :) I'm gonna go check out the Cave of the Winds and Terrapin Point places. Meanwhile, any suggestions on where to stay? And is Fort Niagara good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Ooo, this is good! I didn't REALIZE there was a passport card option in addition to regular passports. Cool! This trip, if it happens, will be too spontaneous to get one of those, but it would have been a good thing. And thanks for the alternate sites on the US side! You're right, we need to just do it and not be perfectionist. We're not big tourister, shopper people anyway. We like to go somewhere a little more wild. :) I'm gonna go check out the Cave of the Winds and Terrapin Point places. Meanwhile, any suggestions on where to stay? And is Fort Niagara good? Yes, Fort Niagara is great, if that is your thing. We are not shoppers either, so that is why the NY side appeals to me. I have spent HOURS of my life on both sides in the last 4 decades and much prefer the NY side. Just do it! Great motto! :tongue_smilie: Since I live here (Buffalo), I never really stayed at hotels. Do you want to stay in Niagara Falls or Buffalo? Did you try Trip Advisor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 My kids love going to the power Vista. The web site is: http://www.nypa.gov/vc/niagara.htm It teaches the kids all about Niagara Falls hydroelectric power. We started going when ds was about 4 and he still loves going at 12. I think the history of hydroelectric power and Niagara Falls is fascinating. Of course we have family who have always worked for the power company there. It makes it doubly cool for my kids to hear first hand accounts of when they were building it all from their great grandpa (who recently passed on). There are huge pipes running under the city where the water is bypassed by the falls to fall down the power plant and turn the turbines. The system has also been used many times to lower the amount of water going over the falls to save boats that have lost power in the Niagara River from going over the falls. It also is very interesting to learn how the power companies control the water over Niagara Falls to prevent to much erosion from the area. It's a must do in my book! This is on the US side. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I'm not sure where you are from, but if you are from a southern state this might interest you: http://www.snowparkniagara.com/ It's not opening until June 15 and is brand new, so I don't know what it's like. Last winter we went up in Febuary because my kids wanted to see snow, wouldn't you know, there was NONE!! We're going up again in July and planning on going here so my kids can finally play in the snow!! Kind of ironic that we go in Feb and can't play in snow, go back in July and can! This is also in the US. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in TX Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 If you decide to the US side, we like going to Goat Island. Drive in, park, walk to the falls, then do Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds. There is nice little trolley thing you can ride around in. There are places to picnic, bathrooms, shops etc. Parking was easy and quick. Also go to the observation tower. There is also a bridge to Luna Island. That's IMO the easiest most kid friendly way to go on the US side. It is stroller friendly too! The Maid of the Mist is the same whether you board the boat from the NY or Canadian side. The Cave of the Winds is fantastic (but it isn't really a cave - it is an elevator down to river level, then "deck steps" right up to the falls. You will feel the spray and be totally soaked if you don't hold the rainjacket they give you tight around yourself. They also provide velcro sandals.) Goat Island has parking, close to these places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabanana1992 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Can anyone suggest places to stay or eat on the Canadian side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Can anyone suggest places to stay or eat on the Canadian side? Anna, My brother, his wife & dd have stayed here: http://www.niagarafallsmarriott.com/?src=500111 It is a beautiful view if you get the Falls side. They usually only stay one night b/c it is expensive. My SIL is a midwesterner & LOVES Niagara Falls. My brother proposed to her there so she likes to go back there everytime they visit. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 We went last October. We went to the Canadian side (we have passports) and had a great time. We did Maid of the Mist, the Journey Behind the Falls, and walked a lot. We stayed at a waterpark hotel on the Canada side. the kids loved it, but I don't think it was worth it. I would stay next to the falls/overlooking the falls next time. I have to say the summer would be nice with everything in bloom, but we really loved the fall too. All the trees changing colors was beautiful. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Well if anyone is dying of curiousity, we just got back!!!!!!!!!! It was FABULOUS. We did Niagara Falls, the Thousand Islands (boat tour and the castles), a balloon ride over Letchworth Park, Watkins Glen (how did no one mention this?? Only THE most stunning thing in the whole state, though quite the hike), the Corning Glass Museum, and incidental little things. We just had a ton of fun. Really, the countryside of NY isn't so much different from our own great state, so that was a surprise. The roads are utterly screwy in NY, gotta give 'em that. We just had a great time overall. Thanks for all the help! Oh, we would have done Genessee that y'all suggested, but dh wasn't interested. He LOVED the Thousand Islands, so that was a great choice. Oh, and it turns out, for our taste, the American side of the Falls was just perfect. The Canadian side was way too commercialized for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 DH (not yet DH then) had a gig in