American Falls
This past week we traveled to Niagara Falls for a quick family vacation before school started. Unfortunately for Grace we left her back in Ohio so that the older kids, including us, could h
ave more of an adventure. We drove to Buffalo on Wednesday and spent the night on Grand Island in a little Motel. We visited the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Louiseton, NY , as well as, explored Niagara State Park in the night to watch the quick fireworks display. The falls were an awesome sight while lite up and walking through Goat Island was a blast in the dark. 
Thursday we purchased the Niagara Fall Discovery Pass. This allowed us to visit all of the attractions on the US side of the falls. We stopped at the Niagara Aquarium, Discovery Center, rode the Maid of the Mist and traveled to the base of the American Falls on the Cave of the Winds Tour. We were told the Maid
of the Mist is a must do in Niagara. While we all enjoyed the boat ride, it did not compare to walking up the base of the falls to the Hurricane Deck on the Cave of the Winds. It was truly amazing to stand under the falls while the water smashes off of large boulders and engulfs you. This was the tops on everyone's list.After the day in New York we traveled to Ontario for the balance of our trip. Jamey found us a great deal on a house just a mile north of the falls and only about 100 ft. from the Niagara
River Gorge. It was no mansion; however, we could not have found a better place for a us and the kids. We would highly recommend it to anyone traveling with a family on a budget. We were also able to save a ton of money on food by eating in for most of our meals. Of course we ended up spending it on all our "activities" but, it was well worth it. That night went downtown to travel up nearly 775 ft to the observation deck of the Skylon Tower. The view was again amazing. It would have been great to see it on a clear day. Caleb was happy to, "finally have concurred his fear of heights."Friday morning we traveled north a bit to take a tour on on the Niagara
River. By tour I mean racing 50+ mph up the river, doing Hamilton Turns in the Niagara Whirlpool and riding Class V rapids on a Jet Boat. It was a blast and we all looked as if we just took a dunk in the river upon our return to the car. Another must do in the area. A bit pricey but, worth the ride. That night we walked through the town and took a carriage ride near the Horseshoe Falls. We ended the night by watching the fireworks from the Canadian side. If timed right, you can see the fireworks 2-3 during the week.
River. By tour I mean racing 50+ mph up the river, doing Hamilton Turns in the Niagara Whirlpool and riding Class V rapids on a Jet Boat. It was a blast and we all looked as if we just took a dunk in the river upon our return to the car. Another must do in the area. A bit pricey but, worth the ride. That night we walked through the town and took a carriage ride near the Horseshoe Falls. We ended the night by watching the fireworks from the Canadian side. If timed right, you can see the fireworks 2-3 during the week.
Saturday morning we went on a hike at Niagara Glen Park. We descended over 200 ft. down to the Whirlpool on the Niagara River and hike around to the rapids that we rode on the day before. This was one of our most memorable parts of the trip and was a close second to the Cave of the Winds tour and it was ABSOLUTELY FREE! There are miles and miles of hiking and biking trails along the Niagara River and the views are amazing. That afternoon we raced back to the house for a quick showers and caught the matinee of the Greg Frewin Theatre. It was a Vegas Style Magic 
show with Tigers and amazing illusions. After the show we ate our only meal out at an Irish Pud. We sat on the Patio overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. We spent the night hitting a few other attractions on Clifton Hill. We split up the kids. I took Caleb to Brick City (Lego Museum) a
nd the fun house. Jamey took the girls to Ripley's. We ended the night at 2Am in the hot tub which the kids refereed to as the, "Family Tub". We spend most nights in the hot tub trying to recover from all the walking we did. Other than the 9 hour trip home (compared to the 5 hr trip to NY) we had a blast. Hitting most of the sites mid week was also great. Parking was cheaper, lines were shorter and we could do a lot more. Niagara is definitely a must do trip for all but, plan on spending more time there then you think you need. There is so much to due and we could spend another trip there seeing all the rest of the attractions.
Our House (for the weekend)!Check back soon to see more of our pictures from the trip..
