Travel Forum / Destinations / USA and Canada / March 2006

Don't miss the casino(American side)

Just the exact opposite.

I go up to Niagara-on-the-lake quite often, living in Pa.  If you have a
passport, do go over to the Canadian side of the Falls, too.  IMHO, the
view is much better and you can get closer.  Both sides are touristy,
though.

As for winery tours, there are many in the area.  Following the water
heading north on the Canadian side leaving the Falls area, you'll pass
the butterfly aviary.  Continue towards NOTL, you'll pass a few winerys.
  (If you like sweet, smooth wine, try the ice wine - delicious but
expensive).  If you have time, the small town of NOTL is cute with
flowers everywhere.  At the flower bedecked Princess Hotel, there are
horse drawn buggys to take you around town. Three playhouses in the town
do plays from George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries for a fraction
of the price of a NY play.  Its only about 20 minutes from the Falls.

There is a rather good restaurant at the top of the hill overlooking
Niagara-on-the-lake but I can't remember the name.  It is at a
roundabout just before descending down to Lake Ontario.  There is also a
statue there called Brock monument with good views.

Lots of B&B's but I usually stay on the NY side so I can't help in this
area.  Since I am a woman traveling solo just to attend plays, I have
found it much cheaper to return to USA to sleep and re-enter Canada the
next day.
Rt. 62 has plenty......   Travlr

The Canadian side is actually a little more touristy in some ways. There are
a few blocks of tourist traps a short distance from the falls. There are a
lot more hotels, motels and restaurants on the Canadian side, and a lot more
tourist attractions.

The butterfly conservatory is great, though it might depend on your level of
interest in butterflies.  It is on the grounds of the school of
horticulture, which is also worth a visit, and it's free.

If you are interested in hiking, there is a great hiking trail down into the
gorge at the Niagara Glen, about 6 miles downstream from the falls, close
the the butterfly conservatory.  There is a great cycling trail along the
Niagara River, or you can walk it.  You would probably enjoy the town of
Niagara on the Lake, and you can get maps of the wineries, most of which are
near NOTL.

"Shelly" writes:

First, separating the three falls are Goat Island and Luna Island.
Both are parkland and provided with viewpoints.  You can drive or
walk onto Goat Island from the US mainland, and there used to be a
tourist road-train also.  Luna Island is much smaller and only
reached on foot.  On the Canadian (west) side you have a strip of
parkland along the river, from which is the best overall view of the
falls.  The best sunlight angle is in the afternoon.

On either side you can get quite close to the top of the falls and
see the rapids above the falls (where the river twists to put Canada
on the south side).  But if you want to see the falls from the bottom,
which is perhaps even more impressive, you'll have to pay admission
to someone.  There are three choices, all accessed by private elevators:

 * Maid of the Mist boats (US or Canadian side, return to same place)
 * Cave of the Winds (US side, goes near base of two falls)
 * Journey Behind the Falls (Canadian side, one viewpoint near base of
   falls -- seen in the movie "Niagara" -- and another behind the water)

Any of them is well worth doing if you want to try it; the boat probably
gives the most impressive view.  You are given protection against the spray.

There are also high-level tower viewpoints which also charge admission,
and helicopter tours.

The Rainbow Bridge, the international bridge just north (downstream)
of the falls, has a pretty good view of the falls and you can cross
it on foot if you want.  (Of course you need to carry the same identi-
fication you would for any other border crossing -- even if you only
go part way out and return.)

Not much further downstream, the river squeezes into a narrow gorge with
some truly impressive rapids at the bottom.  I consider these a must-see.
For a closeup view, which I recommend, you must take the White Water
Walk (private elevator to a riverside walkway -- seen in the movie
"Superman II").

The water from these rapids flows into a turbulent pool called "The
Whirlpool" (there isn't one big whirlpool as such, but the circular
current forms many little ones) on the side of the gorge where it
makes a sharp turn.  I don't think there is any public access to this at
a low level, but you can take an aerial cable car (the "Spanish Aero Car")
across it and back, and you have a lengthwise view of the rapids as well.
Both the White Water Walk and the Spanish Aero Car are on the Canadian
(west) side.

Still further north there is hiking access to the river, I believe on
both sides, but I've never done this and have no details.  Around
Queenston the gorge ends and from there on north to Niagara-on-the-Lake
the river is wide and calm (just as it is farther upstream, south; you
can drive the full length of the river on the Canadian side).

There are preserved or restored War of 1812 era forts on both sides:
Fort Niagara across the river from Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Fort George
(I think) on the Canadian side a bit farther south.

No comment on the other points.

We've enjoyed staying at the Inn at Lock Seven, in Thorold.  It's fun
watching the ships go through the locks!  And you can call and find out
where the ships are and can figure about what time they'll arrive at Lock 7.

http://www.innatlock7.com

WJ
Princeton, WV

Hi Bob and Shel

Sorry for braking some bad news BUT only true look at the falls is from
CANADA

See these sites
http://discoverniagara.com/attractions/main/

http://www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?site=consumers&key1=destinations&key2=GTA&
language=EN

http://www.torontotourism.com/visitor

http://www.accessniagara.com/blog/index.php

best look at the falls is at sundown under the searchlights

take care and enjoy your visit

Smiles

Check this page http://www.ghptravel.com/htm/place/cannia1.htm

it has some info about attractions and also other users reviews about it.