We took a 5 day trip to Niagara Falls. We still didn't get it all done in 5 days! Niagara Falls has two views. The American side and the Canadian.
We drove from Buffalo to the American side.
We flew from Atlanta, GA to We took a fun trip to Niagara Falls. We flew from Atlanta, GA to Buffalo, NY on , NY on Delta. Delta is located at the far end of the airport. If you need assistance they can take you by golf cart to close to where you get luggage. You go downstairs to get your luggage. Since it is a small airport there is no Delta club and limited places to eat at here.
We rented a car ahead of time through Costco and drove it to Niagara Falls. The car rental place is literally out the front door of the airport and you cross the street. You find which company you are renting from and check in. You go down one floor in an elevator to the car below.
It was easy to return the car too. Follow the car rental signs into the airport when you are leaving Buffalo. At one point the lane they want you in splits in two, take the left lane there and you drive right under the car rental deck. Find what company you rented from and then park there. They will come out to you.
We used We used Costco to rent our car and it was easy and cheap. With Costco you do not have to pay when you reserve it, so if the price goes down, cancel it and rebook at cheaper price before your trip. Look at all car types. We rented a Rav 4 and it was cheaper then a basic car by like $200.
Make sure once you rent your car to dial **826 to register your car encase you go through any toll areas. We went through one going there and there is no toll booth to pay, so this cut down on an extra fine if we had not registered the car. The car rental places for $3 or $4 will rent a toll booth card, but I am cheap and wanted to save money.
We also did rent a booster seat for my son $40, but I did not want to have to carry a car seat with us. He got a brand new one from them. The guidelines in Canada for car seats were a little stricter then America. I saw Enterprise has locations in Canada near the Falls so this may be a good company to rent from if anything happens they can get you a car quickly.
** Note we use ** Note we use Verizon cell phones. Our phone service was spotty while in Canada. So be prepared with maps if needed. Again, I was cheap and did not rent a car with gps thinking my phone would work. Next time I think I would pay for it in Canada. We also have the international plan so we got charged $5 a day to use our normal plan.
** If you are using a phone for a ** If you are using a phone for a GPS they have hands free laws too so make sure you have a holder for it. I took a phone holder with us.
** Another note. Many friends and places, even my moms bank all said we did not need Canadian money. In the Niagara Falls area I would highly recommend you do. You will notice on items two prices, an American and Canadian. If you charged some places they still charged the full Canadian price (the dollar was not 1:1 when we went) and some would be like oh its $27 Canadian dollars or $26 American. This happened many many places. Some charge cards or some places will charge a fee for using charge cards. I charged maybe 10 times and a few fees on a MasterCard debit card. They were fees of like 11 cents to 88 cents I think it was in relation to the price I paid. Next time, I will go to an American bank and get more Canadian money. We did go outside the Niagara area and they were not like this and my mom did an Canadian cruise a few months later and she did not find it this way either. . So figure out how you want to pay for items. This was mainly for gift shops and stores in the Niagara Falls area. Not the official park stores, hotels, or most restaurants we went to. I have friends travel to other sections of Canada and did not have any issues trying to get an American rate, so think its just the touristy shops around the falls.
They told us in all of Canada they use hand held charge card devices. They bring it to you when you charge and prints a receipt right there. You can add a tip right there for restaurants. You can do a certain percentage or an amount. Reminder some charge cards will charge you a fee. I got a few fees a few days after we got back. It was a percent of what I paid is hat I guess. They varied but were cheap like 30 cents a transaction.
What to pack:
It was colder then we thought it was to be for June, so bring clothes for warm and cold. Besides your normal stuff add these:
You really don't need rain ponchos as you get them at each attraction.
Water Proof Cell protector This is a must! You will get your phone drenched so get one fro each person. WE have different colors for each person. You can still video, take selfies and pictures while in the case. This is the only brand I trust!
Waterproof bag This is another must! Everything gets wet so keep all your items in here. We took a towel from the hotel too to help dry off after the water events.
Water Shoes- You need water shoes for sure! My son wore his Keens and I wore Chacos. We both thought they were great!
