{Quick Note: I started this post on the 4th of July}
We live on the second floor of our building so we had to carry all our stuff down the stairs, out the door, and to the car. Luckily, even with parking typically being a nightmare on our street, we were able to park decently close so we did not have to carry our stuff too far. We had to fit the dog's crate, the tent, blankets, food, the cooler, hiking gear, pillows, and the dog all in the back of little Chevy HHR. It was a miracle, but, thank God, it all fit!
Once it was all in the car, we climbed in, ready to start our adventure. From Newport, Rhode Island to Niagara Falls State Park, New York it is 494 miles. That is a 7 hour and 35 minute drive. It took us approximately 10 hours with stops for gas, food, and potty breaks for the pooch. However, Thursday night we were getting tired and we only had about 3 hours left of driving, so we decided to pull over at one of the parking spots and sleep for a few hours.
It really was not too hot or humid outside but we wanted to put the windows down to get a little breeze going through the car. It was not hot but it was a little warm for comfort. It would not have been unbearable to sleep...if it had not been for Penny panting like crazy and heating the car up. She was killing me. Altogether, I probably got about 3 hours of sleep and my husband maybe got 5-6. He can sleep better under extreme conditions than I can. Little Miss Penelope was up most of the night.
We were woken up at about 7 am by some trash collectors who probably thought we were crazy for sleeping in the back of our car with our dog. My husband hopped out and took the pooch to potty while I re-arranged the car and got everything put back in it and ready to go. Once Penny had pottied and we were all packed up, we hit the road again.
We made it to our campground around 9:45 to 10:00 am. We went into the camp store to check in and that was a very quick process. The lady inside was very nice and helpful.
We were able to select from any of the tent camping without hookups and we found a pretty decent and secluded spot. We got everything un-packed from the car, the tent set up, and Penny all settled in. Then we took Penny for a walk around the campground to explore a little and find out where everything was.
It was, by no means, a huge campground, and by KOA standards probably did not have all that much to do. However, except for the mosquitos, we really enjoyed it. There was a pool, playground, giant chess set, basketball hoops, and bike rentals. The best part, perhaps, was the air conditioned bathroom they had up by the office. It was as nice as a hotel and it was really nice to not get out of the shower and just get all sweaty again. The other bathroom was back towards the back of the campground and was not as nice, nor was it air conditioned. I always used the front one.
After walking Miss Penelope, we decided to go to Wal-Mart to get a battery-opperated lantern and a battery-opperated fan. We took Penny with us because it was not too hot. We picked up the things we needed and then our plan was to drive back to our campsite while driving past the falls. However, we ended up deciding to get out and walk around along with also going to pick up our Discovery Passes at the Visitor's Center.
We had to park really far away because we decided it was not worth it to pay $10-20 to park when we did not mind the walking. So we parked about 5 blocks away from the state park. On our mission to find the Visitor's Center, we actually ended up at the one for the city first because they then had to point us in the right direction for the one in the park. It must happen a lot because they had the directions all printed up and ready to go.
We meandered our way through the park and found the Visitor's Center. My husband and Penny waited outside while I went in to pick up our passes. It was a pretty painless experience despite there being a TON of people there. The lady was very nice and told me Penny was allowed anywhere in the park except for in the buildings or the attractions. We decided we would walk around with Penny for a bit and explore and then come back to do the attractions without her on Saturday.
The first thing we saw as we walked around were the American Falls and the rapids leading up to them. They were pretty amazing. There falls were beautiful {At least what we could see of them from the top} and the rapids were pretty cool as well. I could not imagine getting stuck in them and being swept over the falls.
After we walked around that first area a bit and watched the falls and, of course, took some pictures, we mad our way across the pedestrian bridge onto Green Island and then on over to where the Cave of the Winds is. We walked past Cave of the Winds, with plans to return the next day, and on to see Horseshoe Falls.
Horseshoe Falls is what most people think of when they think Niagara Falls. If we thought the American Falls were anything to see then Horseshoe Falls were awe-inspiring. They were absolutely amazing! I could not believe how beautiful and almost majestic they were. It was absolutely gorgeous. We walked around, feeling the mist from the falls landing on our skin and keeping us and Penny cool. We took pictures and stood there just being mesmerized by the falls. They were just too gorgeous for words and pictures will not do them justice either.
