Niagara Falls……….American and Canadian Side (Niagara Falls-Take 2 of 2015)

Secret Garden, Niagara Falls, Canada

Back to Niagara Falls!

Hotel Pool at Sheraton at the Falls

We headed back to Niagara Falls in the fall of 2015 with our oldest son’s regular season hockey team in the Niagara Sports Columbus Day Tournament. It was at the Hyde Park Ice Arena, which was a normal ice rink. One nice benefit was there was a pizza place inside, so we got pizza after one of our games one afternoon. It was a well organized hockey tournament.

We stayed at the lovely Sheraton at the Falls on the American side of the falls which was a short walk to Niagara Falls. This hotel is directly across from the Seneca Niagara Casino. You can even walk across to the Canadian side across the border from the hotel. Again, the most important thing in a hotel for a hockey team is the pool! Our team loved the pretty set up of the pool. There were little tables for the parents to sit at while the hockey players and siblings swam together. We had a suite with two double bunk beds, a king bed in the other room, small refrigerator, and table. It was plenty of room and perfect for our family of five.

October was a beautiful time to visit Niagara Falls. The weather was warm and sunny and the drive from Pittsburgh to Niagara Falls was gorgeous getting to see the fall foliage.

There are fireworks frequently planned for over the falls. Most holidays and three evenings a week through October, there will be fireworks on Friday nights. The schedule is available on the Niagara Falls Tourism site if you click on the link.

An Afternoon on the Canadian Side of Niagara Falls

We spent one afternoon on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. You must be sure to have a passport or a passport card if you are traveling from America. The line can be very long, so allow for lots of time, especially on a weekend to cross the border.

We took a ride on the Hornblower Cruise. It is $19.95 per adult and $12.25 for children 5-12 years old. It was well worth the money for our family. It is a short 20 minute ride to see the falls up close. The views were breathtaking, and when we were that close to the falls, the kids appreciated the force of the water coming down. They give you disposable ponchos, because you really do get wet!

After we took our ride, we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls, Canada. The food was okay. Normal chain meals that you would get at any normal Applebees, TGI Fridays, or anything similar to those restaurants.

We walked around a little bit to all the different tourist places to see on Clifton Hill. There are arcades, a bowling alley, Ripley’s, a ferris wheel, mini golf, and wax museums to name a few of the tourist attractions. Bring your money because the entrance fee to these places is very pricy!!

Some tips I would have:

Pay the extra money to stay in a hotel within a walk to the falls. Parking is very pricy around the falls on both the American and Canadian side.
Go when it is warm. I wouldn’t suggest going in the winter. We went in May and again in October and both times were very comfortable.
Be sure to get your passports in enough time. It can take about 6 weeks to get your passport or passport card.
If you are going to drive the whole way to Niagara Falls, go to the Canadian side to visit at least. It is a lot more built up and you can see the falls so much better than the American side. Plus, the kids love saying they went to Canada.

I’m sure we will be heading back to Canada with one of the boys for another hockey tournament. Hoping to get to go to Toronto for one of these trips!

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