My son loved that they called bathrooms, washrooms (so maybe let your younger children know they are the same thing)
Wonder Pass
I highly recommend getting a Wonder Pass if you are going to do all the places on it. We got the cheaper of the 2, but should have gotten the one that had it all, we just were not sure we would have time for everything. You can buy this closer to your trip. We found out they have a winter one and summer one. You go to the Visitor center to trade in your ticket for a lanyard with a card on it. Here you can book times for events or get an anytime ticket.
WeGo Bus
This is the local bus system around Niagara Falls Canadian Side. With a wonder pass you get two free days on the bus or you can buy a pas or a fare. It was very easy to use and come every 20 min or 40 min depending on the time of day. We liked it as it gave us a chance to see places we may not have. We used just the Blue line from the Marriott but you can change to the Green line for other places. This is the local bus system around Niagara Falls Canadian Side. With a wonder pass you get two free days on the bus or you can buy a pas or a fare. It was very easy to use and come every 20 min or 40 min depending on the time of day. We liked it as it gave us a chance to see places we may not have. We used just the Blue line from the Marriott but you can change to the Green line for other places. The Marriott also gives you two per room. They were nice and gave us a free one for my son too, if not I would have bought a kid pass and kept the free ones as adults as the kid price was cheaper.The Marriott also gives you two per room. They were nice and gave us a free one for my son too, if not I would have bought a kid pass and kept the free ones as adults as the kid price was cheaper.
Our Itinerary We really made it up as we went, but had booked the boat ahead and saved Day 3 for Lake Niagara as my mom really wanted to go there.
Day 1
We flew into We flew into Buffalo and landed about 12:00pm, picked up pour rental car we rented on Costco.com. We ate at a Wendy’s along the way, there were not many places to stop along the Niagara Scenic route that we saw, and we were hungry but wanted to get to Canada. We did the American Side first. Read about what we did here.
You must have a passport to get into Canada. I think they take the passport card too, but double check. Sadly, we did not get a stamp in our passports and my son was sad. I also had a letter from my husband stating our son cold leave the country with his knowledge. I was not asked for it, but had it just encase. Some countries ask for this if only one parent is with the child.
To Whom It May Concern:
I, I, parent, am the lawful custodial parent of:
Childs Name :
Birth Date:
Place of Birth:
US Passport Number:
Date of Passport Issuance:
Child’s name has my consent to travel with his mother name to visit has my consent to travel with his mother name to visit Buffalo New York and Niagra Falls, Canada and surrounding areas during the period of and surrounding areas during the period of Dates During that period, During that period, wife name also has my consent to make any medical decisions deemed necessary for also has my consent to make any medical decisions deemed necessary for child’s name in my or my wife, wife name absence.
______________________________________
Parent name
Signed before me, this ________ of Signed before me, this ________ of Date
_______________________________________
Notary Public
County , State
My Commission Expires:
We then went through the We then went through the boarder patrol to get into Canada. You pull up in your car when it is your turn. You will notice the left side of your car will be raised. They ask you to roll the window down so they can see your back seat, ask for all passports, have them ready if you can open to the picture page, and then asked us “Why are were going to Canada?, How long? Where we were staying?” Then gave us a look over and let us go on our way. We did not bring food with us as I had read people said they did not want you to bring food in but we found both ways they never asked about food.
Boarder Patrol took us about 5 mins. We then drove to the hotel, checked in, went to the room and unpacked a little, went to explore out hotel.
We chose to stay at Marriott Niagara Falls View and Spa. We always stay at Marriott Properties and this was to amazing view from our room that over looked the Horseshoe Falls. We spent a little more money and got a room with a sitting area/pull out couch. They have amazing rooms with a king bed. It has a sitting area on one floor and steps to your room upstairs in your room to the bed room.
My son loved watching the falls each day from our room!
Our room with a sitting room
Call the valet from your room by dialing 4242 and give them your valet ticket number. (I always take a picture of mine when I check in encase I lose it.) Call at least 20 mins before you want your car, it took at least 30 mins every time we wanted out car. They will charge $40 Canadian a day to valet.