Since Penny was with us we walked her around a bit more and then headed back to the main part of the park, back toward the American Falls. Worn out from not sleeping much the night before and ready for an early afternoon nap, we decided to head back to our campground and get some rest! We needed to be well rested for our next day of adventure!
We went back to our campsite and rested. We ate some lunch and then relaxed as we played some cards and listened to music. Then we made to the tent for an early night and plenty of sleep! Bill taught me how to play Crazy 8s and we played that as we relaxed in the tent eating Oreos.
We woke up pretty early the next day. Ready to head out and explore Niagara Falls. With the Discovery Pass, we got to do pretty much everything they had there! It was certainly worth the money. With our passes, we had entry to a movie in the theater, the aquarium, the cave of the winds, the niagara gorge discovery center, and the maid of the mist. It also let us ride the Trolley for an entire day as much as we wanted.
We started out with the Cave of the Winds because we did not want to get caught up in a huge line later in the day. It was pretty cool. We first had to go into a building to get special souvenir shoes they provide you with that have a special grip on the bottom. They were velcro sandals. We both got them but neither my husband nor I wore them. We both had tennis shoes on and figured that would be more than sufficient. Also, I had had surgery on my foot only a few month prior and didn't want to test it by wearing sandals. After we picked up our shoes, we got in line (very short) to go on the elevator down to the bottom of the cliff. That only took us about 20 minutes and they had interesting facts you could read along the pathway so the time went quickly.
We got to the elevator and they crammed us all in there to take the trip down to the bottom. During the ride, the attendant that goes with you is telling us stories about how far down it is, how long it took to build, and when it was built, etc. We got to the bottom and the doors open and you are just hit with this wall of cool humidity. The air was so heavy! We had to walk down a long hallway carved through the rock and we came out at the bottom of the cliff close to the river at the bottom of the falls.
It was amazing! They have wooden walkways built all the way out to the bottom of American Falls and part of the walkways are even IN the rapids! When you first head of to the walkways, you will pass a ton os seagulls because it is the largest nesting population in the United States (If I remember correctly and obviously you would have to go at the right times of the year.) It was pretty cool to see the interactions between the babies and the adults! When you reach the walkways you can take so many different routes. It's a good thing they give you rain ponchos because you WILL get wet. You walk along the pathways deciding how close you want to get to the rushing rapids and it is an amazing experience because you can feel the roar of the water in your feet. Sometimes, the walkways might leave you wondering if they can really continue to hold up to the mighty power of the falls because of the movement you can see but I think they have been really well built so there are no worries! This was definitely worth doing!
After the Cave of the Winds, we decided we wanted to go on the Maid of the Mist so we made our way back across the park by way of the trolley. The Maid of the Mist was a great experience. It did take us a bit longer than other things we did because we went later in the day so we did wait in line a while. However, the boat holds a TON of people and there are multiple ones running so it still wasn't too bad. When it was finally our turn to load onto the boat, us and a couple hundred other people crammed on. It was shoulder to shoulder and not much moving room. The boat slowly made its way over to all of the falls and you could tell it was harder on the engines as we got closer and the currents got stronger. 'It was really great to get a different perspective of the falls and the feel the sheer power of the water as the boat fought to stay close to it. They gave us rain ponchos to wear if we didn't want to get wet and you could also stand under the roof of the boat. We wore the ponchos to prevent becoming excessively soaked but they don't really do too much when there is a raging waterfall throwing mist into the air and rocking the boat. From there, we decided to explore the non-water attractions of the park.
There is not only a small museum about the falls and the park, there is also a small aquarium. While it is not the biggest nor nicest aquarium I have ever been to, it was still educational and interesting to see. It was nice to escape from the heat and I really enjoy watching the antics of fish as they dart around inside their home. It is a small aquarium but if aquariums are your thing, its neat to see for sure. The museum, called the Discovery Center, has information, not only about the falls, but also about the surrounding local areas. It has interactive displays that kiddos could really enjoy. The Discovery Center was small and not all that great but still had some interesting facts about the falls and the park. One thing they had to offer, that we didn't get a chance to do, was the hiking trails that take you down into the gorge. Just another reason for us to return on another trip! We probably would not have gone to either the museum or the aquarium had we not had the passes but, since we paid for it, we went. Probably not worth the price of admission if not included in the passes but interesting nonetheless.
