“Did you know that Niagara Falls is the World’s oldest State Park?”
-Nope neither did I!
Niagara Falls State Park, the first state park in the US, is located on Goat Island which is in the middle of the Niagara River. You have your choice of walking trails, picnic spots, and views. If you’re not on a budget, there’s also an aquarium, IMAX theater, and fancy restaurant.
As you walk under the large rock arch and head towards the visitor center, you’ll see clouds of water droplets rising up into the air to your left and up ahead, giving the first indication of the enormity of the falls. To the left is Horseshoe Falls, located on the Canadian side of the border. To the right and located in the US are Bridal Veil and American Falls, separated by the tiny Luna Island, which you can walk out onto and experience the feeling of having waterfalls on both sides of you.
Adventure of the Month!
Living in the USA my whole life, I have always wanted to travel to see this world wonder…..and it has finally happened! With the blessing of my mom who found a bus trip to this place and my dad who seeks new adventure everyday, I was privileged to experience this place.
Niagara Falls is easily the most “well known” place I have ever brought to this blog and also probably the most “touristy.” It is a place that a lot of you have probably already been to, too. (Honestly, I felt like the last person on the planet to come visit!)
Niagara Falls is one of the most visited waterfalls in the world. Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls – Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls – that straddle the border between New York and Ontario, Canada. Here, millions of gallons of water fall 167 feet as they travel down the Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. To call them “epic” feels like a tragic understatement.
I can’t even begin to tell you just how amazing they really are in person. So I decided, I’m not going to. I’m just going to tell you why you need to get there.
Experience one of the world’s most epic natural wonder
Going on the hottest day of the whole entire year and the day before Canada’s Independence day, my family and I could not ask for a more perfect day! Given the gorgeous weather the rainbows were out in full force. JUST INCREDIBLE!!!
The greatest thing about this world wonder is you not ONLY can be amazed by what you see but also you can be touched by this amazing world wonder!
Maid of the Mist and Observation Deck!
To start out our adventure, we decided to take venture onto the Maid of the Mist since it was the closest attraction to where my family and I were dropped off for the day!
The boat started to sail. Over 300 people in blue ponchos stood inside the boat eagerly looking at the waters below and the waterfall ahead. We were on the opposite end of the Maid of the Mist. Less crowded. Facing the Rainbow bridge which connected US and Canada. Many rushed to the upper deck of the Maid of the Mist VII (yes, there have been six others since 1846), many clung to the railing. Every one wanted to be sprayed at by the mist. And then we inched closer to the Niagara Falls. We were in, what looked from above, a cloud of white. As we stood watching water drop from 120 feet. Our faces drenched, we looked at a clout of buildings rise on the Canadian side. It was exciting to know that we would touch and pass a whole new country. Then the height rose. The water dropped now from a height of 188 feet. The majestic Horseshoe falls.
Can you imagine falling from that height? Apparently many daredevils try it. And a 63-year-old lady was the first to survive. But in a barrel, that she designed herself. The journey ended as soon as it began, we climbed off the boat, and watched as the sun dipped, and a window of spotlight shone on the falls. As if before an audience, the water gushed, fell, and splashed. A move that it has mastered over the last 12000 years.
Next stop… Cave of the Winds
If you ever want the best shower on the HOTTEST DAY, then you must visit this one of a kind attraction Cave of the Winds tour. You get water proof sandals and yellow ponchos.
Next, you hop on and elevator down to the base of the falls, which opens up onto a series of boardwalks. From there, you can walk over to to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. Behind you is a very different view of Horseshoe Falls while a glance upward will reveal the brink of American and Bridal Veil Falls and all of the water thundering over them.
HUNGRY BEINGS…..
After being able to not only see and touch and be touched by the falls, my family and I were extremely hungry. Therefore, we stopped at The Top of the Falls Restaurant! This was a perfect location to duck from the sun for an hour or so before we got right back to sightseeing!
Final stop….. the BORDER!
Being the tour person I am, who constantly seeks adventure, I ventured over the rainbow bridge to do some touring in Canada! But AMERICAN TIP #1, bring cash because it is NOT free to reenter the United States, which is the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave!
Tales of Traveling Sole Sisters 