Tag: Niagara Falls

Day 15: What can you do with a day at Niagara Falls?…

How do you start off the day in Niagara Falls…head over to IHOP for pancakes! We had the sweetest waitress who had only been there for 4 days. She met us with a friendly greeting, engaged with our table and sent us off ready and willing to explore. Below IHOP is a huge arcade, straight out of an 80’s kids dream, but with modern games. Chris killed Aliens, Mason played Guitar Hero and Chloe, Dance Dance Revolution.

From there we headed down Clifton Hill to the falls. Today we weren’t just looking at them, we were experiencing them…right close up. We put on the cool plastic poncho’s and boarded a boat that was going right into them! Our boat was a double decker full of happy and excited tourists. We all shared the experience with smiles and offers to take pictures for one and other. Now, I knew we would get wet…but I really didn’t think HOW WET! As we drove close to the “American Side” (the first set of falls, 3 in total located in Niagara County, New York) the mist from the falls was really fun and we took lots of pictures, everyone shuffled around a fair bit to get ‘the picture’. The boat pushes on to the “Canadian Side”, the Horseshoe Falls. While we drove towards this set of falls, the mist becomes greater. Near everyone on the boat began pulling their plastic hoods over their heads. I tucked my camera under my poncho and actually spun around, as my bum and legs got soaked. The mist turned into a torrential downpour, all the while we are laughing, mainly because I think it was so much greater and more powerful than we expected! We stayed in this hilarious sopping wet position for a few minutes and then the boat spun around. Allowing the super mist to move from our side to the other and for me to take ‘the picture’ with the Horseshoe Falls. Bowie and Mason were sopping wet, but grinning ear to ear. Moose had made some new buddies he was helping with pictures and chatting with. Chris and I were elated. We experienced Niagara Falls…and we shared this unforgettable day with our kids.

American Falls
Canadian Falls

Since we were soaking wet and had the convenience of a hotel less than 10 minutes away, we went back and changed. Quickly heading back out and straight to the Zombie Attack…a 6D zombie thrill ride. We get strapped into the weirdest chair wearing 3D glasses and I made sure to have my gun ready! The game starts and so did my chair, jostling us around to mimic the movements of our character…including crashing through trees and zombies and careening off a cliff…all the while hitting zombies with our car or shooting them with our gun. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but Chris…he loves his zombies. So, we had a good time. Plus Moose and Chris had the top 2 kills of the theatre.

After that was Ripley’s Believe It or Not gallery…there was some pretty strange things here from: shrunken heads, bone necklaces, 2 headed animals and vampire killing kits. But also: the worlds largest man, fattest man, shadow art, candy art, and megalodon jaws. There is something for everyone here….and somethings that are just to weird for others. Near the end is a grated walkway with a spacey coloured spinning tunnel…can you walk straight across? None of us can, the spinning tunnel messes with your equilibrium tricking your brain that you are losing your balance.

We stopped at a few shops to browse and pick up souvenirs on our way up to Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works. OK, the wax works…how to begin. These are interesting sculptures, these pieces of art. Using the likeness of celebrities, politicians and historical figures seems to be a welcomed challenge, as there are wax museums all over the world. I find them…a wee bit scary. I continuously felt like there were people all around me as I entered new rooms. Some scultpures had a very close likeness to their intended, while others…not so much. But that’s all in the fun of it I guess. We ran into Marty McFly and the Delorean, Jimmy Fallon, Brittany Spears, Tom Hanks and The Rock. Delving further into the gallery we were transported to Star Wars, Hogwarts, into the Hall of Horror and skipped down the Yellow Brick Road right into the Marvel Universe.

We continued to explore Clifton Hill and grabbed a quick lunch at Starbucks and grabbed some Vintage Candy before heading back to the hotel again for laundry and a nap…5 hours goes by fast!