The final thing we did at Niagara Falls was to go to the Adventure Theatre. Here you are shown a 40 minute video of the adventurers, explorers, and dare devils of the falls. From it first being discovered to people trying to go over the falls in barrels, it is an interesting and informative show. The screen is huge and when the falls are up on the screen, you can not only see them thundering down, you can feel it! The picture and the sound is so amazing! You could actually feel like you are standing right outside amid the thundering power of Niagara Falls.
We will definitely be returning to Niagara Falls. We really want to hike the trails the park has to offer and we would also like to venture onto the Canada side as well. I know they have some unique attractions to offer and we would love to see what they are!
First, let me start by saying Happy Birthday America! We live in the most amazing country in the world and I could not be more proud to be an American! Let us remember all those that have fought to protect and preserve our great nation and the freedoms we have because without each and every one of them, we would not be where we are today.
To celebrate the 4th of July holiday, my husband and I decided to pack up the camping gear, the hiking gear and the pooch and make our way up to Niagara Falls. It will be a first for both of us, so it should be pretty awesome and a great experience.
We will be staying at the KOA campground Niagara North. It was about $10 cheaper per night than the one on Grand Island and closer to Niagara so we went with it instead. We ended up paying $35 per night, which, in my opinion, is a little steep, but I guess it IS 4th of July weekend and we ARE super close to Niagara Falls. I suppose it is acceptable. This time. I would probably never pay that much to camp on a non-holiday weekend. It says on their website that all of their campsites are secluded and not lined up so we shall see....
I also found something called the Niagara Discovery Pass which will let us go to 5 different attractions for only $33 each (Since I wrote this, they have gone up to $45 for adults). Seemed like a pretty good deal so we went with it. All 5 of the attractions were things we would have wanted to do anyway so why not save about $20 each to buy the pass ahead of time?
To Be Continued...{After our trip!}
We started our trip to Niagara Falls on Thursday, July 4 after I got off work at 5. Fortunately, I got off work about 15 minutes early thanks to my co-worker and it really helped us leave at a decent time since we had all of our packing to do. Now, any normal people would have had everything all packed and ready to go at least the day before but no, not us. We like to do things last minute. We had nothing packed or ready to do so we had to do all of that before we could leave.
Once we got us and the dog packed up and ready to head out we had to make sure the cats had everything they would need while we were gone. Cats are SO easy. They are essentially self-sufficient if you provide food, water, and somewhere to poop. I guess even if you did not provide somewhere to poop they would find somewhere to do it anyway. We made sure they had plenty of food and water and we were set...to start packing the car.
Once we got us and the dog packed up and ready to head out we had to make sure the cats had everything they would need while we were gone. Cats are SO easy. They are essentially self-sufficient if you provide food, water, and somewhere to poop. I guess even if you did not provide somewhere to poop they would find somewhere to do it anyway. We made sure they had plenty of food and water and we were set...to start packing the car.
We live on the second floor of our building so we had to carry all our stuff down the stairs, out the door, and to the car. Luckily, even with parking typically being a nightmare on our street, we were able to park decently close so we did not have to carry our stuff too far. We had to fit the dog's crate, the tent, blankets, food, the cooler, hiking gear, pillows, and the dog all in the back of little Chevy HHR. It was a miracle, but, thank God, it all fit!
Once it was all in the car, we climbed in, ready to start our adventure. From Newport, Rhode Island to Niagara Falls State Park, New York it is 494 miles. That is a 7 hour and 35 minute drive. It took us approximately 10 hours with stops for gas, food, and potty breaks for the pooch. However, Thursday night we were getting tired and we only had about 3 hours left of driving, so we decided to pull over at one of the parking spots and sleep for a few hours.