Rochester, NY, and we went up for the weekend. He played at night, so during the day we had time to kill. The club owner gave us a car to use with explicit instructions NOT TO GO TO CANADA. Welllllllll......we decided to go to the US side of Niagra Falls and what should have been a short trip ended up taking like 5 hours because we got lost and ended up on a no-turn-around bridge labeled CUSTOMS! Good grief. They just asked what we planned on doing (we said see the sights and dinner) and let us in. After freaking out because We Were In Canada! we went to see the falls. Amazing! And then he asked to borrow one of my Hello Kitty mittens, and when I took off the mitten, he put a ring on my finger and popped the question!!! :svengo:He said that in case I said no, he planned to toss me over into the Falls. :D (Secretly, I wonder if we REALLY were lost for those hours or if he was getting up the nerve! ;)) Anywhoo....the point of this was to say I didn't know you needed a passport! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 We did like the Maid of the Mist ride. We also liked going down into the gorge and reading about the history of the gorge area on placards (they may do tours, too). My boys really liked all the forts in the area. If we had known how fabulous the little town of Niagara on the Lake was, we would have stayed there. It's on the Canadian side (so are all the things I'm mentioning). There was a coupon book that gave discounts to several attractions in the area. One was a home very close to one of the forts. The tour wasn't that much, but there was a tearoom in the downstairs and you ate out on a covered porch. My boys loved it! We had tea in with a light rain falling all around us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom'sGirl Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 We live pretty close to the glass museum so we go there yearly and it is dirt cheap for locals. Dh, who has lived in NY all his life, has never been to the 1000 islands so I am hoping to get there this year. I am going to force myself to take the boys to Watkins Glen this year even though the drop offs combined with fearless children scare me to death. My mom was at the balloon thing at Letchworth last weekend and tried to convince us to get there but we were all wiped. Hopefully, we will head to Buffalo in the next couple of weeks to check out what it has for museums. We bought a year long family pass at the Rochester Museum of Science and we can use it to get into other museums for free. This is the year of the museum for us. Any good ones in OH? I've also "accidently" gone to Canada when my mom and I went to the 1000 islands. We were exploring the island we were camping on and suddenly we came to a customs booth to get back into the US. I still don't get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 We did like the Maid of the Mist ride. We also liked going down into the gorge and reading about the history of the gorge area on placards (they may do tours, too). My boys really liked all the forts in the area. If we had known how fabulous the little town of Niagara on the Lake was, we would have stayed there. It's on the Canadian side (so are all the things I'm mentioning). There was a coupon book that gave discounts to several attractions in the area. One was a home very close to one of the forts. The tour wasn't that much, but there was a tearoom in the downstairs and you ate out on a covered porch. My boys loved it! We had tea in with a light rain falling all around us. You can do some of those things on the US side, too. MotM is the same ride. You can walk down behind the falls (Cave of the Winds) & into the gorge (Gorge Discovery Center & Devil's Hole Park). There is also a coupon book where you get discounts to: The Cave of the Winds The Maid of the Mist Niagara Adventure Theater The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center Aquarium of Niagara Niagara Scenic Trolley Plus, Frederick Law Olmstead designed NF State Park. We also have Old Fort Niagara and a quaint little town called Lewiston that has great little shops, restaurants and pubs. These are a ride from NF (about 15 minutes). I love my "New York side!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Well if anyone is dying of curiousity, we just got back!!!!!!!!!! It was FABULOUS. We did Niagara Falls, the Thousand Islands (boat tour and the castles), a balloon ride over Letchworth Park, Watkins Glen (how did no one mention this?? Only THE most stunning thing in the whole state, though quite the hike), the Corning Glass Museum, and incidental little things. We just had a ton of fun. Really, the countryside of NY isn't so much different from our own great state, so that was a surprise. The roads are utterly screwy in NY, gotta give 'em that. We just had a great time overall. Thanks for all the help! Oh, we would have done Genessee that y'all suggested, but dh wasn't interested. He LOVED the Thousand Islands, so that was a great choice. Oh, and it turns out, for our taste, the American side of the Falls was just perfect. The Canadian side was way too commercialized for us. WOW!!! I thought you were only going for 2 days! Sounds like an amazing trip! I want to do that balloon ride someday. What hotel did you stay in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 DH (not yet DH then) had a gig in Rochester, NY, and we went up for the weekend. He played at night, so during the day we had time to kill. The club owner gave us a car to use with explicit instructions NOT TO GO TO CANADA. Welllllllll......we decided to go to the US side of Niagra Falls and what should have been a short trip ended up taking like 5 hours because we got lost and ended up on a no-turn-around bridge labeled CUSTOMS! Good grief. They just asked what we planned on doing (we said see the sights and dinner) and let us in. After freaking out because We Were In Canada! we went to see the falls. Amazing! And then he asked to