Niagara Falls
From World travel guide
Niagara Falls is both the name of a group of waterfalls and of the cities that surround them. The Falls are part of the Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The border between Canada and the United States lies along the centre of the river, which is part of the St. Lawerence Seaway.
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Cities
There are two cities called Niagara Falls
- Niagara Falls, New York in the state of New York in the United States of America, and
- Niagara Falls, Ontario which lies within the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.
These cities are on the American side and the Canadian side of the falls, respectively. They are connected by the Rainbow Bridge and the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge.
Understand
The Canadian side has a far superior view, and many tourist attractions are based there. Niagara Falls attracts tourists from all over the world at all times of the year.
Many couples honeymoon at the Falls. In the winter, there is a Festival of Lights, which includes numerous displays of lights throughout the Niagara Parks. There are a number of hydroelectric plants that divert part of the Niagara River to generate electricity from the Falls.
The land on the Canadian side directly adjacent to the river forms the Niagara Parks. The Niagara Parks Commission maintains the park and gardens, and runs a number of attractions for tourists. http://www.niagaraparks.com
Get in
By car
Niagara Falls is two hours by car from Toronto.
By bus
Trentway-Wagar and Coach Canada offer a joint service to Niagara Falls (Canada side) from Toronto via St. Catharines. Adult same-day return fare is roughly $30. There are several departures to and from Niagara Falls per day. Phone: 1-800-461-7661, web: http://www.coachcanada.com/
Visitors staying in Toronto can catch a tour from various Niagara Falls tour providers. The following tour companies offer pick-up from all hotels in Toronto:
Toronto Tours Canada, web: http://www.torontotours.ca/
Niagara Tours, phone: 416-315-4065, web: http://www.niagaratours.ca/
eTours, web: http://www.etours.to/
Get around
During the busiest tourist season (May - October) there is a "People Mover" system which runs on the Parkway along the river. There are pickup points all along the parkway, including near the bus terminal.
See
- Skylon Tower: a tall tower that has an observation deck and revolving restaurant with a great view of the falls. There are arcade games in the base.
- Maid of the Mist: a boat that takes tourists to the foot of the falls, where you can better appreciate their thunder and spray. Only runs in the summer.
- Flower clock: a clock made entirely of flowers, near the Whirlpool
- Niagara Botanical Gardens (at their best in the summer)
- Butterfly conservatory: lots of butterflies in an enclosed space
- Clifton Hill: a hill, and a street, full of gaudy (but fun) tourist attractions such as wax museums, Ripley's Believe it or Not, haunted houses, and little shops.
- Imax theatre: has a great movie about the history of the Falls http://www.imaxniagara.com/home.asp
- Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort a splendid new (June 2004) Vegas style Casino
- Casino Niagara the old but nice casino near Clifton Hill
Eat
- Suisha Gardens, 5701 Lewis Ave., Niagara Falls, Ontario, (905) 354-1500, Very pleasant Japanese restaurant. They cook, Teppanyaki-style, at your table.
- Taki, 5530 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario, (905) 357-7274, "Taki" means "Falls" in Japanese. Very authentic-style Japanese restaurant. Great food, great atmosphere. Pricy, but it's worth it.
- Table Rock Restaurant, Niagara Falls, Ontario, (905) 354-3631, Very good view of the Falls.
- Secret Garden: Embraced by the beautifully manicured Oakes Garden Theater. 5827 River Rd. http://www.diningniagara.com/secretgarden.php
- Carpaccio Restaurant: 2003-04 Award Winning Restaurant & Wine Bar. 6840 Lundy's Lane, http://www.diningniagara.com/carpaccio.php