It really was not too hot or humid outside but we wanted to put the windows down to get a little breeze going through the car. It was not hot but it was a little warm for comfort. It would not have been unbearable to sleep...if it had not been for Penny panting like crazy and heating the car up. She was killing me. Altogether, I probably got about 3 hours of sleep and my husband maybe got 5-6. He can sleep better under extreme conditions than I can. Little Miss Penelope was up most of the night.
We were woken up at about 7 am by some trash collectors who probably thought we were crazy for sleeping in the back of our car with our dog. My husband hopped out and took the pooch to potty while I re-arranged the car and got everything put back in it and ready to go. Once Penny had pottied and we were all packed up, we hit the road again.
We made it to our campground around 9:45 to 10:00 am. We went into the camp store to check in and that was a very quick process. The lady inside was very nice and helpful.
We were able to select from any of the tent camping without hookups and we found a pretty decent and secluded spot. We got everything un-packed from the car, the tent set up, and Penny all settled in. Then we took Penny for a walk around the campground to explore a little and find out where everything was.
It was, by no means, a huge campground, and by KOA standards probably did not have all that much to do. However, except for the mosquitos, we really enjoyed it. There was a pool, playground, giant chess set, basketball hoops, and bike rentals. The best part, perhaps, was the air conditioned bathroom they had up by the office. It was as nice as a hotel and it was really nice to not get out of the shower and just get all sweaty again. The other bathroom was back towards the back of the campground and was not as nice, nor was it air conditioned. I always used the front one.
After walking Miss Penelope, we decided to go to Wal-Mart to get a battery-opperated lantern and a battery-opperated fan. We took Penny with us because it was not too hot. We picked up the things we needed and then our plan was to drive back to our campsite while driving past the falls. However, we ended up deciding to get out and walk around along with also going to pick up our Discovery Passes at the Visitor's Center.
We had to park really far away because we decided it was not worth it to pay $10-20 to park when we did not mind the walking. So we parked about 5 blocks away from the state park. On our mission to find the Visitor's Center, we actually ended up at the one for the city first because they then had to point us in the right direction for the one in the park. It must happen a lot because they had the directions all printed up and ready to go.
We meandered our way through the park and found the Visitor's Center. My husband and Penny waited outside while I went in to pick up our passes. It was a pretty painless experience despite there being a TON of people there. The lady was very nice and told me Penny was allowed anywhere in the park except for in the buildings or the attractions. We decided we would walk around with Penny for a bit and explore and then come back to do the attractions without her on Saturday.
The first thing we saw as we walked around were the American Falls and the rapids leading up to them. They were pretty amazing. There falls were beautiful {At least what we could see of them from the top} and the rapids were pretty cool as well. I could not imagine getting stuck in them and being swept over the falls.
After we walked around that first area a bit and watched the falls and, of course, took some pictures, we mad our way across the pedestrian bridge onto Green Island and then on over to where the Cave of the Winds is. We walked past Cave of the Winds, with plans to return the next day, and on to see Horseshoe Falls.
Horseshoe Falls is what most people think of when they think Niagara Falls. If we thought the American Falls were anything to see then Horseshoe Falls were awe-inspiring. They were absolutely amazing! I could not believe how beautiful and almost majestic they were. It was absolutely gorgeous. We walked around, feeling the mist from the falls landing on our skin and keeping us and Penny cool. We took pictures and stood there just being mesmerized by the falls. They were just too gorgeous for words and pictures will not do them justice either.
Since Penny was with us we walked her around a bit more and then headed back to the main part of the park, back toward the American Falls. Worn out from not sleeping much the night before and ready for an early afternoon nap, we decided to head back to our campground and get some rest! We needed to be well rested for our next day of adventure!
We went back to our campsite and rested. We ate some lunch and then relaxed as we played some cards and listened to music. Then we made to the tent for an early night and plenty of sleep! Bill taught me how to play Crazy 8s and we played that as we relaxed in the tent eating Oreos.
We woke up pretty early the next day. Ready to head out and explore Niagara Falls. With the Discovery Pass, we got to do pretty much everything they had there! It was certainly worth the money. With our passes, we had entry to a movie in the theater, the aquarium, the cave of the winds, the niagara gorge discovery center, and the maid of the mist. It also let us ride the Trolley for an entire day as much as we wanted.
