Steph booked us a spot at Four Mile Creek campground just north of Niagara Falls. It was a LONG day of driving…might have actually been a record day. We left at 8:45am, only made 2 stops and pulled into the campground about 6:00pm. We had more insane tolls and some of the worst paved roads I have ever seen. The Robert Moses Memorial Highway from Niagara to the campground had grass growing up through the concrete highway…if I were Robert I’d be pretty miffed about how I was memorialized with that crappy excuse of a highway!! But the campground was GREAT!! Big grassy spots with shade trees and just a short stroll over to the shore of Lake Ontario with a view of Toronto across the water.
In the morning we decided to spend the day at Niagara Falls. So we packed a lunch, loaded up the truck and drove off to the state park and when we arrived we found that the parking lot was full. We called the park office and they said there was more paid parking available on Goat Island in lot 2 or you can park for free in lot 3. Do you know which one I chose? Ah, you know me so well! There was plenty of room at lot 3 and also plenty of picnic tables for our lunch. We did not have a map of the park so we didn’t know where we were or what we should see. We could see the mist billowing up from the falls so we just started heading toward that on the very nice walking paths they have.
We first came to an area called Three Sisters and spent a bit of time there. Then we continued walking to a fork in the path. We decided to take the lower path which seemed to stay closer to the river. After about 100 yards we see chain link fence and a sign that says Path Closed! What? Maybe you should have told us up at the fork!! Or maybe this is the Robert Moses Memorial Pathway!??
So we backtrack and get back on the upper path where we run into the same chain link fence which is keeping us from this really nice overlook of Horseshoe Falls. And, as if it were thumbing its nose at me, there was a big ol dump truck right in the middle with its bucket tipped up high to help block the view.
I was about to consider the day a flop but we decided to cough up the bucks for the Cave of the Winds tour. I worked at Cave of the Winds in Colorado during high school so I felt I should give this one a looksy. With each ticket purchased you get a free pair of sandals and a bag to keep your stuff dry. We donned our sandals and stashed our water sensitive things in the bags and headed down the elevator. Then walked out to get our free ponchos….or fancy garbage bags. I forgot all about the cave part of the name once I rounded the corner and saw and felt and heard the falls. Er mer gersh!!!!! We were all grinning ear to ear as we looked at the mass of water coming over the cliff and pounding the rocks just a stones throw in front of us. They have built these wooden decks out over the rocks and under the falls for viewers like us. I could not help but wonder how the heck they built them…who gets the job of repairing them or repainting them? There is one portion of the decks called the hurricane zone where you are basically in the falls. The boys wanted to go so I went with Caden and Dacen. It was thrilling…it was intense…it was loud…it felt hard to breathe…it felt very primal…I laughed….I yelled…I got pretty soaked. We met up with the girls and Brielle said she wanted to go. So this time it was all three kids and I going into the hurricane zone. What an experience. I tried to get a few pictures with the camera inside a ziplock bag (poor mans waterproof case) but they don’t do it justice. You have to experience it and I’m so glad we did!
While on the Cave of the Winds tour…oh wait, I never told you about the cave. That’s because I don’t know much about it. I guess there used to be a cave behind the falls, or maybe there still is, but you can no longer go inside it. But the name Cave of the Winds stuck. Anyway, while on that tour we could see people on an overlook at the top of the falls. So we went out to Luna Island to get the same vantage point and it too was really amazing. The river looks and sounds so peaceful and pleasant up top then it all changes when it gets to the edge. We also walked over to the observation tower which normally costs $1.50 a person but when I went up to get information the guy said, “its free right now if you want to go.” Heck yeah!! I hollered over to the family and we all got in for free…woohoo! We rode the elevator down and saw the falls from another vantage point then went up and admired them from the deck. Very touristy but very spectacular.
We do not have passports (I accidentally let them expire and haven’t wanted to fork over the money or effort to get them replaced). So we could not see the falls from the Canada side which we’ve heard is really great. We’ll have to do that next time. We considered staying to see the falls lit up at night and maybe see the fireworks but we were all pretty tired and we felt the lights would be better if viewed from Canada. So we went back home.
Three Sisters
YEAH!!
Billowing mist
Mist
Path closed!
Walking
Terrapin construction
Baby birds
American Falls
Cave of the Winds tour
Looking up at hurricane deck
American Falls
Kids on the hurricane deck
Wet Wachs
A little wet
Tour shoes
Peaceful river
Above Cave of the Winds
Caden
Overlook
Head shot
Top of American Falls
Looking down at hurricane deck
Photographer
Top of falls
Looking over
American Falls
American Falls from tower
Steph
I Love NY
After a yummy dinner the kids and I walked out to the edge of Lake Ontario and it was so pretty that I texted Steph to come out and join us. We all hung out on the pebble beach throwing rocks and watching the sun set. As the sun dropped lower and lower the scene just kept getting better and better. God’s light show out did any colored xenon lights and Chinese fireworks.
Welcome to NY
Ava and the Beast
A little bike riding
Dacen's 'do and new shirt
Angelic Caden
Lake ONtario
Great kids
Can you see Toronto
Us
Watching the sun set
Caden
Rock toast
Rock art
Perfect sunset
Dacen's stack and picture!
My rock stack
The sibs
Caden's rock art
Cute fire hydrant
All I can say is WOW!!!!!
Oh, we’ve been to Niagara and it is one of my best memories!
On one of our trips back to New Hampshire we went to the Canadian Niagara Falls. It was amazing! Steph must have forgotten.