Exploring Niagara Falls

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Our route from Castine to Niagara Falls

Leaving Castine was the endpoint of our East Coast travels. Now it was time to head west. We had planned all summer to visit some Canadian cruising friends in Ontario and wouldn’t you know, Niagara Falls was kind of on the way.

Our first day’s destination was Montpelier, Vermont’s state capital. We had an ulterior motive for our route. We wanted to stop at the Bethel Sugar Shack on US-2 for a lobster roll. We’d stopped there on our US-2 road trip and without a doubt, they have the best lobster rolls on the planet… and we’ve sampled loads of lobster rolls over the years and certainly this summer. They didn’t disappoint. And the ice cream was pretty good, too!

We spent the night at the Maplefield Truck Stop in Montpelier… clean restrooms, free wifi and relatively quiet. We traveled south through Vermont and into New York State. There were lots of road repairs underway, lots of construction and lots of delays. Highway driving… very boring!

Stopping at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center was a pleasant respite. Situated on the banks of the Mohawk River and part of the Erie Canal river network, the Welcome Center offers a short walk along the riverside, a view of Lock #13 and has informative signs and scenic views. It’s also a ‘Taste New York’ site that promotes local food and produce. Vendors were just setting up jellies, jams, honey, syrups and other fresh and homemade goodies for sale.

Lock #13 on the Mohawk River

Camping World in Syracuse was our generous host for the night with free camping in their parking lot and even free electric and a dump station. We made it to Niagara Falls by late afternoon the next day. We drove around the American side of the Falls and it was mobbed. Traffic was atrocious and other than the new Visitor Center, the area looked tired. We contemplated where to stay for the night. Hotel, campground, truck stop? We opted for a Husky Truck Stop, but made reservations for a hotel for the next night using hotel points once again… and yes, we’re getting low on points!

We’d visited the U.S. side a long time ago, so we decided to head across the Rainbow Bridge to view the Falls from the Canadian perspective. We crossed from Niagara Falls, New York, USA to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. No muss, no fuss, easy peasy. The Canadian side is glitzy with high rise hotels, casinos and the Niagara Sky Wheel.

Across the Rainbow Bridge from New York to Ontario. ThE Canadian side is glitzy! That's the Skylon Tower rising above the city and the Skywheel on the far left.

On the other side of the bridge

We headed directly to the Visitor Center for some maps, got our bearings and then headed to the Falls. Parking is at a premium close to the Falls so we opted to park at an outlying lot, pay $10 parking for the day and take a free shuttle (WeGo) as far as the Table Rock Centre.

We were the only two people on the shuttle bus so the driver pointed out attractions along the route… lots of attractions

The shuttle dropped us off at the Table Rock Centre and we began our walk on the Niagara Parkway.

The Table Rock Centre had restaurants, information and sold tickets to attractions.

We began an awesome walk along the Niagara River past the three most scenic falls… the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. The views were outstanding.

The Niagara Parkway was an awesome walk with great views of all the Falls.

Horseshoe Falls

We had planned on a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist, the iconic boat tour that takes passengers by all three waterfalls, stopping in the basin of the Horseshoe Falls to take in the ‘mist’. Currently, the Maid of the Mist works the U.S. side of the Falls and the Hornblower Niagara Boat Tour operates on the Canadian side. After seeing boatload after boatload of passengers in their red (Canadian) or blue (U.S.) plastic ponchos pass near the Falls and return… a 20-minute, ~1-mile roundtrip, we gave it a pass. Perhaps we’re becoming jaded, but being herded aboard a small boat with 300 other people for $70+ for a 20-minute boat ride left us unenthusiastic. Instead, we walked along the Niagara Parkway and delighted in the drenching we got from the mist just walking by the Falls... even from a distance.

Hornblower Niagara Boat Tour at the Basin of the Horseshoe Falls

Maid of the Mist

Boatload after boatload - Bridal Veil and American Falls on the U.S. Side (right)

It’s a natural wonder, but so commercialized it’s almost overwhelming. There’s the ‘Journey Behind the Falls’, the Niagara Parks Power Station Tour, city cruises, boat tours and helicopter tours, casinos, zip lines, white water walks, conservatories, botanic gardens, the SkyWheel giant ferris wheel, the Skylon Tower, historic parks, butterfly parks… not to mention souvenir shops, restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, bars and cafes.

The Zipliners provided some brief entertainment

We walked as far as the Rainbow Bridge

In the end, we thoroughly enjoyed our walk along the Niagara Parkway, had great views of all the Falls, got wet, and had enough ‘Falls’ by around 4pm. We caught the shuttle back to Blanche, found our hotel and enjoyed hot showers, a King-size bed, a hotel room ‘picnic’ and a quiet night… just the two of us. Boring, right?

Next time, lots of visiting with friends and family. Join us for a fun conclusion to a 15,000-mile, 4-1/2 month road trip. It’s time to wend our way back to Las Vegas.