We started out with the Cave of the Winds because we did not want to get caught up in a huge line later in the day. It was pretty cool. We first had to go into a building to get special souvenir shoes they provide you with that have a special grip on the bottom. They were velcro sandals. We both got them but neither my husband nor I wore them. We both had tennis shoes on and figured that would be more than sufficient. Also, I had had surgery on my foot only a few month prior and didn't want to test it by wearing sandals. After we picked up our shoes, we got in line (very short) to go on the elevator down to the bottom of the cliff. That only took us about 20 minutes and they had interesting facts you could read along the pathway so the time went quickly.
We got to the elevator and they crammed us all in there to take the trip down to the bottom. During the ride, the attendant that goes with you is telling us stories about how far down it is, how long it took to build, and when it was built, etc. We got to the bottom and the doors open and you are just hit with this wall of cool humidity. The air was so heavy! We had to walk down a long hallway carved through the rock and we came out at the bottom of the cliff close to the river at the bottom of the falls.
It was amazing! They have wooden walkways built all the way out to the bottom of American Falls and part of the walkways are even IN the rapids! When you first head of to the walkways, you will pass a ton os seagulls because it is the largest nesting population in the United States (If I remember correctly and obviously you would have to go at the right times of the year.) It was pretty cool to see the interactions between the babies and the adults! When you reach the walkways you can take so many different routes. It's a good thing they give you rain ponchos because you WILL get wet. You walk along the pathways deciding how close you want to get to the rushing rapids and it is an amazing experience because you can feel the roar of the water in your feet. Sometimes, the walkways might leave you wondering if they can really continue to hold up to the mighty power of the falls because of the movement you can see but I think they have been really well built so there are no worries! This was definitely worth doing!
After the Cave of the Winds, we decided we wanted to go on the Maid of the Mist so we made our way back across the park by way of the trolley. The Maid of the Mist was a great experience. It did take us a bit longer than other things we did because we went later in the day so we did wait in line a while. However, the boat holds a TON of people and there are multiple ones running so it still wasn't too bad. When it was finally our turn to load onto the boat, us and a couple hundred other people crammed on. It was shoulder to shoulder and not much moving room. The boat slowly made its way over to all of the falls and you could tell it was harder on the engines as we got closer and the currents got stronger. 'It was really great to get a different perspective of the falls and the feel the sheer power of the water as the boat fought to stay close to it. They gave us rain ponchos to wear if we didn't want to get wet and you could also stand under the roof of the boat. We wore the ponchos to prevent becoming excessively soaked but they don't really do too much when there is a raging waterfall throwing mist into the air and rocking the boat. From there, we decided to explore the non-water attractions of the park.
There is not only a small museum about the falls and the park, there is also a small aquarium. While it is not the biggest nor nicest aquarium I have ever been to, it was still educational and interesting to see. It was nice to escape from the heat and I really enjoy watching the antics of fish as they dart around inside their home. It is a small aquarium but if aquariums are your thing, its neat to see for sure. The museum, called the Discovery Center, has information, not only about the falls, but also about the surrounding local areas. It has interactive displays that kiddos could really enjoy. The Discovery Center was small and not all that great but still had some interesting facts about the falls and the park. One thing they had to offer, that we didn't get a chance to do, was the hiking trails that take you down into the gorge. Just another reason for us to return on another trip! We probably would not have gone to either the museum or the aquarium had we not had the passes but, since we paid for it, we went. Probably not worth the price of admission if not included in the passes but interesting nonetheless.
The final thing we did at Niagara Falls was to go to the Adventure Theatre. Here you are shown a 40 minute video of the adventurers, explorers, and dare devils of the falls. From it first being discovered to people trying to go over the falls in barrels, it is an interesting and informative show. The screen is huge and when the falls are up on the screen, you can not only see them thundering down, you can feel it! The picture and the sound is so amazing! You could actually feel like you are standing right outside amid the thundering power of Niagara Falls.
We will definitely be returning to Niagara Falls. We really want to hike the trails the park has to offer and we would also like to venture onto the Canada side as well. I know they have some unique attractions to offer and we would love to see what they are!
