Mrs. Pash and I are driving from Rochester to Toronto next week, and want to spend a few hours seeing Niagara Falls, but all of the information I’ve found online and in books only gives tips for spending days in the area. We’re flying to Rochester for a wedding on Saturday, and after a family breakfast on Sunday morning, driving to Toronto. We need to be in Toronto at 5:00PM. Is it possible to see the beauty of the falls while only passing through?
Can anyone give me some tips on how we can see as much as we can, and still move on through to Toronto after a couple of hours?
We saw the Falls on a “passing through” basis. I was surprised at how very very crowded it was. You may spend quite a bit of time just looking for a place to park, and you may have to walk quite a ways from where you park.
Don’t forget to get Canadian money before you cross the border.
I wish we had taken the “Maid of the Mist” tour. If I remember correctly, it was booked solid for several hours, and we couldn’t wait that long. A bit of advance planning on our part might have helped.
If you could manage to drive through at night the light show is great. The walk behind the falls is good–so is the Maid of the Mist. The falls are, of course, very touristy but still worth the time.
If you like flowers there is a horticultural place near the falls.
In my opinion, you get a better view of the falls from the Canadian side than the American side. The Maid of the Mist rides are available on both sides, for the same price. They’ll take either American or Canadian cash or credit cards or whatever. Although, I’m not sure that that is running in December. I’m not saying you shouldn’t check the falls out in December if that’s when you’ll be there, its just that you won’t get the same effect as you would in June.
Stop on by, I’ll put a batch of wings in the deep-fryer
No, really, there’s a lot to do around here. I can think of a few ways to spend a few hours in Da Falls…
“Seeing the Falls.” Obvious, yeah, but you want to maximize the experience. Unfortunately, it is the winter, and the Maid of the Mist boat is no longer running for the season. And The Cave of the Winds is COLD this time of year (if it’s not closed anyway). So here’s what to do in the winter: Park on the American side, at the Niagara Falls State Park lot (or, if you’re cheap like me and don’t mind walking, park at the Seneca Niagara Casino lot–it’s free). Go to the Observation Tower and get an overhead view of both Falls. Now double back through the Park parking lot and go down the walkway to the Rainbow Bridge, and walk across the bridge to Canada. There are incredible views from the bridge, plus coin-operated telescopes if you’re so inclined. Continue across to Canada, and you can walk across the Gorge to see more views of the Falls. If it sounds dull, honestly, it’s not: I see The Falls almost every day and I’m still amazed. On the way back it’ll cost 50 cents apiece to walk back on the bridge. Even with the $5.00 or so for the Observation Tower and the parking costs, it’s a bargain.
Gambling. The Falls’ newest attraction. There’s the aforementioned Seneca Niagara Casino on the American side, and Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino in Canada. Personally I think Fallsview is overrated, Casino Niagara is better for locals, but to visitors I’d recommend Seneca Niagara. There’s free valet parking at all the casinos, and the parking goons actually don’t mind a lot if you play a couple hours and then wander around looking at the Falls for a couple hours.
More parks! Since you’re driving to T.O. you will probably want to get out of your car for awhile, but there are other interesting parks a short drive from Niagara Falls. On the American side, the Old Fort Niagara Historic Site is about 10 miles north. On the way back you can stop at Devil’s Hole State Park for views of the Niagara Gorge. (And if you do, you’ll drive right past where I work.) On the Canadian side, up the Niagara Parkway to the north, there is the Butterfly Conservatory, the General Brock Provincial Park, and…
Niagara-on-the-Lake. A historic and somewhat cute (if expensive) shopping town. It reminds me a bit of an upscale English seaside town. This is the place to get the world’s best icewine, as well as a lot of…stuff. (I’m not much of a shopper.)
Places to eat. The best places I know of on the American side are Provenzo’s in Niagara Falls and Carmelo’s Coat of Arms in Lewiston. Italian-American cooking is big here–usually you can’t go wrong eating at an Italian place, especially on Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls. On the Canadian side, there are a lot of chain-type places in the tourist area, but I’ve heard there are less-crowded restaurants that are good–I’m not so familiar with them.
Well, I hope that’s some ideas there. If you want to know anything else, let me know and I’ll try to find it out!
Forget Niagara Falls, Ontario. Once in Ontario, head up the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and eat there. Plenty of nice places with great wine lists. Queen Street, in NotL, is where you can find them.
Leave NotL by highway 55, to the QEW, and follow the QEW right into Toronto. Piece of cake.
I’ve never had much luck with restaurants in Niagra Falls, I’m sure there are good ones, but I’ve never eaten at one.
I once did a drive through thing. All we did was eat lunch (it was summer so we picniced) and went to look at the falls. We didn’t do anything that cost money except go over the bridge (we were on our way from Detroit to Main and cut through Ontario).
My daughter was 18 months old at the time and we couldn’t pull her away. She was fascinated by them.
I agree. There’s a **much ** better view from the Canadian side. I also enjoyed taking the lift down to the tunnels that allow you to go behind the falls.
I did the same thing myself once. I was working in Toronto and had to head to the US border for work visa stuff, and on the way back spent some time at the Falls.
My advise:
If you only have a few hours skip the American side and view it from the Canadian side.
As someone mentioned it’s crowded and parking is bad (though you might be all right in December). I happened across a great parking lot when I was there. It’s right next to the Space-Needle-looking tower. If you are about to drive into the entry into that tower, just go straight until the road ends and there is privately run parking lot off to the right. The nice thing about it is you walk down through a little pathway and it dumps you into the botanical gardens that are right across from the Falls. It’s only about a 3 minute walk to the falls and I think the guy charged $5 CAD to park there.
Besides that on the Canadian side, it’s all the tchotchky you could ever imagine in those shops!!! I was really amazed at how Las Vegasy it was. Tons of shops, casinos, shows, neon everywhere, etc. So, don’t forget to pick up your Official Niagara Falls Back Scrather, and your Official Niagara Falls Shot Glass, and your Official Niagara Falls Diaper Bag, and your Official Niagara Falls Window Cleaner, etc., etc.
Mmm, Niagara. Be sure to get something to eat there, the food is great; browse the souvenir shop, there’s some nice knicknacks and trinkets; do the Maid of the Mist tour; get one of those ponchos and stand in the spray and listen to the waterfall thundering and roaring.
On the Canadian side near the very prettiest part of the falls, there is a rotating restaurant that is about 17 stories up, if I remember correctly. If you are seeing the falls at night, it catches all the beauty of the lights. Two hours should be plenty of time and the fillet is fine. You will be close enough for a quick walk to the very top of the falls. (It will be very misty and wreck makeup and hairdos, but it is worth it!) You should make reservations, but a search on the internet should give you the name of the restaurant.