We made a reservation for dinner at The Keg in the Embassy Suites. There is another one in Niagara Falls with no view so make sure its the right one, on Opentable.com before we left the states. It was a nice place to have diner and was 2 doors down from the Marriott. It was on the more $$ side and had great views of the falls.
After dinner went through the gift shop at the After dinner went through the gift shop at the Embassy Suites. This is where we learned if you don’t pay cash you basically get charged Canadian price. We found it every where we went on the trip near the falls.
We found out there was lock bridge here. We bought a lock and key in the gift shop so my son could put it on the lock bridge outside. I would bring one from home if you have one to save money. The cheapest one was $10. We then went out the back door to the Lock Bridge and my son put the lock on. He loved this. I saw many wrote their names/where they were from on their locks with a sharpie marker, but we did not have one with us.
My mom was tired so she went back to the hotel and my son and I rode the Falls Incline which is attached to the bridge from the hotel. This is included in a wonder pass. It takes you down to the Visitor Center.
We did not know what the building below was, we found out it was a Welcome Center with 2 gift shops, a place to eat Table Rock and Journey to the Falls entrance.
We got some great pictures here. It would be neat to see at night to when the falls are lit up.
We were walking around the outside, which I recommend. You are right next to the falls but stay dry, It was great to get up close to them. It would be neat to see at night close up lit up, but we were always to tired. I was glad we went here this night as it helped us figure out where everything will be for tomorrow. This is where you can trade in your tickets for your Wonder Pass.
Then it was off to our room to watch the falls light up. It starts a little after 9pm during the summer months.
We did see that most of the places are closed during winter months so please check what is open and when if you want to see a certain place.
Day 2
We had breakfast at the Marriott. We did the buffet. It was $24 an adult and $12 a kid. Canadian money. It is from 7 am -10 am. You have some view of the falls but you are a lower level so not as great as our room. This is the same place Morton's is at night.
We had pre-purchased our Hornblower tickets online from their site ( you can get them with a certain Wonder Pass we found out later)I recommend you do this ahead of time to make sure you get a ticket. It will say your time is 8:30, but it is good all day. They do have wheel chairs here if you need it for the ride. We had driven by the night before and saw no parking for the public that we could figure out so we took an uber here. It was about $10 Canadian. The WeGo bus does stop here but we opted for Uber as it was easier for us. We used uber maybe 6 times while here, all were great experiences. It was actually my moms first time in an uber!
Once you scan your pass or ticket you walk down a long handicap type ramp. My mom uses a cane and was fine but we were worried if there was a long line she would have had to stand for so long. They say 8:30 is a great time to get the first boat. The boat was dry to begin with and not many people on it. 9:30/10 am starts the crowds. I think they do night ones too with the lights. I believe this is a different ticket.
You take a quick elevator ride down. You walk a little more, get a family picture taken you can later buy, then walk to the concession area. They looked at our ticket, gave us a disposable rain coat and we walked a little farther.
We asked here for a wheel chair here but found out there were a few areas my mom could sit at on the boat so we declined it. There is a great spot to the right of the boat for a picture with the American Falls behind you before you board the boat.
We then boarded and I found a place to sit my mom. We got her up for a picture with the American Falls behind her before the boat even left. . The area she sat in you would not get wet at all. There are spots to stand on the bottom floor outside, where you would get wet too. My son and I wanted the best view so we went up top. The boat was not rocky as I would run up and down to check on my mom or try to grab a picture of her and would do this while the boat was moving. When you see it from afar it looks like the boat rocks a lot.
When you get close to the Horsehoe Falls the water does get you wet. As you get closer it feels like what it feels like in a Hurricane. Many went down below as it was 53 degrees this day, but my son and I stayed up there. I had glasses on and they were so soaked I could not see through them. I luckily had a When you get close to the Horsehoe Falls the water does get you wet. As you get closer it feels like what it feels like in a Hurricane. Many went down below as it was 53 degrees this day, but my son and I stayed up there. I had glasses on and they were so soaked I could not see through them. I luckily had a dry pak on my cell phones as everyone elses were soaked. Highly, Highly recommend getting one for your cell phone ( see what to pack list for link)
After the boat ride I needed to use the rest room and they had plenty. They have 2 snack areas, plenty of seats and tables. There is also a man with a bird on his arm He told us they hire him to stand there with the bird to keep the other birds away from getting near the guests.
