In late February of this year (2024), we visited my best friend of 25 years in Niagara Falls, New York so that she could meet Mal! During our trip it happened to snow and parts of the waterfalls froze to make it look like a fairy winter wonderland. It was ethereal, breathtaking... all of the cliché descriptions, but come to life for our family fresh from Florida.
Watch our trip on our YouTube channel:
For Christmas in July, we're sharing our trip last winter to the frozen wonderland of Niagara Falls!
The trip marked Mal's first plane ride and he was so excited! He did get a little sick before we touched down in Buffalo and all through the first day, but it did seem to pass once he saw the snow outside!
The flurries began in the evening of our first day, but once we woke up, we were shocked by the blanket covering the outside. So, of course, the first thing we did was go outside and have a snowball fight!
After meeting up with Christina, we walked across the bridge into Canada. Everyone had been saying, "You need to see the falls from the Canada side," so we took that advice. It was both Christina's and Mal's first time out of the country. I was a little disappointed that the didn't stamp Mal's passport, but it was even more odd that we had to pay a $1 per person toll to get back into the U.S.
Our first stop was to grab some poutine! We had recently discovered this dish in Florida and found that it had originated in Canada and so had to try it. It is a beef and gravy covered french fry dish and everyone seems to have their own recipe.
Next, we visited the Skyon Tower. We had booked a time for the observation deck, but did not book the restaurant. On a side note: We had to use the restroom and were directed below the tower to a seemingly abandoned arcade. I'm not sure if it was closed because almost everything in both the U.S. and Canada side were closed for the season, but it gave an eerie, right out of the early nineties feel.
Once we got down to the falls we started to see all of the ice and icicles of the frozen waterfalls! It was so beautiful! Mal spent most of the time breaking off the ice from the railing while Chris and I tried, but couldn't quite catch the beauty of the moment on camera.
Back on the U.S. side, we visited the Cave of the Winds, which is not a cave. We stood on the deck just under the Bridal Falls and looked up at the frozen waterfall! It was my favorite part of the trip! I just could not believe I was actually seeing a frozen waterfall.
At night during the summer months, they usually have a fireworks show, but we were there in the off season, so we only had the light show. It was still beautiful! Even with all of the ice and snow, it made it feel other-worldly.
There is a nice trail that starts near the aquarium called the 'Gorge Trail' that had cliff faces covered in icicles. What we didn't realize was that as the ice was beginning to thaw, it started to fall! Chris was inches from being hit by a piece bigger than his head!
We had so much fun during our Niagara Falls trip! Although it was the off season and attractions such as the Maid of the Mist were closed, I still can't imagine it being any better in summer.
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