Only me Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Please forgive me if I posted this already but I can't find my old post. We are planning a week long trip from Chicago to the above areas. Our first stop is Niagra Falls. We will be there for two nights (one afternoon/evening and one full day). Right now we plan on staying in Buffalo but I can change that. It looks like there would be things we would want to do on both sides of the falls. Is there parking right near the falls or would it be better to take other transportation? Is there a better place to stay than buffalo if we want to be able to spend the day and a half at the falls? Also what are some "not to miss" activities. Also we want to go on the Maid of the Mist" boat ride. I understand you get pretty soaked so is that best to do at the end of the day or is there a place to change? We will also be around there for my daughter's 24th bday so I would like to plan something special. We are heading to Montreal for two nights next. I still have a lot more research to do but we definitely want to see "Old Montreal". My 18 year old son wants to spend a little time at the casino lol just because he can there but that will just be for a short time one night. Any other "must see" places? Finallgy we will be spending 5 nights (4 full days) in Toronto. We have a few things already lined up: Watching the Blue Jays game, going to the hockey hall of fame and Canada's wonderland. I've also heard good things about the CNN tower. Is there anything else we definitely shouldn't miss. I wish I could find my old thread since I think a few people commented on it. Also how is public transportation in Toronto? I will not be able to go with to Canada's wonderland due to health issues/chronic pain etc but I don't want to sit in my hotel room all day. I'm hoping I can find a few places to walk to around the hotel or take a taxi to somewhere close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 (edited) Do a search for Niagara falls, several helpful,threads will come up. Edited July 9, 2016 by KatieinMich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Public transit in Toronto is top-notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Rather than retyping, I posted my thoughts in this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/559505-traveling-to-niagara-fallswhat-do-i-need-to-know-before-going/?hl=%2Bniagara&do=findComment&comment=6502474 One of the problems you might have had in your search might be in the spelling. "Niagara" is the correct spelling. ;) We're heading there again later this month - looking forward to it! There is plenty of (paid) parking on Goat Island if you're mainly doing the US side. With Montreal and Toronto it's been years since we've been, so I'll let others comment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Thanks creekland. Oops about the spelling. I'm thinking about changing our hotel to the Canadien side. It sounds like there would be a lot to do for my young adults especially at night and the dining options. Is there kind of a "strip" that the hotels are on? If we stayed there are they all pretty much within walking distance of the falls? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 One of the problems you might have had in your search might be in the spelling. "Niagara" is the correct spelling. ;) I was just coming here to post that :) ... and to ask people to please not spell it like "Viagra" :huh: I grew up in Buffalo, but haven't been back for a while. The Falls are always impressive; we also loved Old Fort Niagara, Artpark, and watching small boats go through the locks at Lockport on the Erie Canal, and large ships go through the Welland Canal. Maid of the Mist is awesome, but I don't remember how we dried off. It is probably pretty warm there right now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Maid of the Mist is awesome, but I don't remember how we dried off. It is probably pretty warm there right now! They provide plastic hoodie things that go over your clothes. You shouldn't get too wet, from what I remember. Parking on the US side is right there, but is like $10, iirc. I thought the falls were kind of meh, to be honest. I prefer smaller waterfalls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 One of the problems you might have had in your search might be in the spelling. "Niagara" is the correct spelling. ;) I edited my post. Thank you for pointing that out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Thanks creekland. Oops about the spelling. I'm thinking about changing our hotel to the Canadien side. It sounds like there would be a lot to do for my young adults especially at night and the dining options. Is there kind of a "strip" that the hotels are on? If we stayed there are they all pretty much within walking distance of the falls? There is definitely far more to do on the Canadian side than the American for "other" entertainment such as dining and leisure. The American side mainly has a casino associated with a hotel (the Canadian side has casinos too) and a few eating places. I suggest when looking to make reservations, check out the map view to see where places are. Some can be super cheap, but those are usually not the best places for walking purposes. Clifton Hill is popular and there are some on side streets from it where one can easily walk elsewhere as long as one is "up" to walking. Fallsview places are popular too - even if you opt for a non-view room to save $$. As far as staying dry... those plastic raincoats do an ok job and the open air will do the rest. There's really no need to change clothes unless one doesn't care to use the raincoats (some don't). Your shoes will get wet, so be careful what footwear you choose. On the Goat Island "next to the falls" attraction they provide slip free sandals that you have to wear on the Boardwalk (a new set for everyone - included in your fee). Your shoes go into a bag you carry for that one. The boat and tunnels are the ones you have to worry about footwear with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I was just at Niagara today. I didn't wear the free poncho on the Maid of the Mist. My upper chest and hair were a bit wet. How wet you get may depend on the wind at the time. I was on the upper deck front center by the way. We walked to the observation deck after the tour. At one point a gust of wind came by and we got a bit wet. There was $10 parking on Goat Island and $10 parking near the visitor center. We did the walk around Goat Island that creek land recommended. It was a nice walk. Traveling to Canada took a long time. Getting over the bridge took about an hour. It looked slow every time I saw it. We stopped at the free Power Vista exhibit at the power plant. There was a lot to do. I think it could be suitable for any age. We also stopped at the Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo. It was well done. