trip to usa december/january
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cora - 25 Apr 2006 12:07 GMT Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? Niagara Falls in december - to go or not to go. does anyone else have an opinion I really really want to go to the amish dfistrict in pennyslvania and thought we could stop there for a night or 2 on our way to Niagara Falls. Anymore opinions on Christmas in new York or our other option is Grand Canyon at Xmas. Also need somewhere reasonable to stay in new York if anyone knows of anywhere Shpuld we wait until we get to USA to buy cold weather gear. I have already bought thermals and fairly warm jackets, but I don't think that will be enough.
Thansk heaps tp the people who have givenm advice it has been extremely useful and I have been checking out all the links people have given me as well. Corinne
TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 25 Apr 2006 13:23 GMT > Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now > how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > as well. > Corinne I don't think you realize what the weather will really be like in the American north west in Dec/Jan. If you don't have warm clothes now and you don't experience cold weather normally, you are going to be VERY uncomfortable - especially with three small kids. The driving can be very DANGEROUS in the mountains of Pennsylvania in the winter, again especially if you are not experienced in driving in snow and icy conditions. I recommend DON'T DO IT!!!
Save this part of your trip for another time, save the money, come back to New York in the spring or fall.
As others, including me, have said in your other thread DO NOT drive to Niagara falls at that time of year. Not worth the trip. I also don't understand the idea that you have to save money on a NYC hotel but are willing to spend hundreds of dollars outfitting five people with cold weather cloths (that you probably won't use at home) for the trip. Why not save the money on the clothes and plan a return trip to NYC when the weather is better. Christmas in NYC can be great but again, with three small kids may be difficult. You will have to make that decision for yourself. I would not have gone with my kids at that age. (and for me it is a short drive home).
I am not an expert on air fares but wouldn't a return ticket to San Francisco with a return car rental now and a return ticket to NYC at another time be more reasonable than the many short one way flights and the one way car rental you plan to take in this trip? Others can probably answer that better than I.
Hope this helps.
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TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 25 Apr 2006 13:39 GMT > ... > I don't think you realize what the weather will really be like in the > American north west in Dec/Jan. North EAST - sorry.
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B Vaughan - 26 Apr 2006 16:09 GMT >> I really really want to go to the amish dfistrict in pennyslvania and >> thought we could stop there for a night or 2 on our way to Niagara >> Falls. The Amish district in Pennsylvania is not really on the way to Niagara Falls. There are several Amish districts nearer to Niagara, including one in northwestern New York State and one in southern Ontario. However, both of these districts are much more likely to have snow in late December than the Amish distict in Pennsylvania is.
> ... The driving can be >very DANGEROUS in the mountains of Pennsylvania in the winter, again >especially if you are not experienced in driving in snow and icy >conditions. I recommend DON'T DO IT!!! There is no need to go anywhere near the mountains to visit the Pennsylvania Amish country. If the family is visiting New York, they can drive down the New Jersey turnpike to its connection with the Pennsylvania turnpike, and exit the latter at the Morgansville exit. This part of Pennsylvania is at a relatively low elevation and is very unlikely to have snow in late December.
I would agree with those who suggest not driving to Niagara at this time of year. The Niagara area is much more likely to have snow than southeastern Pennsylvania.
Maybe just going to the Pennsylvania Amish district and skipping Niagara Falls would be a good idea.
There is a Sesame Street Park for small children near the junction between the NJ and the PA turnpike. It is especially nice for children under age 6 or 7. I don't
>Save this part of your trip for another time, save the money, come back >to New York in the spring or fall. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >Hope this helps.
