Our expertise is helping you plan your magical theme park vacation. Did you know we can help you plan your dream trip to countless other locations?!? We packed our bags and headed north of the border to spend: A Weekend in Niagara Falls. It was a great weekend with memories made that will never be forgotten.
Day 1
We got a later start than planned for our trip. Yep, it happens to everyone, even travel professionals. We made the trek and started our activities at New York’s Goat Island. Goat Island is part of Niagara Falls State Park and is situated between the smallest of the falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the largest of the falls, the Horseshoe Falls. This location gives you some of the most interesting views of the edge of the falls and will allow you to see the power of the river above the falls.
We did Cave of the Winds attraction on Goat Island. They have added to his attraction over the years and now have a wonderful museum and pre-show prior to descending into the gorge below. During the late Spring through early Autumn, this attraction is the closest you can get to the falls, on the “Hurricane Deck.” This deck was not open for the year during our visit. Probably for the best as our first day was cold, windy, and raw weather. You will get wet on this attraction and very wet on the hurricane deck.
***Travel Tip*** To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit temperature, double Celsius and add thirty. For example, five degrees Celsius would be about forty degrees Fahrenheit. It is not exact, but it will get you close enough to dress comfortably.
Food is an integral part of most peoples’ vacations. We started our weekend in Niagara Falls at Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse . If you are a meat eater and have never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse, you are missing out. It is all-you-care-to-enjoy meat served tableside with a buffet as well. The entertainment and food were amazing. We highly recommend this restaurant.
Day 2
We stated our morning with breakfast at Buchanan’s Steak and Seafood in our hotel. After breakfast, we headed to the Table Rock Centre. This is located on the Table Rock area on top of the Horseshow Falls and has many attractions including the one we were here for, Journey Behind the Falls. During this tour you descend to the bottom of the Horseshow Falls and into tunnels cut behind the falls. There are two viewing portals to see the backside of water (Jungle Cruise reference) as well as two viewing platforms at the bottom of the falls.
For lunch, we made a reservation for lunch atop the Skylon Tower in their rotating dining room. The dining room takes one hour to rotate three-hundred sixty degrees. The Skylon Tower stands five-hundred twenty feet from the ground and seven-hundred seventy-five feet from the bottom of the Niagara Gorge. The service was outstanding, but we all felt the entrees were a bit lackluster compared to everything else. We had some fabulous appetizers and desserts while dining.
Our young traveler had requested a trip to Bird Kingdom for our afternoon and it was impressive. Bird Kingdom is the world’s largest free-flying aviary. The birds were stunning! We lost count of how many different birds we saw, and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. There are some other exhibits on display as well.
We had dinner reservations back at Buchanan’s Steak and Seafood but stopped by Clifton Hill on the way. If you have never visited Clifton Hill, think part carnival mixed with a little street fair and amusement park. We played a round of glow minigolf but ran out of time for the Sky Wheel (Ferris wheel). You could easily spend an entire day and night on Clifton Hill if you wanted. Multiple hotels are available within walking distance of Clifton Hill.
Day 3
Before we got back on the road home, we stopped on the Canadian shore downstream of the falls at the Niagara Whirlpool (Devil’s Whirlpool to some) to ride the Aero Car. This Aero Car opened in 1916 and was the perfect end to a weekend in Niagara Falls. The cables extend from Canada to New York which means you will cross the border and back on your journey. The Aero Car is suspended two-hundred and twenty feet above the river below.
*** Fun Fact *** The Niagara Whirlpool flows counterclockwise during the day. Overnight, when the powerplant diverts more water, the rotation reverses to flow clockwise, and the water level drops by approximately twenty feet.
Closing
We had a great trip and would love to help you plan your next getaway. Niagara Falls is an outstanding weekend family trip or can be a wonderful romantic getaway for couples. It is easily accessible by road for the Northeast or Buffalo airport can be the gateway for the rest of the country, Thanks for reading about a weekend in Niagara Falls. As always please follow us on Facebook or reach out and Contact Us. We love to talk about all things Disney, theme parks, and travel in general.