Sew happily ever after Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 any advice, tips, must see/do activities so I can form a plan before getting there? Best places to stay, restaurants to try? Best time of year to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Do you have passports? Which side are you planning on staying on? We prefer to stay on the Canadian side as it's much nicer with plenty of dining options, etc, but most of what we like to DO (with the falls) is on the US side. Rather than retyping my thoughts, I cut and pasted a post I made from a similar thread back in April... -------- We stay here: http://www.sheratononthefalls.com/ because we love their falls view rooms and their location for walking distance to both the American and Canadian attractions. We can park (costs extra :glare: ) and simply walk everywhere we want to go. They have an indoor water park if that is appealing to families, but we've never been interested in checking it out. And if there are fireworks the weekend you are there (usually there are), you can see them from your room if you choose a falls view room. This is a really nice perk (for us). We don't have to worry about crowds nor returning home afterward. Here's the view of the falls from one of the rooms we had. Hubby took the pic. (if this link works properly - I'm on my computer instead of hubby's and can't put the pic in directly): http://s45.photobuck...html?sort=2&o=2 As for attractions, we love walking to the US side and walking around Goat Island (clockwise). You get to see the river build in its fury in a way that one can't see as much from the Canadian side. Then you end up at both falls, getting to walk across a small bridge crossing Bridal Veil. This whole section is as close as you can get to the Falls. I should probably add that when walking around Goat Island one MUST go out to Three Sisters (islands). It's a very short walk at about the 3 o'clock position and from the end (the Third Sister) one really sees the fury of the river. If you opt to take the tram instead, there is a stop here. We've never done the tram. We prefer walking, but I know others have different needs or time constraints. If you can afford it, we also like going down next to the American Falls and basking in the spray. This departs from Goat Island. You can take as long as you want to bask and feel the force of the water. We also tend to do the Maid of the Mist boat ride from the US side. If you hit this early morning or closer to closing it's often not crowded. Hornblower cruises goes from the Canadian side, but their boats are larger (more crowds) and we just prefer the smaller boat feel. I also think the boats leaving from the US side get a tad bit closer to the US falls, but that may be just my perception. Either way, doing one or the other is a must for us. On the Canadian side we enjoy the walk behind the Falls (leaves from Table Rock area) to see the water from the backside - and again - feel the force of it all. Sometimes we go up in the tower, but that's not a "need" for us. We like the view from our room and closer to the falls better than from above. There are a couple of movies that can be fun and a daredevil museum that is interesting. When the kids were younger we also let them play in the arcades or hit putt putt sometimes. Be sure to stop at Smoke's Poutinery for a true Canadian dish (poutine). It's probably a -10 on the health scale, but we love it anyway. https://smokespoutinerie.com/ There's pretty much anything else you'd ever want to eat on the Canadian side too. We've done the buffets at the Sheraton. They are quite good - very good - but also very pricey - so we don't do them often. It's far less expensive to get food elsewhere and just eat it in our room enjoying the view. There are other things there too - tons of other things - but those are our personal favorites from many visits. Staying on the Canadian side is preferred. Goat Island on the US side is our favorite attraction though - tied with the Maid of the Mist. It only costs 50 cents to walk across the border. Bring your passports. You are still crossing the border. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sew happily ever after Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 Very helpful! Thank you. We don't have passports, but I did look into getting passport cards for dh and I and taking the kids' birth certificates. Years ago, when I was just age 13, I rode my bike to the Canadian side of the falls from Indiana. Quite an impressive trip and I never cared to go back, but I've decided I'd like the kids to see the falls. Plus I didn't get to ride he maid of the mist when I was there and a part of me still wants to do that. I loved the Canadian side and it was simply amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I think you need to know that it's not just for honeymooners. DH and I got married there! 😄. We did every niagara falls activity, and then toured through some of Canada. I'd recommend everything! We were too poor to stay close near the falls or eat at fancy places. But I'm jealous and happy for you. Have a great trip :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Based on Faith Academy Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 I live in NY and still enjoy visiting the falls a few times a year. For our anniversary my dh and I went and stayed on the Canadian side. I have honestly never stayed on the US side because the Canadian view is so much more spectacular. In NY you can get an enhanced license and only need that and the kids birth certificates to go to the Canadian side. I am not exactly sure what states allow that besides NY but I do know a few do. I enjoy eating at the Hard Rock Cafe on the US side. Definitely make the effort to go on the Maid of the Mist. If it is really hot I would suggest walking near the falls because you can get soaked and it relieves the heat for awhile. You can also walk behind the falls. The Canadian side has quite the night life and it is all within walking distance of the falls. It has even things for kids to do like arcades. My dh and I were so surprised at all the kids out at midnight when we went walking around. Don't forget in Canada they can drink at 18 and some parts 19. They have a place to midnight bowl and play pool right near the falls. That is more for young adults in my opinion but my dh and I walked through it just to see what was happening. If I think of more I will let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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