They did sell a few souvenir items here too. We bought tickets to go up the funicular in the concession area as my mom thought the walk up would be hard on her.
We then boarded the Funicular which is like a cable car that goes up a mountain. It is so fun. There are a few seats on here. This ticket is not on a wonder pass.
At the top we then went to At the top we then went to Clifton Hill which is like an amusement area street with fun shops. We did not do a lot here as it began to rain. We had left my mom on benches over looking the falls as she wanted to enjoy them. They were ate teh top near the Funicular.
We then took We then took Uber to the hotel to change out of our wet clothes. .
After we got dry clothes on we then took the WeGo Blue bus line basically next door to the hotel to the Welcome Center area below. We turned in our tickets for our Wonder Passes. We walked around outside to show my mom the falls up close. Then we sat her in the Tim Hortons shop with a coffee.
Journey Behind the Falls
My son and I did the Journey behind the Falls. I must say we saw a guy on YouTube do this and I had been so anxious about it as I am extremely closterphoibc from a car accident. We gave them our Wonder Pass, they checked our bags and we got disposable rain coats. You then go down some steps to an elevator. They will take a picture of you before you get in the elevator. You can buy the picture after you do the falls.
You then go down in an elevator, our ears did pop. You immediately walk into the tunnels. It was not to crowded so I did ok as the ceilings are low.
The first place we went to, you walk out and look at the falls but there is a roof over you. You will get wet if you are close to the open wall. We went down a few stairs to go out and to go next to the falls If you get close you will get wet again. I sent my son back up so he could stand in the top area so I could get a pic of him and the sign. We then went back into the tunnels and saw an area of what it looks like behind the tunnel walls. We went to an area where you are really under the middle of the falls. They block it off so you are not to close, but you can hear the rumble of the falls. There were a few more like this under there, all the same, so I decided we were ready to go up. You then line up to go back up the elevator. You can see the pictures they took of you before you went and decide to purchase or not.
We then went to get my mom, looked at the gift shop ( I got some cute small maple syrups for friends as gifts). We then went to the Top Rock for lunch located right above us. They had just opened the day before. It has great views of the falls. The food was good.
We then took the We then took the WeGo back to the hotel ( blue line) It was a longer rider but nice to see the area. We then took a few hours to warm up after being wet twice today and it was cold this day.
For dinner we have made on Opentable.com before we left reservation for dinner for dinner at Skylon. If you have a 4:30 or 5:00 reservation it is a little but cheaper.
Skylon is a tall tower with 3 levels at the
Skylon is a tall tower with 3 levels at the top. The bottom floor of the top is a rotating place to eat. As always, please make sure to watch your child so no accidents happen with the rotating floor. You take a cool yellow elevator up which is on the outside of the building and you get great views. Floor 3 of the tower is the place we ate at, Floor 2 is a buffet place, and the top floor is an open observatory think Empire State Building like. If you eat here it is free, if not they charge you to go up.
The food we had was fabulous, the service was fabulous and amazing views. They do come take professional pictures but we got just as good on our cell phones so declined it They have great Skylon shape drinking glasses you get to keep if you order a drink or unlimited soft drinks. They will wrap it up for you.
We then went to the top to see the views up there and then went back to the bottom floor and browsed the gift shop.
We then took an Uber back to the hotel to again watch amazing views of the falls lit up. You could take the Wego Bus back.
Later we went to Mortons at our hotel for a snack. They had an amazing flatbread pizza we loved.
Day 3
Ihop
This IHOP (others may be cheaper as we figure we paid for a view here) was located on top of the Tower Hotel on the 26th floor next to our Marriott You go in the lobby and take the elevator up.
We got a great view of the falls but felt it was pricey. We went here as I thought I could save some money as I felt the Marriott was a little pricey, but we learned our lesson. We got 2 breakfast here and a coffee and coke and it was the same price for 3 at the buffet next door at the Marriott.
