Niagara Falls Trip | The American Side of the Falls

Here it is: the last vacation recap of my trip to Niagara Falls! On our last day of vacation, we visited the American side of the Falls. Originally, we hadn’t planned on visiting this side since so many people said it wasn’t worth it, but after spending time there, I vehemently disagree with that assessment. While the Falls are obviously more beautiful from the Canadian side, I still think there is such beauty and incredible experiences to be had on the American side and it is well worth a visit.

Cave of the Winds

Cave of the Winds was, hands down, my favorite experience of this vacation. And this is why I think visiting the American side of the Falls is a must. It is the coolest experience and I couldn’t believe we were there, so close to the Falls. Cave of the Winds is a boardwalk built right next to the Bridal Veil Falls that you can traverse up and down, getting rained on throughout your jouney by the Falls. You will get wet during this journey, which is why you’re given a poncho and a set of water sandals. At one point, the stairs to go up to a new platform were completely covered in water, so it’s a very good thing not to wear your own shoes! (However, the poncho kept my clothes quite dry!)

There are multiple sets of stairs and multiple platforms, and as you traverse up each set of stairs, things get windier and wetter and more chaotic. And I loved every second of it! There was truly nothing like being rained on by Niagara Falls and to be able to see the Falls so closely like this. We could almost touch the Falls, we were so close to them!

The platform at the tippity top of the boardwalk is the one that is the craziest. You will get drenched! It’s so loud and windy at that level and I was pretty sure my mom wouldn’t want to try for a photo opp here. Remember, she didn’t want to visit Niagara Falls at first because she wasn’t keen on “getting wet.” And when I said that I wasn’t sure about going to the spot on this platform where the waterfall is directly coming down on you, my mom said she kinda did. I mean, I also wanted to but I wasn’t sure how my mom felt. But she wanted to experience it and wanted a picture. So that’s what we did and I’m so glad we did because it was incredible. The best experience of the vacation!

Terrapin Point

After our jaunt in Cave of the Winds, we walked over to Terrapin Point, which is this huge observation area with a great view of the Horseshoe Falls. It was pretty busy when we were there with lots of people wanting to get that perfect spot for a great view, but Mom and I were able to snag an open spot pretty quickly. The views here were amazing and it was fun to be on the other side of the Falls after spending two days previously staring at it. We took in the view for a little while, strolled around the observation area, and then took our leave.

Niagara Scenic Trolley

My mom and I were both delighted to find that the American side of Niagara Falls had a great little trolley system that would take you from attraction to attraction. We weren’t delighted because we’re, like, huge trolley fanatics or anything. Our feet were just tired after five days of vacation and we liked not having to walk to the different destinations. Ha! Vacations are exhausting! The trolley picked us up right near Terrapin Point and brought us over to the other side of the Falls, which is where you can get on the Maid of the Mist and go up to the observation deck that overlooks the entirety of the Falls. It was a really nice trolley ride, though, where we learned a bit more about Niagara Falls and enjoyed lots of great views.

Observation Tower

 

Our final stop of the day was the observation tower. I had seen this huge tower from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and was so intrigued by it. It seemed so high and that you could view the entirety of the Falls from this vantage point. So we headed up there, but we couldn’t figure out how to get to the super-high platform. (There was some very confusing signage about an elevator.) We were a bit tired by this point and vacationed out, so we stuck to the first platform, enjoyed the views, took some silly pictures, and then said goodbye to Niagara. We took the trolley back to the main parking lot and decided on an early dinner at Olive Garden before we returned the rental car to the airport. (Our flight didn’t leave until the next day, but it was a 5:45AM flight and I wasn’t keen on doing a 4AM car rental return, no siree.)

And that was our vacation! It was wonderful and I had so much fun with my mom—I always do! I’m so glad we took this trip together and that we got to see Niagara in all of her glory for the first time ever. She’s a beauty and it’s well worth a visit to see her. And if you’re considering a trip here yourself, don’t forget to visit Bengal Law website, just in case of any unexpected incidents.