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Keith W - 25 Apr 2006 13:35 GMT > Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now > how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? > Niagara Falls in december - to go or not to go. does anyone else have > an opinion Go. The falls in winter are much less crowded with tourists and most of the more blatant commercial absurdities are closed. If its really cold the ice formations can be amazing
> I really really want to go to the amish dfistrict in pennyslvania and > thought we could stop there for a night or 2 on our way to Niagara > Falls. Not a bad idea, alternatives include one of the Adirondack ski resorts or the delightful town of Niagara On The Lake (on the Canadian side)
http://www.niagaraonthelake.com/events/jpage/1/p/month/content.do?f=2006-12-01
Keith
PeterL - 25 Apr 2006 18:19 GMT > Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now > how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? > Niagara Falls in december - to go or not to go. does anyone else have > an opinion Driving can be a big problem. Snowstorms will make the roads almost impossible and dangerous.
> I really really want to go to the amish dfistrict in pennyslvania and > thought we could stop there for a night or 2 on our way to Niagara [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > already bought thermals and fairly warm jackets, but I don't think that > will be enough. You won't be able to get those in California.
> Thansk heaps tp the people who have givenm advice it has been extremely > useful and I have been checking out all the links people have given me > as well. > Corinne Hatunen - 25 Apr 2006 21:24 GMT >> Shpuld we wait until we get to USA to buy cold weather gear. I have >> already bought thermals and fairly warm jackets, but I don't think that >> will be enough. > >You won't be able to get those in California. Of course you can. Even Los Angeles has ski shops. ************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
Mark Brader - 25 Apr 2006 21:49 GMT Corinne writes:
> > Niagara Falls in december - to go or not to go. does anyone else have > > an opinion Peter L. writes:
> Driving can be a big problem. Snowstorms will make the roads almost > impossible and dangerous. That should be "might", not "will". As I said, there's no way to tell now.
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Bill - 25 Apr 2006 22:38 GMT >Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now >how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? >Niagara Falls in december - to go or not to go. does anyone else have >an opinion I also suggest skipping the Niagara Falls excursion this time. Going direct from NYC to the Falls is a long, dull drive at the best of times. The Buffalo/Niagara area is famous for bad weather in the winter, and if you're not accustomed to driving in winter conditions you could have a very unpleasant experience. Going by way of Penna. is a much longer trip, and as was noted, Penna. is very hilly and also is prone to treacherous driving conditions in the winter.
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Dave Smith - 25 Apr 2006 23:22 GMT > I also suggest skipping the Niagara Falls excursion this time. Going > direct from NYC to the Falls is a long, dull drive at the best of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > is a much longer trip, and as was noted, Penna. is very hilly and also > is prone to treacherous driving conditions in the winter. It's not bad weather. It is snow. You slow down a little on the roads and it looks great. Road crews in that part of NY do a great job of sanding and plowing the roads to keep traffic moving.
AZ Nomad - 26 Apr 2006 00:26 GMT >> I also suggest skipping the Niagara Falls excursion this time. Going >> direct from NYC to the Falls is a long, dull drive at the best of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> is a much longer trip, and as was noted, Penna. is very hilly and also >> is prone to treacherous driving conditions in the winter.
>It's not bad weather. It is snow. You slow down a little on the roads and >it looks great. Road crews in that part of NY do a great job of sanding >and plowing the roads to keep traffic moving. Highway driving isn't the best time to be learning slippery condition driving.
TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 26 Apr 2006 02:47 GMT > ... > It's not bad weather. It is snow. You slow down a little on the roads and > it looks great. Road crews in that part of NY do a great job of sanding > and plowing the roads to keep traffic moving. (road crews are not that good in Pennsylvania)
Dave, that's fine for us who grew up with winter driving but even in Canada you know that when we get the first snow fall there are large numbers of extra accidents as people have not changed their driving habits yet. For people who have never driven (on the right side) in snow, ice, black ice, white-out conditions, etc. it might make for a very dangerous trip plus having three kids in the car to worry about and be distracted by. I would not recommend taking the chance. It is a holiday, why put your family in possible danger?