The food tasted just like in the US but just cost more. If you want a breakfast with a view you know your kids will like then go here! Just be ready for sticker shock. There are other IHOPs everywhere. I will assume they are cheaper as you are not paying for a view.
Niagara on the Lake
Niagara on the Lake sits on the shores of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River. My mom had heard this was a nice area to go to, so we drove from the falls area to Niagara on the Lake. It was a short drive depending what way you go. Please take a map with you as our Verizon phone lost service close to it and we had no clue where we were going and not many signs to help but did find our way with no drama. Put this address in the GPS as we had no clue what to put in when we left the hotel 92 Queen Street, Niagara on the Lake, ON LOS 1J0 Canada.
We parked on the street in front of Shaws, this adorable place we had lunch at. You pay a parking meter to get a ticket for your window. There are public bathrooms behind Shaws. We spent about an hour and a half going up and down the main street. My sons and I had seen it all in that time, my mom was really shopping and got about 3/4 of it done. She got some clothes, unique jewelry and a few gifts here. She even wanted to go back the next day she loved it so much!
They also had a visitor center to get info at and a Christmas shop to buy ornaments and other Christmas items in.
They have a Shaw Garden Festival every year that people love. It was the week after we were there.
They also do many plays here that I would recommend, but we did not think my son (age 9) would enjoy them, so we did not do them.
They have lots of quaint little shops here. I have taken pictures of most of them in this album.
"Nestled in the corner of the Niagara Region just beyond Niagara Falls, the picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake epitomizes old town charm.
Known by the locals as NOTL, this must visit village is bordered on both sides by waterfront with arbour-framed streets among lush boulevard gardens. Wander through the Heritage District as you discover whimsical boutiques, enthralling antique shops and delightful bistros - maybe even a horse drawn carriage or two.
Beyond the quaint old town, explore the area's several wineries, breweries and distilleries, world class theatre at the Shaw Festival, important historical landmarks and stunning waterfront views.
Located only 20 kilometres from the Horseshoe Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake is the perfect day trip during your getaway to Niagara Falls."
"You can easily get from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake with the WEGO orange line shuttle, offered from May 5th until October 29th. The cost for a one way ticket is $7.00 for an adult, and $5.00 for a child. The shuttle runs every 60 minutes from 10:30 am until 5:30 pm, departing from the Floral Clock. Tickets can be purchased with the correct change from the bus driver.
To see the full schedule visit the WEGO website." From Niargrafallstourism.com
Click here for some more history:
Shaws
I highly recommend if you are in Niagara on the Lake you eat here. We got here right at 11:30 and got seated right away as that is when they opened.
All the food was amazing and tasted so fresh. Service was amazing too! Mom got her first glass of ice wine here and it was great!
They have seating on a patio outside, inside and you can sit upstairs outside but you must spend $20 a person on food and drinks. We did outside on ground level and it was great. They have bathrooms inside downstairs for customers.
Queens Royal Park Lake Ontario
We wanted my son to see Lake Ontario, so while in the visitor center I asked where a good place would be to take my son, she suggested here. It is called the Queens Royal Park on Front street a few blocks for the Niagara on the Lake shopping area.
We drove here after lunch. You again, pay to park. The machine right by my car was broken so I had to walk to another one.
They have nice clean public bathrooms here too.
They have lots of picnic tables and we had brought snacks and drinks with us. Would be a great spot for a picnic lunch.
They have an adorable gazebo, great for pictures. If you take a picture while on the lake side looking at it, you can get tulips in the picture.
There are nice walking trails along the lake and sand area for kids to play in.
We stayed here about an hour just relaxing. It was very misty this day so we could not see much out in the water.
This is also the historic site of where the first newspaper was made.
Fort George
We always like to throw in some history on trips for my son.
We went to Fort George which was real close to Niagara on the Lake. There is a huge parking lot and you go and pay (we used a charge card) I think it was $6 Canadian for a parking pass then go put it in your window. You take a little walk to the gift shop to get your token tickets for admission. There are some picnic tables here so if someone does not want to walk around the fort they could sit here.
