Even as I write this article, I am jaw-dropped at the spectacular and breathtaking view of the Niagara falls. The spray and the roar of the falls fascinates millions of visitors who come to check out the vista every year. The best weather is between mid May until mid September.
A) The location & facts of this majestic falls
Located between Ontario, Canada and New York, US the Niagara falls act as a border between the US and Canada. The falls also generates a lot of electricity using the Hydel power system.
The falls are within 27 Km from Buffalo, NYC and 120km from Toronto in Canada.
There are three major drops known as the Bridal Veil falls, American falls, and Horseshoe falls. An interesting fact about this falls is that the water flow was stopped completely back in 1969. However, the flow is at full force as you can see in the pictures.
Should you be interested in the exact GPS coordinates of the falls, here they are 43°04′48″N 79°04′16″W / 43.080-79.071.
B)Room and board close to the falls
Even though there are plenty of hotels and motels and cheaper places for a night halts in and around Niagara, most visitors try to get a room as close as possible to the falls.
Reason ?
At night, the falls puts on a magical and spectacular pinkish glow to it. This is what most visitors try to capture in their mind’s eye.
Options:
These are just some of the places where you can book a room and get some grub.
* Hilton hotel at the falls overlooks the falls. Family rooms start from $230 per night Canadian. You can add $21 per person if you want breakfast.
* Cairngorm also on the Canadian side would cost you $174 Canadian with a minimum of two nights stay.
* On the US side, you can get a room in Red Coach Inn if you are on a honeymoon. Double bed rooms will cost you $109 without breakfast.
If these options are not that appealing to you, check out the Ramada resorts which sometimes offer cheaper deals and travel vouchers. Also available are Sheraton and Embassy suites. So much for location.
C) What can you do & How close can you get?
Well, there are plenty of options. You can hear the roar of the falls by taking a boat ride or you can also enjoy the calm and serene streets of some of the quiet neighborhoods. The Maid of the mist boats will take you at the foot of the falls.
These boats sell tickets in two categories: adults and children. It can cost you anything between $8.10 to $13 depending on the option you choose. You get one complimentary ticket per adult.
On the Canadian side, you can take a walk right alongside with the rapids which are further downstream from main visitors area.
A boat ride is a great way to explore the falls. Once aboard, you will be handed blue of yellow ponchos(depending on the boat) to keep you from getting soaked. I have seen my aunt’s picture which shows her in a blue poncho standing on the deck of the boat.But, it’s not digitized.
The falls attracts 7 million visitors every year. I think this is a huge number of visitors. I will be amazed if the authorities can keep the surrounding eco system clean from all the trash generated by these visitors.
So next time if you are ready for a vacation, check out the fabulous Nigara falls and have some fun in the sun. Make sure you grab your waterproof jacket on the way out because, it will be a very wet vacation.
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