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Hatunen - 26 Apr 2006 21:45 GMT >> I also suggest skipping the Niagara Falls excursion this time. Going >> direct from NYC to the Falls is a long, dull drive at the best of [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >it looks great. Road crews in that part of NY do a great job of sanding >and plowing the roads to keep traffic moving. "Slow down a little"?? I've been on the Depew-Erie extension of the Thruway when there was a raging blizzard going. When I finally got to the toll booth I was exiting at (the next part of the Thruway was closed) I told the toll taker they should pay ME. And I was once on a bus travelling from Erie to Albany on old US-20 (before the Thruway was complete) that arrived in Albany twenty hours late.
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Dave Smith - 26 Apr 2006 23:18 GMT > "Slow down a little"?? I've been on the Depew-Erie extension of > the Thruway when there was a raging blizzard going. When I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > US-20 (before the Thruway was complete) that arrived in Albany > twenty hours late. That would be the exception rather than the rule. For four years I chaperoned my son's high school ski club trips to Ellicottville almost every Friday during the ski season. The bus ride was a little less than 2 hours on average. We were never snowed out, snowed in or delayed more than 15 minutes due to snow. .
Hatunen - 26 Apr 2006 23:58 GMT >> "Slow down a little"?? I've been on the Depew-Erie extension of >> the Thruway when there was a raging blizzard going. When I [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >That would be the exception rather than the rule. Well, certainly. It doesn't take much in the way of exceptions to ruin a perfectly good vacation, though.
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Dave Smith - 27 Apr 2006 01:28 GMT > >That would be the exception rather than the rule. > > Well, certainly. It doesn't take much in the way of exceptions to > ruin a perfectly good vacation, though. It is a good thing for Florida's tourism business that people don't avoid the state because of Hurricanes, and that people haven't avoided Washington because of a volcano eruption 20 years ago, or New York City because people get mugged. We had a nasty blizzard here 29 years ago. There was about 4 feet of snow where I live and most of the roads in the area were closed for days. It was the worst blizzard that we had had in more than 100 years, and there hasn't been anything like it since. By your reckoning, the risk is still there.
TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 27 Apr 2006 03:05 GMT >>>That would be the exception rather than the rule. >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > more than 100 years, and there hasn't been anything like it since. By > your reckoning, the risk is still there. Dave, now you're being silly.
I think a lot of people have expressed the opinion that a family of five, with three little kids, half way around the world from home, not used to winter driving where there's a high probability of ice and snow, driving in a strange country, on unfamiliar roads, in strange rental car, where we're driving on the wrong side of he road, in the dead of winter, during the darkest shortest days of the year, might be putting themselves at unnecessary risk.
According to the Weather Network site, Buffalo averages 61 cm (2 feet) of snow in Dec. and another 65 cm (2 feet) in January. I would say there is a high probability of bad weather. Why risk their time, money, and safety?
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JamesStep@gmail.com - 27 Apr 2006 05:29 GMT > driving... in the dead of winter ...might be putting > themselves at unnecessary risk I agree. Winter driving can often be slow and stressful, and can have added risk. Plus days are shorter, and sightseeing can be much less comfortable because of the cold.
If the original poster has a choice, I'd recommend vising northern areas a different time of the year when the weather is nicer.
Jim
Hatunen - 27 Apr 2006 17:05 GMT >> >That would be the exception rather than the rule. >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >It is a good thing for Florida's tourism business that people don't >avoid the state because of Hurricanes, Arte you so certain that tourists don't avoid Florida during hurricane season (aside from the fact that hurricane season is the summer, not noted for tourism in Florida)?
>and that people haven't avoided >Washington because of a volcano eruption 20 years ago, 25 years ago; I was there. Do you really think an event that may occur on a timescale of hundreds of years compares to events that happen a couple times a winter?
>or New York City because people get mugged. I've known people who won't go to NYC because of that very thing.
>We had a nasty blizzard here 29 years ago. >There was about 4 feet of snow where I live and most of the roads in the >area were closed for days. It was the worst blizzard that we had had in >more than 100 years, and there hasn't been anything like it since. By >your reckoning, the risk is still there. Where are you? You haven't said, or it got lost in the thread. And do you really think that saying that is a way of attracting tourists? ************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
Dave Smith - 27 Apr 2006 19:37 GMT > >It is a good thing for Florida's tourism business that people don't > >avoid the state because of Hurricanes, > > Arte you so certain that tourists don't avoid Florida during > hurricane season (aside from the fact that hurricane season is > the summer, not noted for tourism in Florida)? I would avoid Florida any time in the summer because I melt in extreme heat.