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 I was just at Niagara today. I didn't wear the free poncho on the Maid of the Mist. My upper chest and hair were a bit wet. How wet you get may depend on the wind at the time. I was on the upper deck front center by the way. We walked to the observation deck after the tour. At one point a gust of wind came by and we got a bit wet. There was $10 parking on Goat Island and $10 parking near the visitor center. We did the walk around Goat Island that creek land recommended. It was a nice walk. Traveling to Canada took a long time. Getting over the bridge took about an hour. It looked slow every time I saw it. We stopped at the free Power Vista exhibit at the power plant. There was a lot to do. I think it could be suitable for any age. We also stopped at the Roosevelt Inaugural Site in Buffalo. It was well done. Which bridge are you talking about that took an hour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Rainbow Bridge took an hour. I passed a sign around 5pm that said the Lewiston bridge was 30-60 minutes, the Rainbow Bridge was 30-60 minutes, and the one further south was 0-30 minutes. The Canadians don't keep enough lanes open so it gets really backed up. Coming back to the US was a breeze. When we went to Canada last night, 6 lanes were open. They opened 2 more just before we got there. I don't know how typical it is but the left lane moved a lot faster. The right lane on the Rainbow bridge had two lanes merging into one before getting on the bridge. That made it a bit worse. Also buses would cut across the right lane to get to the left. They needed to be in the left lane. The configuration of the open lanes on the other side was a factor. I don't know how typical our experience was. This website has wait times listed. Wait times look awesome right now. We should have crossed at midnight instead of 6pm. ;) http://www.niagarafallsbridges.com/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 Rainbow Bridge took an hour. I passed a sign around 5pm that said the Lewiston bridge was 30-60 minutes, the Rainbow Bridge was 30-60 minutes, and the one further south was 0-30 minutes. The Canadians don't keep enough lanes open so it gets really backed up. Coming back to the US was a breeze. When we went to Canada last night, 6 lanes were open. They opened 2 more just before we got there. I don't know how typical it is but the left lane moved a lot faster. The right lane on the Rainbow bridge had two lanes merging into one before getting on the bridge. That made it a bit worse. Also buses would cut across the right lane to get to the left. They needed to be in the left lane. The configuration of the open lanes on the other side was a factor. I don't know how typical our experience was. This website has wait times listed. Wait times look awesome right now. We should have crossed at midnight instead of 6pm. ;) http://www.niagarafallsbridges.com/ Wow. I had no idea. Isn't that the bridge that you can walk over too? Maybe we will try to just walk if it's not too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Rainbow Bridge is the one you can walk over. It has pretty nice views of the falls but the view from Maid of the Mist was better. The Maid of the Mist is between Rainbow Bridge and the falls. If you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, you might do the Hornblower on the Canadian side. It looked essentially identical except for the colors of the ponchos. There is also a jet boat tour that looked amazing. The Costco in St. Katharine had discount tickets available for $48. I don't remember any of the other details of the tickets and I didn't take a picture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 23, 2016 Share Posted July 23, 2016 Not sure exactly when you are going (or went) on this trip, but we're here now - relaxing in the early afternoon after a tasty Mediterranean lunch and having been on the boat (Hornblower - Canadian side) and going into the tunnels earlier today. We also did the movie, Niagara Fury on the Canadian side. Skip that one! It was really, really, really NOT worth the money or time (sigh). If you'd like a movie experience, do the Imax and couple it with a visit to the Daredevil Museum... Came on to post pics in case some are interested: View from our room at the Sheraton - aka - what I'm looking at as I type - we find it worth the $$, but YMMV. To save money we get cheaper food to go and eat it with our view, though we didn't do that for lunch today. We splurged instead for that one meal. (Sheraton On the Falls): View from our room at night: Another from our room at night: View of the fireworks at night - also from our room - meaning we could avoid (or watch) the hoards at the river's edge while watching the show. The five of us (youngest son, middle son, us two old fogies, and middle son's gf) down at Horseshoe Fall's side (part of the Journey Behind the Falls): A trip from long ago (sigh). Couldn't resist adding it as I was looking though our NF picture folder. "Dragons live forever, but not so little boys..." Middle son and youngest son are on the left of hubby. Oldest is on the right. Seize the day - and take pics to reminisce with later. We've had many trips to NF between the two pics, but the time went by way too quickly. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted July 23, 2016 Share Posted July 23, 2016 Not sure exactly when you are going (or went) on this trip, but we're here now If only you'd said so... we were in Niagara Falls yesterday, hunting Pokemon (mostly on the American side), and crossed the bridge by foot because the kids had never been abroad before, had lunch on Canadian side, looked at falls from Canadian side, caught a couple of Pokemon, and walked back across bridge. And ugh, it was too hot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Having finished our trip - with a new person along this time - I figured I'd sum up our thoughts. Favorite attractions (in order): 1) Cave of the Winds - no contest that this was everyone's favorite. You're literally right next to Niagara Falls and getting soaked by the water from Bridal Veil. There is no place to get closer to the falls. This attraction is on Goat Island and is the one we all would do if we could only do one thing here. 2) Maid of the Mist/Hornblower boat ride - MotM is on the US side, not from Goat Island - from the other side of the falls. Hornblower is on the Canadian side. While this is essentially the same trip, having looked at the boats several times, MotM will get you about a boat length or a little more closer into Horseshoe Falls. (This may be pilot dependent, but was definitely true with the boats we were watching.) 3) Walk the path around Goat Island - clockwise - from the pedestrian bridge. You get to see the river from a quiet, quick moving river to some cascades, to rapids, to all of its fury, and then the final falls. It's very, very impressive - and good exercise. Goat Island is only accessible from the US side and can be reached by walking or by vehicle (pay for parking). 4) Walk over the pedestrian bridge to Luna Island. See the water from above - right next to (or in between) the two falls on the American side (Niagara and Bridal Veil). Again, this gives one awesome up close vistas - it's as close as you get on the "top" to any of the massive waterfalls and gives you a great perspective. 5) Journey Behind the Falls - Canadian side - leaves from the Welcome Center at Table Rock next to Horseshoe Falls. This gets you down next to Horseshoe Falls and you get to go behind the falls in tunnels that were dug in the 40s. It's really neat seeing a waterfall from behind - esp one with such massive amounts of water. Hint: The first portal is actually more fun to view than the second because more light and air is involved and you can really see the patterns in the mist and kickback from the water hitting the pool at the bottom. 6) Daredevil Museum with or without the Imax film. This is on the Canadian side and is behind Skylon Tower. We didn't do it this trip, but have on others. Then there are all sorts of other activities one can do - most are on the Canadian side. My kids enjoyed indoor putt putt, beer tasting, the arcade, and even walking in the extensive gardens/park. Hubby and I have done all of that (more or less) before, so settled for just walking in the park next to the falls and enjoying each others company while people watching. Then too, we also enjoyed the view from our room - both falls and people watching. SKIP Niagara's Fury on the Canadian side. This is a really skimpy attempt at some sort of movie/water attraction (sigh). It's way too expensive for what it's worth. I wouldn't do it again if it were free. We ALWAYS stay on the Canadian side and have a huge personal preference for the Sheraton, but there are other places around too. The Canadian side has oodles of dining options (we love Smokes, Tim Hortons, and Casanova). They have a gorgeous setting with how they keep up their park, etc. It's just a really nice place all around and the only way you're going to get the direct "view" of the falls as from a postcard. Prepare to pay for parking. But the US side has the best places to really get close to the falls and FEEL their power - if one skips the American side, one honestly misses the falls in our (nature loving) opinion. You can see them (from afar) from the Canadian side and can sort of get close at Table Rock and behind the falls, but one can REALLY get close - and literally into them - from Goat Island, plus there's the extra advantage of being able to see the build up of the river. The Canadian side has that "postcard view" that one will miss if they only do the US side - plus, quite honestly, the park setting is really, really nice. The nice thing about the Sheraton is it's in walking distance to everything (by our walking standards anyway) and crossing the bridge on foot is only 50 cents. For those who aren't as up to walking, there are trolley transports available on both sides, but nothing crossing the border. All our two cents worth - the two of us old fogies and three college aged kids (two of whom are my kids and the other is a girlfriend just getting introduced to (and loving) the traveling life). YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Definitely stay in NF rather than Buffalo if you want to spend time at the falls. Lots of hotels and attractions in Clifton Hill and you can usually find a package deal that includes hotels, meals, and attractions. Since you're coming from Chicago, I assume you're going the northern route through Canada anyway? Then you're already on that side and could avoid cruising back into the US since you're going onto Montreal next and back to Toronto. We've stayed at the Howard Johnson and we've just walked everywhere to avoid dealing with parking. On the American side, there's a circulator trolley that takes you all over the state park once you've parked, if you go over there. The CN tower is definitely cool if you enjoy heights. Beautiful views, obviously, and fun to eat at the restaurant at night. That might be a special treat for your daughter's birthday. Enjoy your trip! ☎ Sent from my rotary phone ☎ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I would pop an Ottawa day or two in there between Montreal and Toronto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I just love the 2 family photos. So cute. I haven't been there yet. it is on my list 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 If you go to Toronto, I recommend the Royal Ontario Museum. I was there in 2002 and they had a lot of ancient Greek, Minoan, and Egyptian artifacts. There was also a fantastic croissant shop on the corner of Yonge and E Gerrard Streets. I don't remember the name of it or know if it is still there, but they had different fillings, so it was like buying donuts, except they were croissants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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