We ran into a fellow in the laundry room who was from Abbotsford, BC. He and his wife have been travelling for the past 2 months from Abbotsford to Newfoundland/Labrador and were now making their way back! What a cool coincidence. They had visited Nova Scotia already and said we would love it and that three of their friends have made the same move that we’re making. Silver Linings all along the way.

Once everyone was chillaxed and rested we headed out for evening part of Niagara Falls. Everything is all lit up. Most of Clifton Hill stays open until midnight, so we wanted to take some of that energy in. First things first…race cars! Moose and Bowie suited up and hoped into their Go Karts. The track is HUGE! and they send out about 20 people at a time, so Bowie was scared. But she went for it after a couple minutes.

Next up, Wizards Golf…mini golf in a psychedelic setting. Fantasy fun for 18 holes complete with dragons, magic spells and mythical creatures. We continued to stroll the streets until we stopped for dinner, beside the Karaoke. I tried to convince Moose to sing even though he’s underage…why not haha, but he didn’t go for it. Next up was The House of Frankenstein, where Bowie was screaming as they rode the roller coaster, which goes in and out of the building!

We grabbed some Ice Cream and headed back to the hotel around 10:30pm.

Fantastic day had by all.

xo Mel

Day 14: Small Town Charm, off to Great Big Falls…

Ready for the road, and we’ve already been on it for two full weeks already! Our goal for today was to head to Chris’s hometown, and get into Niagara Falls. Once in Niagara, we’ll stay for 2 nights and get some real fun in and some normalcy with being in the same place!

We started the day like most of the rest by getting organized and heading down for breaky. Moose was in a much better mood which was really nice to see. Both he and Bowie were excited to see the waffle station at breakfast! We talked about the day ahead and what parts of the trip we’ve enjoyed so far. Once everyone had their fill it was time to go load up the jeep and head out.

Chris’s Hometown:

It was only 1 hour and 45 minutes to Chris’s hometown of Parry Sound, Ontario. A small town located on Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. The drive there is quite pretty, especially in Autumn. There are flashes of Lake Huron in the distance and rivers under small bridges along the way. Parry Sound has an enjoyable village feel. Funky old buildings, busy sidewalks, and a very active harbour. And for the hockey fans out there; Parry Sound is also home to Bobby Orr. Former professional hockey player for both the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks, one of ‘the greatest of all time’. You can even go to the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame located right by the harbour.

While we enjoyed our drive through the streets, I asked Chris if much was familiar to him. Not really he said, but then again he left before kindergarten and had only returned twice, last time being a preteen. So we made our way to the harbour. We walked down the pier and gazed out at Georgian Bay. It may be October 4th, but it was as warm and sunny as any day in August. The reflection off the water was sublime.

Parry Sound Docks

As we headed off the dock we stopped at the Island Queen Cruise shop and got a few souvenirs for the road, we even considered a boat tour. There are 2 hour and 3 hour boat tours. They travel around Georgian Bay to the many islands of the surrounding areas, very intriguing. But we were on a mission for Niagara Falls, so until next year Island Queen Cruise. Across the dock we headed to Tailwinds Bar and Grill for lunch. We opted to sit on the patio since the weather was so impressive. While we waited for our order we watched a seaplane take off, and the Island Queen set sail. Though there was a fair amount of wasps also taking in the weather…and our lunch, our meals and service was very enjoyable. On the way out we proudly switched into our Parry Sound swag and proceeded to the jeep. We stopped briefly at the West Parry Sound Museum and walked the grounds. Chris and the kids even went up the old Fire Watch Tower which is 30 meters high. I opted for the lilac garden and the frog pond. Bowie tried to catch frogs, but to no avail…I caught 2, just to show off. It was now time to get back on the road…

To Niagara Falls:

Now this part of the drive…I don’t know much about…as again…I was a sleep, for nearly the whole 3 hour drive. I awoke just in time for Chris to show me Toronto off to the left in the distance. He had already passed Canada’s Wonderland and travelled the 403 and we were now on the 407 and headed to the QEW. Holy traffic! We headed straight downtown and arrived at The Vittoria Hotel and Suites. Moose and Bowie could see the Raceway from the car and all the lights from the many attractions. I swear the car was vibrating, just from their excitement. We made great time getting here as it was only 6pm. So we quickly dropped off our things and began exploring.

