Niagara Falls.. and Much More!
Written: Oct 21 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Falls and surrounding scenery, many places to go and see
Cons: Can be quite touristy, exchange rates can be disappointing, crowds at times
The Bottom Line: Niagara Falls is something that should be seen during your life. Traveling to this attraction offers much more than just viewing the falls.
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| Javelina's Full Review: Niagara Falls |
The first time I went to Niagara Falls, I decided to go in early December. My tactic being that it would be less crowded than usual, since millions of people visit the falls every year. I was surprised to find that there was a fair amount of tourists and visitors there, despite the snow, wind, and below-freezing temperatures. I cannot imagine the crowds that must overcome the falls region when the weather is good and on holidays! My other visits to the falls were not at particularly warm times of year, mostly in avoidance of crowds as well.
Although it was cold, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. It is pretty easy to get there as long as you know where you are going. All of my visits to the falls have been on the Canadian side, rather than the American side. There are several major highways that go to the falls, and the Buffalo airport is nearby as well. The first thing you notice as you get close to the falls region, are the tall buildings, and at night, the lights. Much of the activity in the Niagara Falls area is clustered. Usually, upon entering Canada, you are asked where you live, where you are coming from, where you are going, and how long you are staying. The border security has always asked me for a form of identification as well.
There are many hotels located right on Niagara Falls, and most of them are fairly tall buildings, offering really nice views. There is quite a variety of places to choose from. The prices of accommodations can be extremely pricey (such as those right on the falls), so I recommend doing some research and comparisons before settling on something. It is amazing how many hotels there are, and it is a wonder as to how they all stay in business. Keep in mind that some of the hotels are quite decrepit, so make sure you are getting something decent!
If you stay at a hotel, there is a good chance you can catch a shuttle to Casino Niagara or somewhere in the vicinity, because there is a constant flow of buses representing various hotels going through the parking lot of the Casino. It makes traveling very convenient, and you do not have to worry about trying to park somewhere. Not only that, but the drivers of the bus usually rattle off information about local attractions and tips about the Casino and other places.
There are endless things to do in Niagara Falls, and I think it is a great place for all ages. To begin, there's a little "downtown" area (on the Canadian side) where a lot of attractions are located, which includes “Clifton Hill" . This short, steep hill is home to (and the epicenter of) many attractions. There is Casino Niagara , which sports a high tower type structure, and can be seen from quite a distance. The Casino is always bustling with activity, and is open 24 hours a day. If you go to the Casino, make sure you sign up for a “Players Advantage Card”, which you present at the tables or put into the slot machines. It keeps track of the time you stay, money spent, and so on, and will reward you with “comps”- which can be something like free parking or free food. This is the casino at present, but there is another casino being built not far down the road, so it looks like there will be some competition.
As you work your way up Clifton Hill, there are more than enough little stores and other attractions to choose from. There's the Guinness World Records Museum (lots of sports info), Ripley's Museum , several haunted houses (not just for kids!), mini golf, food and restaurants, and more. I recommend Dracula’s Haunted House , which is pretty scary. I was pretty skeptical of the fear factor, so to speak, but let me tell you, I got my money’s worth! I do not recommend taking kids there! (Or yourself, if you get scared easily). There are several wax museums, although I have not gone myself, because those places don’t really interest me. At the bottom of Clifton Hill is a nice viewing area of the Falls, where you can also depart on the Maid of the Mist , go to the Secret Garden restaurant, the Duty Free Shop, and other places.
There are lots of great places to eat! On and around Clifton Hill, there are several places to go. Kelsey’s is your average type restaurant, which I would compare to a Houlihans or TGI Friday’s. Rainforest Café just opened up in 2001, and it is a really neat place to have a meal. The billboard advertisements for Rainforest Café in Niagara Falls sport a huge cutout of a great white shark, exclaiming about the free shark exhibit, but I knew they would not have any large sharks, and when we got there, I was right… there were some wee little sharks swimming around! Anyway, the overall atmosphere is neat, with every inch of the place covered in greenery and animatronic wildlife, but the food is on the pricey side (and not as vegetarian friendly as I would have liked). This is just a really neat place to eat. Of course, there is also Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood , which are fun places to go. Just remember, on a Saturday night for example, these places get extremely busy and can have long waits, so prepare with this in mind. My strategy was to go to the popular places for lunch and the less popular for dinner.
Two restaurants that I highly recommend are Sushi Gardens and Xin Vego . Sushi Gardens is located not far from Clifton Hill, away from the crowded tourist areas. It is a neat little Japanese restaurant, with interesting décor and great atmosphere. The food is wonderful, and the tables are situated around a hibachi grill. Many of the entrees are cooked in front of you on the grill, and if you haven’t had the experience of seeing this before, it is really interesting. The chef does all kinds of neat things, like throwing sharp cooking utensils around!
Xin Vego is the first vegetarian restaurant in Niagara Falls, and is located at 4939 Victoria Avenue (which is simple to get to). The atmosphere and décor is wonderful as well, and the menu is heavenly for vegetarians and just about anyone else. This was the first place I have eaten at that is truly 100% vegetarian, and I had a wonderful experience. The prices are reasonable and the food is terrific (which was also the sentiment of the non-vegetarian that I went with). We had a quiet meal, and the service was extremely personable.
There are of course, many other attractions in the surrounding areas outside Clifton Hill. Some include the IMAX theatre, the Skylon Tower (for rides and meals- a little pricey though), and Marineland (which is not open all year). There are just too many things to list. A suggestion- pick up free guidebooks and coupon books wherever you can find them (hotel lobbies or rest stops). They usually give directions, list different attractions, and have lots of coupons that will save you money. It is easy to find coupons for places like Kelsey’s, the haunted houses, Ripley’s, wax museums, Rainforest Café, Hard Rock Café, and many other attractions.
There is a really nice new movie-theatre about 10 or 15 minutes from the Clifton Hill area. You simply go down Lundy’s Lane, and make a left onto Montrose Avenue. Just taking the drive there gave me a chance to see a whole bunch of things I would not have otherwise seen. There were quite a few stores and other little attractions along the roads. The movie theater is a Cineplex Odeon, and has great stadium seating, as well as huge screens that are curved.
The falls of course are incredible. At night the Falls are lit up in different colors, and sometimes there are fireworks displays. There is usually a cloud of mist in the falls, accompanied by the roaring sounds of the rushing water. When the sun comes out it is common to see rainbows. You can experience the falls by visiting overlooks, park areas, going on the Maid of the Mist , Whirlpool Jet Boat , Helicoptor rides , a walk behind the Falls, and even just while driving. There is a park-like place that runs along the water much further down from the falls that was really interesting, with white-water waves and wonderful scenery.
Niagara Falls is undeniably quite "touristy", so some of the things can be a little overdone, to say the least. But overall, it is a fun and interesting experience. My perspective is that visiting Niagara Falls should be a unique experience. Once you have gone to the falls, let’s say, for a weekend, it is easy to cover a lot of ground. The second time that I went back, almost a year later, I was not as enthusiastic as I had been the first time. Because the weather had not been suitable either time for visiting botanical gardens, fruit-picking places, and so on, our activities were more limited, and we had done quite a good amount of sightseeing and covered most of the main attractions.
The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is pretty “customer friendly”. Stores, restaurants, and other places usually accept both American and Canadian money. But the trick seems to be putting everything you can on a credit card, because you will get the best exchange rate this way. There are plenty of websites that provide currency conversions, such as www.expedia.com. Remember that there are limits as to how much you can purchase and bring back across the border, so think ahead. There is a duty-free shop in Canada, by the Rainbow Bridge, but you actually pay for the items and then I believe you pick them up after crossing the border. In any case, their website is http://www.dutytaxfree.com/.
I would recommend going to Niagara Falls as a regular trip or for a special occasion. It should definitely be on one's list of places to go. And bring a camera!
There are quite a few sites that you can find information about the Falls, but here is a sampling:
http://www.nfcvb.com
http://discoverniagara.com/discover/
http://www.infoniagara.com/d-falls.html
Recommended:
Yes
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