Niagara Falls Part 1 of 3 Series

American Falls with Observation tower and Rainbow bridge at the Background

 

We had  a great time visiting Niagara falls during the September 1^st Labor day long weekend. The hotel we checked in was awesome accommodating our extended family comfortably in the family suite with a Jacuzzi. Check out my trip advisor review for the hotel.

How the Discovery pass works?

Night on the Canadian side of the Falls

We purchased the Discovery pass that will definitely save you money if you are planning to visit atleast 3 of the spots the pass overs tickets for. Though we did not visit the aquarium or Discovery Gorge center, we still saved a bit as we did get tickets for discount through Discovery pass for Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds and a Documentary on Niagara at the Adventure theater. It also paid for a unlimited rides on the trolley for one day. One important thing to note for Trolley is you cannot board the trolley directly with the discovery pass. You will have to head first to the Trolley main station which is located at the center of the park ( a 3 minute walk from Visitor center/adventure Theater) where you will turn in the Trolley stubs from Discovery pass for blue bands that you would wear on your hand all day long which is your trolley pass. The unlimited ride is worth $2 and totally worth taking it as it helps avoid those long walks back and forth between the falls and you can still use it once if you plan to take a break in the noon, head to your hotel room for a nap and plan to be back by night for the illuminations and fireworks. The trolley would make your commute between falls/Maid of Mist/ Cave of the Winds/ Adventure Theater easier.

 

There is a small line for Adventure theater housed within the Visitor center. The Movie on Niagara was informative to some extent explaining the folk lore related to Maid of the Mist and the various adventures that people endured on the Falls. However, it could be made more informative on how Niagara was formed on the American side. However, this information was on display just outside the theater next to the gift shop for interested readers.

 

Illuminations for American Falls

The best way to watch fireworks is from the American falls. People would start gathering at the open space next to the falls. The fireworks seem to come from near/around the revolving restaurant on the Canadian side. The times would definitely vary by season hence, make sure to check the time and schedule on their website to plan accordingly.  As we visited during the popular time of the year, we had great fireworks that started at 10 PM and ended at 10:05 PM (yes, it is for 5 minutes duration). The illumination was from 830PM till midnight. It would be  a great idea to carry some lawn chairs , sit down with a hot chocolate and watch the fireworks. It tends to get colder by night especially if we stand at the ridge of the falls holding to the rails and you will not regret carrying a light jacket.

 http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/Illuminations.aspx

 

 

There are lot of fast food joints/restaurants just outside the falls park that are open till late night. We did not have issues finding food complying our vegetarian food restrictions.  Also, the Restaurant inside the park at the Horseshoe falls was ok. It was crowded but we could get a table outside. We walked on the balcony to get a glimpse of the Falls illuminated by that time and the Canadian side as well. It is a great point. The food was ok but seems overpriced for the quantity served. They did have some vegetarian options and the food was tasting good. The waiters were friendly too and apologized for the delay.

Note: The blog posts related to Niagara Falls Series describes all about American side alone.

*I  posted my experiences of our Niagara falls trip in a 3 part series . Please read the related posts Niagara Falls 2 and 3 of these 3 part series