Niagara Falls – On everyone’s Bucket List? – or used to be…But isn’t it all a little bit passe now?
To travel to the US just to see some water falling over a ravine – despite it’s a hell of a drop. That was my view – 8 hours on a flight to New York (my favourite city) and then 1 hour 45 on to Niagara. But let me tell you – what a trip, what an experience, what an amazing discovery that no one is sharing!! The best kept secret ever! So let me tell you about it.
First off, Niagara Falls USA isn’t just one Waterfall– it’s three – Horseshoe, Bridal Veil and the American Falls – each individually delightful and when all three are in view (and you are “in there”) it’s just breathtakingly jaw dropping.And secondly, it’s not just the Falls, Niagara has an incredible offering of hikes, trails, wellbeing discovery, nature, wineries, distilleries, farm stays and leisure attractions to keep you engaged and entertained for a week at least – again who knew?
I stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel Niagara Falls New York on the side of the Niagara River where the water runs down to the Falls – and I mean runs. The flow of the River as it gathers speed to the precipice is staggering. This force of nature right on the doorstep offers an incredible walk through nature. Canadian geese are part of the amble, deer, birds and the ever roar of the River as you follow it to then see its power in full glory from a viewing platform at the top of the Falls. Going down to the water level we next visited the Cave of the Winds where 757,000 gallons of water, every second, goes over the fall. We stood below, feeling the force of it and getting absolutely soaking wet despite the top to toe cagoule provided. The sounds, the spray, the sheer spectacle is mind blowing. And the water drenching is fabulous.
Next to board the Maid of the Mist, a boat that takes you to the bottom of the falls – all three of them. Seeing the drop and the result of the water fall again is breathtaking. The boat lingers in the wake of the three falls for you to experience the force of nature, the noise and the wetting – again. A quick 8 minute ride up to Lewiston (lovely little town) to take on the white knuckle Whirlpool Jet Boat. Known as the Mount Everest of White Water the rapids are Class V (pretty hairy). You can enjoy the experience wet or dry. Either way it’s a thrilling roller coaster through the rapids including Devil’s Hole which is as scary as it gets.
But beyond the water are so many things to enjoy from historic canals and museums to the wine areas developing widely in the region. There are over 25 different wineries in the area – all offering a great experience and different varieties of wines and ciders to try. For History, Old Fort Niagara is a treat. For more than 300 years it sat at the mouth of the Niagara River and the shore of Lake Ontario. It’s a living museum with original 18th century buildings and from the water’s edge you can look across to Toronto and sometimes see the Northern Lights. Among the buildings is the oldest military chapel in the USA. Our guide, Bob, had a million stories about the Old Fort, the trading with the Native Americans, the fights with the French and the English and the life of soldiers brought to life with a live performance of a gun salute! We hired bikes to enjoy the countryside and the many trails (easy riding) around the countryside. We didn’t attempt the Whirlpool Rapids Adventure Trail but you could spend a whole week just hiking or riding around the area on these fabulous trails.
Next on the plan we took a 25 minute ride to Lockport to discover the story of the making of the Erie Canal – an incredible feat of engineering in the 1820sthat opened up East to West for trading. Running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie it connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.The most popular feature of the Discovery Centre is “Gateways East & West,” a 12-minute movie about the building of the canal and the Flight of Five and Deep Cutting of the locks – the massive project at Lockport. At the end of the movie you board a “packet boat” for a simulated night-time ride up through one of the 1820s locks!And then you can do it for real and step on a boat to experience the canal and the locks themselves.
Day five and still so much to see and do, so we headed into town to check out the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center . Recently brought to public perception by the film Harriet, the museum tells the story of the escape routes for slaves to reach freedom and the “conductors” on that railway including Harriet Tubman. Our guide was Saladin Allah, a third generation grandson of Josiah Henson the famous Underground Railway Conductor Freedom Seeker who also inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Saladin continues Josiah Henson’s legacy of youth education and the truth-telling of African American history to this day. The Aquarium is on the outskirts of Niagara and is a genuinely charming project. It’s small but it’s everything you want an aquarium to be. They take injured creatures and care for and rehabilitate them. All the food is sustainable and they have a breeding programme across all species including the lovable Penguins. They are autism certified and deaf visitors have their own QR based information at each part on the tour. Tours take 2 hours and include lots of feeding opportunities. There’s lots of climate change and sea-level rises information on display and in conversation with the guides but it’s informative and not judgemental. The staff have a genuine love and duty of care for their fishy friends and our oceans – really highly recommended.
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And then some nostalgic fun which took us back to being 5 years old at fairgrounds in the UK – the Hershell Carrousel Museum. Sitting on a Carrousel listening to a genuine Wurlitzer Organ unleashed a moment of pure happiness and joy. Based on the original Herschell factory, the traditional skills are still deployed and a look around the workshop will treat you to hundreds of “horses” being restored to life for the merry-go-round. This is the only museum of its type in the world and one that for sure needs to be on everyone’s bucket list.
https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/
Getting to Niagara Falls USA
By Air
The Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) is just a 25-mile ride to and from downtown Niagara Falls, NY.
From the UK, fly with airlines including JetBlue, BA, KLM and Virgin Atlantic.
By Train
The Amtrak Niagara Falls Station (NFL) is located less than five miles from Niagara Falls State Park and downtown Niagara Falls, NY. The station is served by the Empire Service and Maple Leaf train, connecting the region to the east coast and Canada.
