My Experience
I have been to the Niagara Falls a couple of times. It is located on the Niagara River, which is along the US-Canada border,
and in Northern New York. The Niagara Falls is the collective name for the 3 waterfalls at the US-Canada border:
the Horseshoe Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls. I have seen the falls from both sides;
the first time, I went from the Candada side of the falls, and the second time I was only on the New York side of the falls.
Since this page is about vacation spots in the United States, I will be sharing my New York experience! There are a number of
fun activities to do around the falls, which I will talk about in the next section. I would recommend coming here in the summertime,
because some of the activities involve getting wet in the falls!
The Niagara Falls State Park is located in
Niagara Falls, New York. The park is beautiful and also has a number of activities for visitors, including an observation deck,
fireworks, immersive experiences, and hiking, making it accessible for people of all ages.
My personal favorite activity is the Maid of the Mist boat ride. As seen in the picture on the left, there is a boat that goes
along the Niagara River (pictured on the right) and you get to experience the mist from the waterfall. With the admission ticket, you
are given a waterproof poncho and sandals, so you do not need to worry about getting soaked when you are on the boat. You get to experience
breathtaking views from the bottom of the waterfall and on the river, including rainbows (next left picture)!
Another one of my favorite activities is the Cave of the Winds, which is a tour that takes you on a "Hurricane Deck" and you get to
experience what it's like being under the falls. It feels a bit like a "tropical storm," with wind and water crashing on you.
You will get wet, even with the poncho, so be sure to bring a spare change of clothes and protect personal items. The picture
on the left features a bit of this deck (the red railing), and you climb up the stairs to get closer to the falls.
Another warning if you do this activity is that the deck can get slippery, so you need to be careful.
There are a number of breaktaking views of Canada from the New York side of Niagara. Toronto, Canada is a city close to the falls, and you can
can even see the CN tower (pictured right)! There is also an illumination show, which I experienced in my Canada trip, but was
unable to experience when in New York and unfortunately do not have pictures from it. The Niagara Falls are lit up with a
variety of colorful lights to create a breathtaking display.
