Views of Niagara Falls

When you think of iconic North American experiences, a few landmarks immediately come to mind. For me, it’s the Statue of Liberty. Hoover Dam. The Grand Canyon. Mount Rushmore. The Golden Gate Bridge. And of course, Niagara Falls. 

As a born and raised East Coast girl, I’m not sure how I had never been here before. My parents only went for the first time last year, albeit to the tackier, casino-filled American side. The falls, made up of three separate waterfalls, Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls, separate the United States and Canada.

I had already crossed this border a few days prior, but by land. The Megabus from Washington DC pulled into the customs checkpoint where I was interrogated by a blonde woman whose name tag read Chuck. She asked all manners of questions about how much money I had, what my job entailed and what the purpose of my visit was. I thought we were supposed to be friendly neighbors.

So what makes these waterfalls so impressive, so engrained in the minds of every American and Canadian? They have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world. People have put them to the test by rolling over them in barrels and as recently as last year, walked over them on a tightrope.

Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Princess Diana to 90s group Aqua to yours truly has donned the yellow ponchos to experience the power of the falls. This particular poncho was assigned for the Journey Behind the Falls attraction, in which guests take an elevator down 125 feet to the base of the falls.

After drying off and ridding ourselves of the plastic ponchos, our group had lunch at Elements on the Falls, whose large windows provide the best view of the falls. There is something on the menu for every taste, but be warned that the portions are massive, and that’s coming from an American used to big plates.

A trip to the Skylon Tower looked eerily like Toronto’s CN Tower, but with a very different view. Similar to its city counterpart, there is a restaurant at the top as well as an observation deck that allows visitors to see unobstructed views of all the falls, the American and Canadian sides and, on a clear day, the Toronto skyline.

It’s easy to write off Niagara Falls as an object of kitsch, but there are some places that are tourist attractions for a reason. Embrace your inner tourist, poncho and all.

For More Information

I was a part of a group that drove from Toronto, which takes around 2 hours, but you can also take Megabus, which drops you off at the bus terminal. The Niagara Falls Bus Terminal is situated at 4555 Erie Avenue, on the southwest corner of Bridge Street and Erie Avenue. It’s also the stop for Amtrak and Via Rail trains as well as Greyhound Canada buses.

A combination pass is the most budget efficient way to see the Niagara Falls attractions. The Adventure Pass costs $46.95 CAD for adults, $34.95 for children and free for children under 5 and includes entry into Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, Niagara’s Fury and the White Water Walk.

There are a handful of budget options, including a few hostels, if you want to stay in Niagara Falls and explore the surrounding parks after you’ve seen the falls. HI Niagara Falls is on the Canadian side. You can also book a tour that will take you to the local eateries and experiences of Niagara’s Canadian side.

I was a guest of Niagara Falls Tourism and Ontario Tourism as a part of a pre-trip for the Travel Blog Exchange conference, but all opinions are my own.