Niagara Sky Wheel

First stop…The Niagara Sky Wheel. A 175 foot ferris wheel with booths overlooking the falls. As we climbed in and the wheel began to move, Chris asked the kids if they knew how truly big the falls are? They both replied with a “like I know” and “not really”. Their faces lit up as the wheel climbed and the falls fell into view. Moose pulled out his phone to capture the incredible sight, and Bowie continued to exclaim “WOW!”. This is how we wanted to spend Moose’s birthday, we are just a day late haha. If you are in Niagara Falls and debating the Sky Wheel…don’t. Just get in line and enjoy the ride and the unforgettable moments that follow.

Now the bar was set. After seeing the falls from a birds eye view, we walked down Cliffton Hill to see them up-close. Chris got a wee bit sidetracked by Dracula’s Haunted Castle…so we went in. Now, this Haunted Castle has 3 levels of scariness. Our family is no stranger to scary movies or thrillers; however I was still voting level 1. I got outvoted, even by Bowie for Level 2. So, per parent rule she had to go first. I know what you’re thinking…big deal, it’s a silly haunted house. That’s what we thought too. Hell no, it was unnerving.

We made our way up the steps and our vision became very limited, the halls are painted pitch black, there is some very low light, and the odd neon paint smudge ahead. Immediately I felt disoriented and unsure of my footing as I couldn’t see…anything! I wasn’t really sure which way to go and I KNOW; there is a jump scarer ahead. We are all clinging to each other as scary pictures and displays become visible along the corridors, barely lit. And then…the jump scarers begin. I can’t see a thing, barely Bowie ahead of me…and then a deep voice shouts out from behind…we all scream, which makes it scarier…and he chases us. What’s worse; I still have no idea which way to go. Moose is at the lead at this point and hurries us along. Soon after another one screams at us…this time so scary that we run. Still, no vision, the ground under our feet has changed…unsure to what! And then Moose stops, and does not move…then I hear it. Teeth clicking, somewhere ahead in the darkness; clicking, clicking, clicking, getting closer all the time. No one moves…After what felt like 5 minutes, Bowie calls out “We’re all going to die in here! How do we get out?”. Then a raspy voice quietly utters “To the left”. No one moves still…I push everyone and holler “TO THE LEFT!” and we run past the teeth clicking…there is a bit more light here, but where is Moose? “Moose!!!” finally emerges from around the corner. Shortly after, we successfully made our way out! We talked and laughed about it ALL NIGHT!!! So, it must’ve been fun hehe.

Back on the street we headed down for our closer look of the falls. How do you describe in words one of natures wonders of the world without sounding cliché? What I thought I was expecting ended up being so much more. While we watched the power of the falls and listened to the crashing of the water below, the sun began to set. It was pure bliss. I could’ve stayed there all night. Even Moose and Bowie watched in awe. Beautiful is an understatement.

Niagara Falls at Sunset

We headed back up Cliffton Hill enjoying all the action and lights and headed to Benihana for dinner. Benihana! I have never been to a Teppanyaki Grill before so I was excited to share that experience with the kids. Travis, our chef started with a knife and spatula show, tossing and scraping at the hot grill. Shrimp tails tossed into the air, onion volcanos, and heart beating rice. Bowie and Moose watched so intently. A full 5 course meal from the soup to your main dish and cooked in front of you with enthusiasm, entertainment and laughs. A dinner we won’t soon forget.

Back outside, we scouted out the rides and adventures for tomorrow…WE HAVE THE WHOLE DAY IN ONE PLACE!!! Wooohoooo.

Until then xo Mel.