I’ve been fortunate enough to experience Niagara Falls from many angles from the Canadian and American side and let me tell you… Niagara Falls is magnificent! She has no bad angles and each experience will leave you mesmerized and you will need to remind yourself to breathe! Early September we explored the U. S side of Niagara Falls and today for #IGTravelThursday we’re sharing the best views of Niagara Falls U.S.A with you.

 

 

 

 

The big difference I noticed between the Canadian and U.S side was how much WETTER we could get on the American side- felt like we took a bath in the falls! Luckily our hotel, The Giacomo, was just across the Niagara State Park (the OLDEST American State Park) so we were able to dry up when needed. A Discovery Pass gives you access to 5 attractions, can be used between May 23rd and October 22nd and costs $36 for adults and $29 for kids between 6 and 12 (those 5 and under are free). Of course you only want the Discovery Pass if you plan to visit all 5 attractions during the May to October window. We had Baby Boy and Little Monkey with us so these excursions are infant and toddler approved… minus a few cries and tantrums, which you get to see and hear in the videos below (lucky you!).

Disclosure : Our visit was hosted by Niagara USA but as always, opinions are totally mine!

 

Maid of the Mist

Everyone’s heard about this mistress of the falls and now it’s only the U. S side that offers this cruise as the Canadian side has the Hornblower cruises. We chose to do the Maid of the Mist early on Saturday morning and yes it was busy but not crazy busy. Everything is a smooth operation here, you’re guided towards the boat and as soon as the previous passengers disembark, you’re allowed on. I’d encourage Baby  wearing here and yes it can be a bit difficult keeping them dry, but do-able. We received adult and kid sized rain ponchos at the attraction and so Little Monkey and the hubs donned them on. Baby Boy was in the Bjorn and so I tossed the kid sized one on his head (with some tearing) and then tossed my poncho on top of him. Of course I worried about suffocating him but he was just fine and even drank a bottle of milk amidst being tossed around the Falls! Stroller parking is available in the main building and you can bring your strollers on board but things can get wet, depending on where you choose to park yourself. We wanted the whole experience so all four of us were on the top deck and got soaked. The kids didn’t mind the cold one bit and because I was a shield, Baby Boy didn’t mind the blast of water on his face. It’s such a thrilling experience to be so close to the falls and not only hear but also feel the thunderous 600,000 gallons of water rushing right in front of your face. Under an hour for the whole experience (if you attend on a busy day, lines can be long but they tend to move quickly) this is definitely one the kids would enjoy. No throwing rocks into the “ocean” though 😉

 

Cave of the Winds

This is the attraction that truly blew us away. Literally and figuratively. It is one powerful experience and yes, you can do it with a baby! This is the closest you can get to Niagara Falls and the rushing Bridal Veil Falls creates tropical storm-like conditions which allows you to see rainbows everywhere! You will most likely want to take the trolley (included in the Discovery Pass or costs $2 for the whole day) as this attraction is on Goat Island and a fair distance from the other attractions. Once again, everything is so organized! You get a plastic bag to store your shoes and any valuables, you receive a poncho and even sandals. Yes sandals. They really want you to keep your shoes safe. An elevator ride takes you down 175 feet into the Niagara gorge and if you have kids with sensitive ears, be sure to give them something to suck on. When you see the various decks at the Cave of the Winds it can be intimidating, especially if you’re carrying a baby. There are steps and water everywhere but we did not slip! Wohoo! There’s portions where you can avoid getting wet but if you want the full soaking experience you have to head up to the hurricane deck. I just couldn’t get to that spot with the kids but we got pretty darn close as you can see in the video. What most people don’t know is that the very decks you stand on are torn down and re-built each and every year. They are removed in November and due to frigid waters in the spring, teams of park employees work for only 20 minutes at a time re-building the famous decks. During the summer months you can get down there until 10 p.m. which means you can see the fireworks or light show from there. Must be stunning! Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for kids between 6 and 12 years (free for five and under). Here’s a tip – there’s a rocky ledge right before you step on the decks and that’s where I left my purse, shoes and our camera- luckily no one stole anything! Stroller parking is available before you get to the main decks as obviously, strollers are not allowed on the main decks (lots of steps). We were experiencing a wonder of the world but Little Monkey wanted raisins and of course a toddler tantrum ensued…it’s not all smiles as you can see in the video. It only lasted a few minutes and she refused to wear the poncho so she got soaked to the bone, not that she minded.

 

Illumination of the Falls

Every night Niagara Falls is lit up in all her glory and you can catch the light show from many spots. The first thing we did as soon as we arrived late Friday night was get to the light show. The illumination was very picturesque and it was quite busy with many families and strollers around as we popped by right after the fireworks show. Be sure to bundle up as it can get breezy and cold by the falls at night. I was surprised to learn that Niagara Falls are often lit in special colours for the many registered charities marking a significant date in support of their cause. It’s not just a rainbow of colours, it’s a significant rainbow of colours. The following evening we watched the illumination from the rooftop lounge at our hotel!

 

 

I have to admit that our family has a bit of an obsession with Niagara Falls and this summer we even flew over it in a helicopter (click here to read about it) but the Cave of the Winds is my favourite. Little Monkey enjoyed the Maid of the Mist most and Baby Boy is just happy as long as there’s a bottle of milk on hand!

Have you visited Niagara Falls? Do you have a favourite attraction?