If you've never been to Niagara Falls before, you've got to go! Just don't go on Canada Day, July 1. That's their Independence Day, and with ours just a few days later, everybody decided to take a long vacation and spend it at Niagara with us. And, be sure to plan for at least two days for your visit to get it all in.

You absolutely have to make sure to view the falls from the Canadian side (passport required), you get a much better vantage point of the horseshoe shape of the main falls, and you gaze across the mist to a beautiful park on the US side. Once you get that view, then you can settle for the view on the US side. Standing in the park on the US side, you can see the sprawling Vegas-like attractions Canada has built around the falls. Its really quite a spectacle. You also get a better chance of seeing rainbows in the mist because, well, you are right in the mist! The US side has an exhilarating walk down into the mist of the falls where you get soaked. It is really more like walking into a rainstorm.

Both sides have boats that will take you along with a crowd of other tourists up into the base of the rumbling falls itself to feel the raw power. Don't plan on staying dry if you want the full experience. 

We stayed at a hotel with a room high above overlooking the falls (falls view rooms are worth every penny) and walked to almost everything we wanted to see in Canada. There was an incline that can take you down the side of the steep hill and back up, which we took advantage of. Driving to places would have been a nightmare with how crowded it was, and we didn't want to waste time in a car. We did opt for an all-inclusive tour to several of the Canadian attractions where they drove us and we were able to skip the lines waiting for admission. We got to go into the tunnels behind the falls, see the whirlpool in the Niagara river where it takes a 90-degree turn after the falls, and did a maple syrup tasting tour (I'm now addicted to dark). We didn't make time for the Powerhouse tour, but may re-visit to see it sometime. One thing I was not missing is Skylon Tower, much like the Seattle Space Needle, it has a rotating dining room and a buffet restaurant with the observation deck sitting on top. That view was the best hands down!

The second day we spent investigating the US side, strolling the beautiful park and catching rainbows. I'd recommend a picnic lunch for this place, its serene. They also have a hop-on/hop-off trolly that will take you to the scenic waypoints within the park, great if you've walked too much the day before. After the park visit, we drove up-river to another park where trails would lead you down to the river at the whirlpool. We ended up hiking a round trip total of 6 miles and approximately 750 steps to get down some 350 feet to the basin where we could dip our toes into the raging waters. Niagara river has class 6 rapids and water entry is strictly prohibited. It was pretty relaxing to lay down on the big flat rocks at the bend, listening to the river run all around us. From down here, we could gaze up to the overlook at the whirlpool where we were in Canada just the day before.

Every night we were treated to fireworks at 10pm, and on Canada Day, the crowd was so enormous that they closed off roads. We stood elbow to elbow with other tourists, jostling to get a good view for the fireworks show. 

Here are some fun facts about the falls, courtesy of Niagara Parks:

• More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic ft.) of water go over the crestline of the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours
• The Canadian Horseshoe Falls drops an average of 57 metres (188 ft.) into the Lower Niagara River
• The crest line of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is approximately 670 metres (2,200 ft.) wide. The plunge pool beneath the falls is 35 metres (100 ft.) deep
• The height of the American Falls ranges between 21 to 34 metres (70-110 ft.). This measurement is taken from the top of the falls to the top of the rock pile at the base, called the talus slope. The height of the falls from the top of the falls to the river is 57 metres (188 ft.). The crest line of the American Falls is approximately 260 metres (850 ft.) wide
• The rapids above the falls reach a maximum speed of 40 km/hr or 25 mph, with the fastest speeds occur at the falls themselves (recorded up to 68 mph.) The water through the Whirlpool Rapids below the falls reaches 48 km/hr or 30 mph, and at Devil’s Hole Rapids 36km/hr.
• The Niagara River is a connecting channel between two Great Lakes, Erie and Ontario.
• Niagara Falls has moved back seven miles in 12,500 years and may be the fastest moving waterfalls in the world.

Take a peek at my photo-journal of our trip, hopefully it will inspire you to visit! Click on the image to see a larger version and to see all in the Niagara gallery.