Niagara Falls, ON

We headed to Niagara Falls for the day from Downtown Toronto. The drive is approx. 90 minutes and 132 km drive away. We parked at Skylon Tower, 5200 Robinson St, and cost $10 for the day. To get to the falls we went down a level to the arcade and towards the south west corner and down the stairs, turning left on Murray St. At the corner of Murray St and Niagara Parkway is the Niagara Parks Welcome Center. Tickets to attractions can be pre-purchased here. Cross the Niagara Parkway and you be faced with the American Falls to the left, and the impressive Horseshoe Falls to the right.

Tours

My visit was during the off-peak season, so the Hornblower Cruise wasn’t available yet, due to ice. Yes, it’s still icy in May. We did the Journey Behind the Falls and the Whirlpool. More on the Whirlpool later. The Journey Behind the Falls involves three viewing areas, one is open and located to the side. Here you can look up at the falls. The other two viewing locations are behind the waterfall, where you can hear the roar, and feel the spray. A disposable rain poncho is included in the spring and summer. While I thought this was expensive at $22 CAD for an adult, it was still kinda cool.

Lunch

For lunch we ate at Elements on the Falls. Here we got a window seat where we could eat lunch while overlooking the falls. Service was great, the food was excellent, and the range of local beers were all great. I’d strongly recommend the Silversmith Brewing Company “The Black Lager” and the Side Launch Brewing Company Wheat. Both were very good examples to their styles.

Nearby

To make a day of our trip, we made a 10 minute detour a little north to the Whirlpool. The Aero Car ticket is $16 CAD for an adult. If you have a young child you’ll be placed in the centre of the aero car, so you won’t get too clear of a view. One good thing they did to ensure everyone got a fair chance of the view was to rotate everyone 180° around the aero car for the return journey.

May, 2019