> >and that people haven't avoided > >Washington because of a volcano eruption 20 years ago, > > 25 years ago; I was there. Do you really think an event that may > occur on a timescale of hundreds of years compares to events that > happen a couple times a winter? You never can tell about the way some people deal with risk factors. I consider volcanoes to be extreme calamity. Snow is just a weather condition.
> >We had a nasty blizzard here 29 years ago. > >There was about 4 feet of snow where I live and most of the roads in the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > And do you really think that saying that is a way of attracting > tourists? I am in the middle of the Niagara Peninsula.
Hatunen - 27 Apr 2006 20:15 GMT >> >It is a good thing for Florida's tourism business that people don't >> >avoid the state because of Hurricanes, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >You never can tell about the way some people deal with risk factors. I >consider volcanoes to be extreme calamity. Snow is just a weather condition. Then don't camp on volcanoes. The damage from the eruption was minor where we were (Richland and Kennewick). In fact, I was unaware tha the eruption had occured until about three hours later when the ash began to gently settle on Richland.
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Dave Smith - 27 Apr 2006 20:18 GMT > Then don't camp on volcanoes. The damage from the eruption was > minor where we were (Richland and Kennewick). In fact, I was > unaware tha the eruption had occured until about three hours > later when the ash began to gently settle on Richland. Were you living in a cave? I heard about it on the radio, and I live about 2,000 miles away from there.
Hatunen - 27 Apr 2006 20:56 GMT >> Then don't camp on volcanoes. The damage from the eruption was >> minor where we were (Richland and Kennewick). In fact, I was [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Were you living in a cave? I heard about it on the radio, and I live about 2,000 >miles away from there. It was a Sunday morning, and we spent it getting ready to go to church. We didn't turn on a radio or a TV. Remember, for us the eruption happened about 8am. For you Easterners it happened about 11am.
In retrospect, I realized that it was what had rattled our big glass sliding door. And the ash clouds, which reached Richland about the time church was out, were awesome. ************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
sechumlib - 27 Apr 2006 20:31 GMT > We had a nasty blizzard here 29 years ago. >>> There was about 4 feet of snow where I live and most of the roads in the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > I am in the middle of the Niagara Peninsula. The famous Blizzard of '78! We lived through it too, in Cleveland.
It was even weirder because it got into the 50's the day before. There had been lots of rain and I was trying to siphon a mess of water out of our driveway. Then it started to get cold and I had to move the hose before it froze. Was I glad the next day that I had!
But they have blizzards fairly often in Cleveland. There were at least two the year before.
Dave Smith - 27 Apr 2006 21:48 GMT > >> Where are you? You haven't said, or it got lost in the thread. > >> And do you really think that saying that is a way of attracting [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > The famous Blizzard of '78! We lived through it too, in Cleveland. 77. We had a powerful wind storm during the winter of 78, but Lake Erie wasn't frozen over and it wasn't snowing as hard so we didn't get the snow from the far end of Lake Erie piling up at this end of the lake.
> It was even weirder because it got into the 50's the day before. There > had been lots of rain and I was trying to siphon a mess of water out of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > But they have blizzards fairly often in Cleveland. There were at least > two the year before. There is always lots of snow around Buffalo, but the weather in Niagara Falls, even though only 15 miles away is like a different world.
TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 27 Apr 2006 22:49 GMT > ... > There is always lots of snow around Buffalo, but the weather in Niagara Falls, > even though only 15 miles away is like a different world. Exactly! But it is the DRIVING to Niagara Falls that we are discussing - and that takes our "ausie" friends through the "lake effect snow area" around Buffalo.