borrow one of my Hello Kitty mittens, and when I took off the mitten, he put a ring on my finger and popped the question!!! :svengo:He said that in case I said no, he planned to toss me over into the Falls. :D (Secretly, I wonder if we REALLY were lost for those hours or if he was getting up the nerve! ;)) Anywhoo....the point of this was to say I didn't know you needed a passport! What a sweet story! Do you still have the Hello Kitty mittens? :) And you know what is ironic...my dh & I got lost in St. Louis once and he proposed to me at the St. Louis arch! :lol: Just kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Savannah Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 If you can obtain passports in time, I would encourage you to go to the Canadian side. I recall going to the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station (you mentioned interest in engineering type things if I recall)as a field trip when in school. They do a great tour which might be of interest to your guys. Here's the link http://www.niagaraparks.com/nfgg/siradambeck.php The Horshoe Falls (the Cdn side) is beautiful and the thunder of the water when standing on the Cdn side is astounding. The gardens and flowers on the Cdn side are gorgeous as well....Butterfly museum, etc. Just have a look around the above Niagara Parks webstie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 Unsinkable, just gotta tell you, I get your location now, haha. On the way out of Buffalo we say the bronze statues of buffalo, but they were gone too fast to get a picture. :) We ended up staying at a very nice Best Western in Lackawana, on the south end of Buffalo. Price was great, food and amenities great, and it was not near a cell tower. Yeah, we originally thought 2 days. Then I got a guide book and realized there was so much more we could do, if we just took the time, hehe... It was an INSANE amount of driving; the poor baby lost his mind! But it was really worth it, because each thing we came to was so great. We got to Niagara really early in the morning, before the crowds, so there was no line for MoM. We walked around and looked at the different falls, and by that point the line for Cave of the Winds was long. Dd was too chicken, and dh figured he wouldn't see anything with his glasses off. Would have been a bummer for me to do alone, so I skipped. We ate lunch at the restaurant on Goat (fabulous btw), then left to do the jet boat ride. It was fine, good view. The one out in Oregon is SO much better, it made this company look pathetic. But it was fine and a good way to see the gorge, much better than walking with an 8 month old, that's for sure. (We left baby and dd on the dock, which worked out fine.) We saw the Power Vista and toured it, which dh liked a lot. I'm not sure the canadian one would be dramatically different, but that's interesting to know you can tour it as well. We made it up to Fort Niagara, but they were closed, a total bummer for dh. If we go back again, we'd definitely hit the fort. And yes, if we go back again, it would be a lot more fun to have passports and spend more time. This was such a quickie trip, no time to wait, but we're close enough to go back again someday, no problem. Then we could do forts on both sides, etc. We ate dinner at the Red Coach Inn, which I've gotta tell you has about the best spinach/artichoke dip I've ever consumed (we were slobbering over it, asking for more bread, blah blah)... Cost us an insane amount to eat there, but it was crazy good. Ate at McDonald's another day to compensate, haha. (Not really, but the contrast was funny!) Oh, and then we watched the fireworks over Niagara and got pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was too cool, very dramatic. Next day we drove to the Thousand Islands, which is quite the drive from Lockawana. We were starting to wonder if I was insane thinking this, as we drove past exit after exit, mile after mile. But we finally got there and were blown away. The St. Lawrence Seaway is so pristine and beautiful, and the castles are great. Just the whole experience was wonderful. Spent the night in a cottage, ate average (but filling) food because the lines to the best places were too long. Saw Ft. Drum on the way down to Letchworth for the balloon ride. Letchworth is fine but nothing compared to Watkins Glen. The balloon ride was great and the crew interesting. Next day we did Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake (ate at the inn there, SO GOOD!), then did Watkins Glen and Corning. We crashed into bed after that, haha. So yesterday we drove home, stopping at the light house in Dunkirk and looking at the Lake Erie towns in Ohio. We wanted to see GrayCliff and had plenty of time, but their 1 hour tours were full till afternoon. GrayCliff gets 3 stars in the travelbook, so that was a serious miss. Like I said, it's close enough we should go back! Oh, in Letchworth we stayed at the Pine Lodge adjacent to the Glen Iris Inn. We ate breakfast there too, which was average but very convenient.The service is too slow, and it's meant to be quiet and peaceful, not easy with a baby. But the Pine Lodge itself was terrific for a family, a great choice. I'm not sure what I'd do differently. We saw everything we wanted to, except where the days and strength ran out. It was a lot of driving, but dh just wasn't interested in the closer, lower value targets (aquarium, etc.). We didn't make it to the Adirondacks, but that would be better with older kids, not an 8 month old in tow. Even Watkins Glen was really tricky with the baby. We had to be very careful and took the alternate path (Indian Trail) going down. Well that's all! Haven't had the courage to go weigh myself, as I'm sure it ain't pretty. We ate pizza at this place in Corning that had lines out the door even at 8:30 at night... That's some pizza place! Yummo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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