We got our tokens, and walked out the back where the restrooms are and then took our tokens to the fort and got a map. You can then freely walk around the grounds and your little book you get will tell you about each place. There is plenty of room if little ones need to run off some energy.
We were here about 45 mins. There was a school group who got a tour, so we would hang with them some to hear some history, otherwise it is a tour on your own place.
If you are hot, they do sell drinks in the gift shop.
We began our drive back to Niagara Falls area. We made two stops on the way.
Pittillari Estates Winery
There are many wineries around the Niagara on the Lake area. There are tours you can get from hotels to see them all. We randomly just chose this one to stop at and I am so glad we did.
This winery happens to be the official sponsor of the Canadian Olympic team.
This area is known for ice wine. It is very sweet. It is made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. A bottle usually runs about $75- $90 Canadian dollars. a glass at a restaurant is about $10,but it is more of a small tasting.
You can go in and samples wines here. We loved it so much we left with 4 bottles that luckily made it back to the US. The bottles are only 375 ml so thinner than a regular bottle and were $20 Canadian dollars each. They explained mine was not an ice wine as it had been twice pressed and a true ice wine is one press. It was still delicious.
I wrapped my wine in my fuzzy Canadian socks I bought, then used all those free rain coats we got at the falls to wrap it more. The place also put bubble wrap around it and then we asked Delta for Fragile stickers for the suitcases.
You can also buy Jet Bags and take with you to pack the wine to send home
They also have nice public bathrooms here.
Neob Lavendar Farm (about a mile out of the way home)
I love lavender! It is my favorite scent. We randomly saw this place on a visitor map, so I knew I had to go!
Unfortunately, pick your own lavender we not till mid June so we missed it by a few week. I am not sure we could have brought it back to the states anyway, but I wanted to pick some if I could.
They have a store you can go to here. They will give you samples of lavender water (I did not like) lavender cookies (will admit I have had better) but loved their other products!
They will give you scent samples on a paper of the 4 scents they sells. My son loved the lemongrass one. He loved it so much we got him a soap bar $1.75, and some foot lotion $20. (He has never asked for things like this before and he loves it.)
I got a lavender bath fizzy and wish I had gotten more. You can smell how fresh it was in the bath! $4.75 I also got a spray that they say is good for a natural bug spray and another roll on. Love them all so far!!
I was glad we stopped here.
FYI there is a sign for an antique shop here so look closely for the shop while driving.
We went back to the hotel and freshened up and then made a reservation on Opentable.com for Queen Victoria Place.
Queen Victoria Place Restaurant
My brother had heard this was a good place to go so we went here for dinner. It is almost in the middle of both falls so you get good views of both here. They do have some fish lining up so the birds can not fly in and eat your food. We took an Uber here as we saw earlier that parking was $20. You could also take a WeGo bus here. From the Marriott to here it was about a $10 Canadian Ride.
The food was great here. My mom did the pre-fix meal while my son and I ordered off the menu.
If you need to use a handicapped entrance and not do the stairs, it is located in the back of the restaurant, in the back of the parking lot. Otherwise there are quit a few stairs to go up to get in.
Hershey Store
This was one place my son had asked to go to, so we took an Uber from the restaurant but could have waited for a WeGo bus, we were just tired and wanted to get there. My son loves the Hershey Store in NYC so we went here. In NY they had the most amazing smores made fresh there. They had just gotten the machine here and had to update their outlets for it. So if it is up and running I recommend getting one of those!
The Marriott gave us a coupon for a free family picture with the Hershey kiss here, they email it to you. It is in the pamphlet you get when you check in.
This is like a big store that sells everything Hershey. Shirts, pencils, etc. They have a nice snack area to get shakes, candy, cookies etc. Great place to stop for a snack. There are a few seats outside to sit at. It is attached to a Coke store with ice cream floats. You can then take a WeGo bus back to the hotel or again we did Uber as we had just missed one and it was 40 mins til the next one.
We then got on our jammies and were surprised to see fireworks on our last night here.
Watching the fireworks from our hotel room.