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B Vaughan - 27 Apr 2006 13:16 GMT >>> I also suggest skipping the Niagara Falls excursion this time. Going >>> direct from NYC to the Falls is a long, dull drive at the best of >>> times. The Buffalo/Niagara area is famous for bad weather in the >>> winter, and if you're not accustomed to driving in winter conditions >>> you could have a very unpleasant experience.
>>It's not bad weather. It is snow. You slow down a little on the roads and >>it looks great. Road crews in that part of NY do a great job of sanding [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >US-20 (before the Thruway was complete) that arrived in Albany >twenty hours late. I once took a train from New York City to Buffalo just after Christmas. So much snow piled up on the platform between carriages that it became impossible to pass from one carriage to another.
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Keith W - 26 Apr 2006 11:22 GMT >>Well this isn't a new subject, but I have more questions and don't now >>how to continue on without starting a new topic - Can anyone help??? [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > is a much longer trip, and as was noted, Penna. is very hilly and also > is prone to treacherous driving conditions in the winter. You can of course get to Niagara Falls without driving. There are flights to Buffalo and Amtrak runs a daily train service.
Keith
ginnyhw@hotmail.com - 26 Apr 2006 16:53 GMT Have you thought about Disney World instead of the Northeast? I think your kids are going to be cold and homesick spending Christmas in New York. I've lived in the Northesat all my life and visit New York City every year in April/May or October but never in the winter. It's very cold and windy and then there's the slush. If there's a big snow storm the airports close. Also Christmas in the US is a big family holiday- everything's closed and people stay home. Of course there will be things open in Manhattan but I think you'd have a much better time in Florida. Every day is Christmas in Disneyland and it's warm.
Ginny
Rita - 26 Apr 2006 18:59 GMT >Have you thought about Disney World instead of the Northeast? >I think your kids are going to be cold and homesick spending Christmas [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Ginny It is true that cold weather limits the things one can comfortably do in New York City in late December. There may be days when strolling about is comfortable and then there may not. But there is good public transportation on subway and bus and lots of shopping, museums, the theater, and other ways to spend time indoors. The city is very festive at Christmas. Other than Christmas Day itself, everything is open during that season.
You can't compare Disneyland to New York City. The former is an amusement, the latter a real city with many choices of things to do. Since the original poster is planning considerable time in California no reason not to do Disneyland and then go on to New York as planned.
B Vaughan - 27 Apr 2006 13:16 GMT >Have you thought about Disney World instead of the Northeast? >I think your kids are going to be cold and homesick spending Christmas >in New York. I've lived in the Northesat all my life and visit New York >City every year in April/May or October but never in the winter. I lived near New York City for years and always tried to get into the city at least once in the Christmas season. Snow is rare in that area in December; it usually arrives in January and especially February. It could happen of course, but the city is always warmer than the surrounding area and the snow disappears quickly. The streets and sidewalks get cleared very quickly and getting around is no problem.
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TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 27 Apr 2006 13:28 GMT > ... > I lived near New York City for years and always tried to get into the > city at least once in the Christmas season. Snow is rare in that area > in December; ... Sure, NYC is fine.
That was not the issue, it was the planning to drive from NYC to Pennsylvania, to Niagara Falls, and back to NYC that (most of us) feel is not a good plan for that time of year.
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cora - 28 Apr 2006 00:31 GMT OK everyone stop bickering. We have decided we will probably go to new York after New years and just wait and see when we get there. I really want to do some shopping over there and i assume the crowds would have died down abit by then. I know Mike said that Niagara Falls isn't that good but that would be like me telling you not to go to Ayers Rock If it was your one and only chance you might have to take it. Airfares from Aust to USA are pretty expensive. We will wait until we are in New York and then if the weather is not too bad we might take the train to Niagara Falls. I think that woiuld be alot safer. Thanks to everyone for all your rips and ideas. Anyone venturing over to Oz I am happy to answer any questions you may have Corinne
Dave Smith - 28 Apr 2006 02:57 GMT > OK everyone stop bickering. We have decided we will probably go to new > York after New years and just wait and see when we get there. I really > want to do some shopping over there and i assume the crowds would have > died down abit by then. > I know Mike said that Niagara Falls isn't that good but that would be > like me telling you not to go to Ayers Rock Niagara Falls is impressive. It is especially beautiful in the winter.
