Yesterday, on a whim, we drove for 6 hours to see Niagara Falls. We were in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and figured we were about as close to Niagara Falls as we would ever get, so why not?
We were lucky enough to see Niagara Falls almost frozen solid, so this post is about that.
Could you save this to Pinterest, Thanks.
We arrived fairly late on the USA side of the falls, near Buffalo, New York State and took a quick look and some snaps like these.
Then we thought about booking a room for the night. Our first port of call for hotel bookings these days is Priceline, we’ve found some amazing bargains. Staying on the Canada side was looking a bit cheaper than staying on the USA side, so we drove over the bridge.
That’s really all there is to it, just drive over the Rainbow Bridge that spans the vast Niagara river, have a nice chat with the passport control officials and you’re in Canada. How cool is that? We were in a new country that we hadn’t even planned on visiting!
It was dark by the time we arrived in Canada, but even by night, we could tell this was the fun side of the falls. Lots of lights, eateries and fun attractions lined the streets as we drove to our hotel.
Next day, we wandered down to the edge of the falls and had our breath totally taken away by the views from the Canada side.
But there’s more!
THE Best way to See Niagara Falls, The Niagara Sky Wheel.
The Niagara Sky Wheel, pictured up top, gives you an even more incredible view of the falls.
I should mention here that I am scared of heights, really scared, I struggled terribly with the ropes and climbing course of our cruise ship and all those swinging bridges on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal were my worst nightmare. The Sky Wheel was going to be a challenge!
Little pods were going to take us 175ft up over the falls. Like the falls aren’t high enough already.
Thank goodness they were heated, the day was freezing but we stayed warm in the sky.
The wheel rotated not once, but 4 times, giving us incredible views each time, by the second time around I could open my eyes and move enough to take photos, by the fourth I was pretty cool with it.
My husband, Chef, and the kids loved it and wound me up for the rest of the afternoon about being a “scaredy-cat”. Hey, at least I’m not scared of monsters in the bathroom, kids!
The views of Niagara falls were just incredible and worth confronting my fear of heights for. We’re so glad we crossed to the Canada side, too, it does give you a much better view of the falls. Plus of course, being in Canada is cool!
Tickets for the SkyWheel are around $11 for adults $7 for kids, or you can buy them as part of a Clifton Hill Fun Pass that gives you a bundle of attractions at a lower price. We tested out the other attractions too, I’ll tell you about them in another post.
We’re loving Canada so far!
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The falls look beautiful! I’m going to Iguazu later this year but then Niagra will have to be next on my list after that!
The sky wheel looks cool! I have only seen the falls from Canadian side so no chance for the wheel, maybe some other times! 🙂
The Sky Wheel is in Canada Marysia.
Way to go on riding in the Sky Wheel. I just did the same Saturday with my girls in TN, in the Blue Ridge Mtns. Those pods are really great. My girls loved it. Your pics of the falls are beautiful.
So with you on the heights thing, Alyson! So well done on the Skywheel! Thanks for the amazing pics – everything looks so COLD…
Looks amazing, are you staying in Canada for a while? I cannot wait to get over there but it looks like it’ll be a another year and a half in Asia before we make it over there! Excited to hear more.
Alyson, which car company did you use? I’ve found that across state line trips are really expensive.
Dollar. You need to pick up and drop off at airports to save big bucks. We got a month for $600 plus odds and sods, came out at around $850ish
Hi Alyson,
A fun cheap activity is to walk across the rainbow bridge. I think it costs a dollar or less and you can get another great perspective of the Falls. Also fun to take a picture right between the 2 countries. Give us a shout if you come to Toronto. We are big fans.
Thanks so much Dan! Too cold for us to walk on the bridge at the moment, but yes, it would be great ( not sure if I’d freak out, given my fear of heights!)
Hi Alyson, you may change your mind and just drive out west through Canada, to the west coast!
stop by Calgary and say hi! the Rocky Mountains are worth it! Whistler is totally worth it, and then theres Victoria on the Island! Way less crowded than Florida.
Love your trip adventures, planning my own, you are inspiring.
I really wish we could Shelley, Canada is so worth exploring, but we’re tied to 1 month on the car, we have to fly south. Thanks for your kind words, it means a lot.