Briefly from our first trip to Niagara Falls, USA.
1 To visit Niagara Falls, the Airport is the Buffalo airport in New York
2 Airport taxi to hotel in Niagara is $77, taxi will ask you for a $14 tip and offer you if you ride back with him again, he will give you discount to ride back ($14)! We took an Uber for just $45 (included 20% tip)
3 It’s about 35-40mins ride from airport to Niagara Falls and It’s about 25-30mins ride from Falls to buffalo downtown. For short visit, better to stay close Niagara Falls (My Hotel Options : Red Coach Inn, Sheraton by the Falls)
4 We stayed at Red Coach Inn for this trip and it is in the best location for the Falls, it’s an old country style inn, but convenient.
5 The Niagara Falls hold the reputation of being the SECOND LARGEST waterfall in the world!
- The three waterfalls merge together to produce the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth, peak flow 700,000 gallons per second!
- The Niagara Falls were created by glacier activity thousands of years ago.
- vertical height over 176 feet in some sections
6 The Niagara Falls are located on the border of New York, USA and Ontario, Canada. I wish I can cross to the Canada side, if you think you can , bring your passport!
7 Niagara Falls are made up of 3 waterfalls; The American Falls, The Bridal Veil Falls and The Horseshoe Falls.
Niagara Falls are pretty cool, we thought it’s just a tourist trap before we went. At the current rate of erosion scientists believe that the Niagara falls will be gone in around 50,000 years. So go check it out before you will be gone!!!
8 We are just damp at Niagara Falls, tourist are not allowed to play waterfalls.
Only damp on Maid of the mist and Cave of the Winds…
9 Maid of the Mist is a MUST for the falls (Hornblower for Canada side), $18 each
- For more than 150 years the Maid of The Mist boat rides have provided visitors with the journey through the crashing waters beneath the falls. It’s one of the North America’s oldest tourist attractions.
10 Must go to the Cave of the Winds, next time I won’t wear the rain coat, I’d get real wet at the hurricane deck!!!, $20 each
- Torn down and re-built every year!
11 Only the 2 big boats can operate for tourist at the falls (Maid of the mist (NY), Hornblower (Canada)). Nothing else allowed to be around the Falls, no rafting etc.
12 Waterfalls light illumination is every night from dusk to midnight
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13 Traditional fireworks are still used today at the Falls, setting the sky ablaze on US and Canadian holidays and other special occasions during the warmer months of the year. Waterfalls fireworks during our visit (July), every Mon-Fri at 10pm.
14 Helicopter over the falls is very interesting but we don’t have time.
15 Night cruise is only available on the Canada side.
16 Free observation deck over the Falls at night, NY
- The Observation Tower at Prospect Point has been one of the best places to view the falls for over 40 years. Guests stand 282 Feet above the gorge.
17 Not many things start early in the morning around the Falls, it’s better to stick with the hotel breakfast
18 Two or Three days are enough time to visit either side of the falls, if you do both sides (US & Canada), 3-4 days are better.
19 There are other tours in Buffalo, canal tour, wine tour or the jet boat tour but they are not at the falls area.
20 Niagara Falls State Park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year round.
21 The Niagara Scenic Trolley makes a complete circuit of the park approximately every 30 minutes. It’s time well spent to acquaint yourself with the park’s layout and history, courtesy of the tour guide. Your Scenic Trolley ticket is good all day, so you can get off at any stop to explore at your leisure, then re-board to continue on to the next destination.
22 “Anchor Bar” is home of the original buffalo wings, but it’s located in Buffalo downtown (30mis away).
You can also find another Anchor Bar at the Buffalo airport.
23 Duff is also famous for Buffalo wings, you can find it somewhere in Niagara area for both sides, NY and Canada.
24 Hard rock is always crowded in with Americans, it’s in the area by the falls.
Niagara Falls State Park has a number of food service outlets ranging from grab-and-go snack bars and cafes to the spectacular Top of the Falls Restaurant, which provides visitors floor-to-ceiling views of the Falls from every table.
25 Peanut Donut in Buffalo?!? Paula’s is in Buffalo downtown, Frankie’s is around the Falls (not near the falls).
Paula’s donut is more viral on internet but local Uber driver told me, Paula used to work with Frankie!
We had some donuts at Frankie’s, and it was just okay…
Stay tuned for more pictures soon 🙂
Visited: 17-19 July 2017
