JENERIC TRAVELS: Day 8-9: Niagara Falls (Eric)

Day 8-9 (June 6-7, 2021): I hadn’t had a chance to blog about Niagara Falls as we’ve been busy exploring Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park (more on that in another post). But I wanted to get something posted before too much time passed as I was afraid I wouldn’t remember as much about the experiences we had while visiting the spectacular Niagara Falls State Park.

First of all, if you’ve never been to the area, be warned that it is a little on the touristy side (with a Hard Rock Cafe, a wax museum, and a large number of cheesy gift shops), but the falls themselves are a sight to behold and worth the visit.

We stayed at the Hyatt Place in Niagara Falls which is conveniently located near the falls and some of the aforementioned tourist traps. But it is a nice hotel and the location can’t be beat. It also has a nice view of Canada from the window which Bitey enjoyed. I think he’d like to be Canadian.

Since we were there for two days, we explored the State Park and did the overlooks, The Maid of the Mist Boat Tour, and The Cave of the Winds. All three were amazing, but if you’re pressed for time or money, you can experience the majesty of the falls for free from the overlooks. Niagara Falls technically consists of three different falls, the America Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Horseshoe Falls. There is an overlook for each one, and it is a little bit of a walk to go onto Goat Island to get to the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls overlooks, but it’s worth the trip. Here are some of the views from the overlooks.

America Falls…

Bridal Veil Falls…

What you’re seeing below are tourists on the Cave of the Winds excursion (more on that later).

Horseshoe Falls…

Away from the overlooks, the park itself is beautiful and you can get away from the crowds and see some views of the Niagara River which is an impressive sight as well as the river picks up momentum to go over the falls.

If you happen to be in the area at night, the overlooks are worth revisiting as they light up the falls with different colored lights intended to either celebrate a recent event or represent the colors of nature. It’s nothing short of spectacular.

Now on to the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour. This is not cheap, and between the Cave of the Winds excursion and the boat tour, I would pick the cave (which by the way exists only in name now, so don’t expect to see an actual cave). In my opinion, the Cave excursion is more exciting and cheaper, so if you only have time for one, I recommend this.

Having said that, the boat tour is an adventure too and includes a view from the observation deck before the boat trip which provides some more panoramic views of the falls.

The boat tour is cool because you get to see the falls from a different perspective, and the tour takes you into the center of the Horseshoe Falls where you get pummeled by the wind and the spray. It’s quite an experience.

The Cave of the Winds excursion involves taking an elevator down to the base of Bridal Veil Falls where you explore via a man made walkway (which is rebuilt yearly during the spring). The most exhilarating part is the Hurricane Deck which is an area where you’re getting slammed by the force of the falling water. It sounds intimidating, but it’s definitely worth the visit. I could not use my phone camera for parts of this for obvious reasons.

We also found time to walk down river along the Niagara River Gorge Trail. This is a scenic trail that definitely gets you away from the crowds. We saw very few people, and it was nice to explore a part of the area that fewer people visit.