Day 4
We had the breakfast buffet at the Marriott. See day 2 for pics, then we packed up the room, checked out and drove to the We had the breakfast buffet at the Marriott, then we packed up the room, checked out and drove to the Whirpool Aero Car. This was one of the most fun things we did. You drive or take a bus to the Whirlpool area of the falls. There is lots of parking. It is a few miles south (I think) of the falls. They open at 10 am and we got our tickets right then. If you got the wonder pass with the ticket included you can use it here.
We got a ticket for the first ride at 10:15. You board and you either go on the left side, the right side or a chained in area in the middle. In the middle you can walk around, and on the sides you stay in your spot until we get close to the other end. We then have 20 seconds to walk around it and get to go on the other side. Again, I am claustrophobic from a car accident so I chose to go right up front as you feel the air move more. When we moved I got up front heading back.
The ride is roughly 4 min ride over and 4 min ride back. You see fishers below, the whirlpools below and hikers below. It was a really cool different view. I highly recommend this!
People can watch from an overview area when you are on the ride.
They have a gift shop here, bathrooms and a snack shop too.
If you travel a little further south there is a whirlpool restaurant but it has view of a golf area and the butterfly conservatory is real close. We did this after here. See next Photo album.
They have a perfect safety record they say and this has been around for many, many years.
Click here for more information
Butterfly Conservatory
My son loves butterflies so we went to the butterfly conservatory. It is free on both Wonder passes (or was at the time we went). You pay $5 Canadian to park and then walk to the conservatory.
They do have a snack place here to eat, and they have for $22 Canadian dollars
a person a horse and buggy ride around the gardens there. We did not have time to do this.
When you walk in, it will be warm, and there are butterflies flying everywhere. You may pick them up by sliding your finger under their front legs. Some will walk on and others fly away. Please remind children to never touch their wings. It kind of tickles/feels weird, but remind children they will not hurt you at all.
There are 2 benches in here if someone needs to sit.
They have an area where all the "cocoons" are.
The large moth in the picture is the largest moth in the world. They only live 3-5 days as they just can not eat enough to stay alive.
My son loved it here and we spent about an hour here just holding butterflies. People actually thought I worked there as we had so many butterflies fly on us. lol
There are bathrooms and a gift shop in this building.
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The Rainbow Bridge
We began our journey back to Buffalo. We drove over the Rainbow Bridge. They asked for our passports and again your car on the left side is slanted up. We then gave them our passports and they asked what we did there, what we were bringing back besides normal items. I told them maple syrup, maple cookies and 4 bottles of wine. Again, I had to roll down my back window so they could see in the back seat. He then said ok and we were good to go.
We parked at the American side and paid the $10 to park as we wanted to walk across the Rainbow Bridge. This is near where you get the Maid of the Mist. My son and I loved walking across the Rainbow Bridge
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR PASSPORT WITH YOU!!
From the American side it is free. If you leave the Canadian side it costs $1 someone told us.
You then go through a metal gate one at a time. I did not see a way for a wheel chair to get through, so check that out if you need help that way.
You then walk along the bridge. It gives you amazing views of both falls. Half way down is the sign that says America/Canada. My son loved having one foot in each country. We also took a picture of both of us in a different country.
They did have those binoculars you can look out at but we did not bring any money with us.
We then walked back to the American side and you go to a dark door.We almost went past it. You ring a bell and then it says when it is green go in. They called us in, we gave them our passports. They asked if we were just walking the bridge, we said yes.
They asked my son what country is he a citizen of and where he lived. My son was cute as he was nervous.
They then said ok and we went back to our car to drive to They then said ok and we went back to our car to drive to Buffalo.
Other Places to Stay:
There is a Great Wolf Lodge near the Whirlpool area. We just liked staying and over looking the falls as we have a Great Wolf near us.
A friend of mine stayed at the Sheraton. She loved it It had great views of the American Falls from her room! It is attached to Clifton Hills area, Hershey Store, a few other hotels one which has a water park above it, and a little food court area and a Casino. My son asked why we didn't stay in this area as it did have a good appeal for kids.
There is a WeGo bus stop across from the Hard Rock.
Here is a video of highlights of our trip:
Don't forget to stock up on some goodies!
Check out my blogs on these other cities near:
