Call Me Ajala

I finally took a trip to Niagara Falls! 

This trip has been long overdue. I feel like one of the most popular landmarks in Canada is the Niagara Falls, Ontario. I always wanted to visit them and behold this natural wonder, but the opportunities never aligned. Anyway, I finally went and I want to tell you all about it! 

This post will be divided into two parts: one about my trip and my thoughts, and another to share with you what to do, including prices, information and activities. You are welcome.😊 

For now, let’s dive into my trip!

Some fun facts:

• The cities where the falls are located are called Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada) and Niagara Falls, New York (USA).
  
• The falls drain Lake Erie into Lake Ontario.
  
• A bridge known as the Rainbow Bridge connects both cities and serves as a land border.
  
• The Canadian side is nicer. 🙂
  

I left for Niagara Falls on a Thursday, and it was a couple of hours’ drive with friends. We rented a vehicle and drove to our Airbnb, which was a 3-minute drive from the Falls. 

As veteran tourists, we ensured we packed some food for ourselves so we were not stuck eating at expensive restaurants or ordering food.  We came prepared with meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus juice, water and snacks. We arrived in the evening too tired for any activity, so we just lounged for the night. The Airbnb was gorgeous – a great find!

The next day, we started early and went straight to the waterfalls. We drove to the Clifton Hills, which is close to the falls and quickly found several paid parking spots, one of which we took. 

We walked from there to the falls, and honestly, the falls were extremely breathtaking. You walk along a pathway that runs beside the falls, giving you a clear view over to the US side. There was a lot of activity: the Maid of the Mist boat ride on one end, ziplining in the middle, and a gift shop at the other end.  The weather was beautiful, so naturally, the area was bustling with tourists.

The water cascades from the falls down into the lake below, creating a powerful mist from the sheer force, and photos don’t do it justice. Near the end, where the gift shop is located, you can see the fast-rushing lake emptying over the edge. That area creates such a mist-like spray that it almost feels like rain, making it noticeably wetter than the rest.

We didn’t go on the Maid of the Mist because we were already tired, and I don’t do ziplining, so we headed back to our Airbnb to rest up for part two of our adventure.

When we returned to town, we went straight to the Clifton Hill district, where all the tourist attractions and shops are located. It’s mainly one lively street, filled with giant, eye-catching signs – the bigger, the better. We treated ourselves to some ice cream (because why not?) and visited the Movieland Wax Museum to check out wax figures of TV characters, movie stars, and celebrities. It was really fun, though many of the replicas didn’t really resemble their muses.
Did I still take pictures with my faves? Absolutely.

Afterwards, we walked the rest of the street, soaking in all the sights. I wanted to go on another ride, but it was way too expensive. Once you move past the main Clifton Hill strip, the surrounding streets feel much less touristy, more like a regular neighbourhood. I bought some Niagara merch from shops in that area because they were significantly cheaper.

On our last day, we went up the Skylon Tower in a transparent elevator to the observation deck and enjoyed stunning views of the falls from above. It amazes me how beyond the major attractions, tourist cities are quite regular. Aside from the majestic falls and the energetic vibe of Clifton Hill, the rest of Niagara looks like a typical suburban city – banks, homes, clean streets, all laid out neatly.

We also watched a 15-minute 3D/4D movie about Niagara Falls. I have many thoughts which I will compress into this statement- it wasn’t it. The movie attempted to tell a story about how the falls were formed, but I found it underwhelming. I would have much preferred a well-produced, realistic documentary. And the 3D/4D effects? Also, not the best. Let’s just say I won’t be watching that again.

Thoughts on Niagara

• If I were to return to Niagara again, I would maintain a lot of the plans, but I would never see the 3D/4D movie again. Ever.
• I would also try some other attractions like the erupting volcano attraction near the mini golf course and Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum. 

All in all, I enjoyed the weekend, but I do have some feedback for the tourism committee of Niagara, Ontario. 

You can catch that in my next post! 

Have you been to the Falls? How was it for you? Let me know in the comments!