> If it was your one and > only chance you might have to take it. Airfares from Aust to USA are > pretty expensive. We will wait until we are in New York and then if > the weather is not too bad we might take the train to Niagara Falls. I > think that woiuld be alot safer. Train works :-)
noname - 28 Apr 2006 03:15 GMT I am near Niagara Falls and have driven to NYC many times and drive a lot on the thruway (I90) from Buffalo to Albany. Normally December does not have a lot of snow yet but there have been some years. So it's a chance you take but the odds are on your side.
The major snow belt is on the west side of Buffalo where Lake Erie is. I have done a lot of winter driving in New York state and the storms are not frequent, and generally short duration. The highway crews are quick to clean up after a storm.
If you do run into a storm, stay put in a motel and next day things are normally cleaned up. The odds are on your side. Just use common sense.
Most of the storms are in January & February. We are usually luck to have snow for Christmas.
> OK everyone stop bickering. We have decided we will probably go to new > York after New years and just wait and see when we get there. I really [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > to Oz I am happy to answer any questions you may have > Corinne Jon Bell - 28 Apr 2006 14:13 GMT > [...] We will wait until we are in New York and then if >the weather is not too bad we might take the train to Niagara Falls. I >think that woiuld be alot safer. As a bonus, the train route along the Hudson River between New York and Albany is one of the most scenic in the US, east of the Rockies.
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Mark Brader - 29 Apr 2006 01:49 GMT Corinne:
> > [...] We will wait until we are in New York and then if the weather > > is not too bad we might take the train to Niagara Falls. If you do this, you pretty much have to spend one day traveling there, two nights and a day at Niagara Falls, and one day traveling back. Here's the current timetable in PDF; the winter one will be similar.
http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/apr06/W08.pdf
Jon Bell:
> As a bonus, the train route along the Hudson River between New York and > Albany is one of the most scenic in the US, east of the Rockies. Agreed. Be sure to sit on the left side of the train leaving New York. But once you leave the river valley, you'll probably may want to have plenty of reading matter with you...
The train station in Niagara Falls, New York, is badly located, 4 km away from the falls. Presumably there are city buses and taxis, but I don't know; it wouldn't be a particularly interesting walk.
(There's also a train station on the Canadian side, 3 km from the falls, but if you cross the border on the train, you have to wait for everyone else on board to clear customs. Also, only one train a day does it, the one that goes on to Toronto.)
If the weather is good enough for you to drive, and you decide to do it, you have the advantage that you can take different routes coming and going. (Perhaps one way via Albany, one way via Binghamton -- there are various choices in detail.) You still want to take 3 days for the round trip, but you have the option of moving some of the driving time into the middle day by stopping for the night some distance away from Niagara Falls, if you wish. However, be sure to check weather forecasts for the whole state before you decide to do it.
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B Vaughan - 28 Apr 2006 15:40 GMT >> ... >> I lived near New York City for years and always tried to get into the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Pennsylvania, to Niagara Falls, and back to NYC that (most of us) feel >is not a good plan for that time of year. I'm sorry, but that *was* the issue. I was specifically responding to a post that said it was unwise to visit New York City in the winter. You cut that out in your response.
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TheNewsGuy(Mike) - 28 Apr 2006 17:41 GMT >... > I'm sorry, but that *was* the issue. I was specifically responding to > a post that said it was unwise to visit New York City in the winter. > You cut that out in your response. Yes, that may have been one person's response but the overall issue in this entire thread was about the "driving". Most agreed that NYC at Christmas can be an enjoyable destination. FAO Schwartz, Jets and Giants Games, Rangers, Knicks, skate at Rock. Center, ...Museums, Plays, ... and on and on ... So I also agree that post was wrong.
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