Niagara Falls Part 3 of 3 Series

Cave of the Winds from View point of American Falls

 We next visited the Cave of the Winds which is a 10 minute walk from Maid of the Mist or you can opt to board the trolley at the line immediately after coming out from Maid of the Mist. Once at the Cave of the Winds, You could go ahead and stand in the line to collect sandals with your Cave of the Winds stub from the Discovery pass/ tickets. Everyone has to be in person to collect the sandals and producing tickets on behalf of others are not  accepted. There are restroom facilities and benches for seating available in this area. Then, you will head to the other line where you have the option to get photographed with a Cave of the Winds scenery propped up in the background. After you successfully get closer to the elevator area snaking through the long lines, you can park your stroller with your bags( I suggest you leave all your valuables at hotel before you head to this trip if you plan to get totally drenched). Once down the elevator, you will walk through a  looks like tunnel and come out to the open. There you will be given yellow ponchos to wear on and take your walk through the board walk made out of wood first downstream where you will get a great view of the gushing water and your feet is likely to get drenched. Throughout the ascent to Hurricane deck, the topmost view point , there are a number of view points along the stairs that gives a great glimpse of the Bridal Veil waterfalls and American water falls as well. 

 

The best part of the stairs is there are walk boards joining the ascent and descents at certain points where the visitor can choose to descend down if he/she doesn’t want to proceed till the hurricane deck. This is helpful for people who may not be willing to take all the stairs. We chose not to get our 18 month old son drenched under the Bridal veil falls at the Hurricane deck so we had the option to stand aside and watch the falls instead of walking beneath the falls.  It also helped us to take turns to get drenched in the falls /hold our son. It is a great idea to come here in swimming shorts if you do not like to stay wet until you head back up the elevator past the lines, and endure the long lines at restrooms or until you walk down to your hotel room. Thankfully, the weather though was not very sunny, the waters were cool but not biting cold and we all had great spritz. The wild flowers, mossy rocks, water thundering and the flowing waters are a great relief and soothing to mind and soul.

 

It is ok to carry your cameras/backpacks as long as you do not walk right underneath the waters.  It is a good idea to wear the sandals that they provide as it is going to get totally wet and you do not want your best sandals/slippers to get ruined.

*This is the last part of the Niagara Falls 3 part series. Please read the Niagara Falls blog posts in the following order of the series : 1, 2, 3.