iaink

Gotcha, true enough.

iaink

That may be true of the town itself, but the US park around the falls is pretty good, and worth the trip for the cave of the winds. The only down side is that as a brit you need to get the I94W thingy to go over the border, and wait times can be a little variable at the office depending how busy they are. Plus they can be arseholes sometimes about proof of onward departure and that kind of thing.

Partially discharged

Agreed..the park along the US edge of the falls is nice..but if you go into the town/city itself you can see all levels of crapitude and general urban decay.

Back in about 1991, I went with a friend to the falls and we went to the US side. We ended up at a bar that had 50 cent mixed drinks and $0.25 beers that changed by the hour....different drink special/different hour. We ended up meeting a brit travelling around the US via a greyhound bus pass. He had ended up in Niagara Falls NY and his motel didn't include heat for the price he was paying (it was December !!!) and he was at this bar to get 'insulated' so that the -10 outside temps didn't get into his motel room.

I think the bar was on 4th Street in Niagara Falls, NY. We certainly weren't in a tea or artisinal olive oil shoppe in Niagara on the Lake

Good times had by all.

Novocastrian

If the OP is planning staying over in NotL then perhaps he should be told about the Shaw Festival.

Here's a link to the calendar for May http://gb.shawfest.com/calendar/inde.../2014&p=0&v=-1

bats

It's fun to get a hotel in Niagara with a falls view. Get a take out, some vino as stare at the Falls

I've been told that Lewiston on the New York side is worth a visit.

bgpz

If you like outlet malls.
Seriously. Before we moved here, we'd effectively subsidise our flight over in terms of the savings made by deferring clothes shopping, etc until we were visiting.
And yes, the exchange rate was quite a bit better then (approx $2.20-2.40 IIRC), but there's still some serious bargains to be had if that's your thing.

In terms of NOTL, I'd swerve the tourist chintz (or just drive through it) and head to a couple of decent wineries for tastings. Stratus is where we usually end up taking visitors. They've got some serious stuff that's direct sale only (as have others), but my wine buff friends were seriously impressed by Stratus - the thing that blew me away the most in terms of both novelty and in its own right was a single varietal semillon icewine, but I just like being given nice stuff to drink my friends that seem to be more knowledgeable were raving about the place in far more nerdy terms.

bats

Lewiston has an outlet mall?

I was told it had history, old buildings, prettiness.

MarylandNed

Yes, NOTL is well worth a trip. There are some good bars, restaurants, specialty shops, etc. A winery tour is usually fun. I've done the Hillebrand tour which was very good. Check out the view from the little beach - on a clear day you get a nice view of Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto.

In Niagara Falls, 'Maid of the Mist' is well worth it. I like to take it from the US side as it's cheaper and, after getting off the boat, you can climb the steps up to the American Falls (remember to keep your waterproof poncho after getting off the boat if you decide to climb the steps). Also, there's a good view from the tower on the US side.

As for the towns of Niagara Falls (ON & NY), the Ontario side is definitely nicer but really just your typical tourist trap. I usually stay at the Country Inn & Suites on Victoria Ave. It's within walking distance of the Clifton Hill tourist area and the Falls.

The New York side is economically depressed and pretty run down in parts - although the park near the Falls is well worth a visit. The Rapids Theatre is a good music venue. I always check the schedule to see who's playing when I'm in the area. I saw Blondie play there last September.

dunroving

I just checked back and saw there are several more posts since I last looked. Thanks to all of you who have suggested activities - I think I may even stay over my last two nights, as this will let me see the falls on the first afternoon/evening, have a day and evening to hang about NOTL and the wineries, then drive to the airport the next morning.

Thanks All!

Cookie

There is also Fort George right in town at the end of the Main Street.

http://www.friendsoffortgeorge.ca/

dunroving

I'm back with another question.

Trying to find a hotel on the internet is easier than it used to be before the Web, but if you don't know a place, it's hard to know whether a hotel is close to the action or out on some desolate interstate.

So .. . does anyone know of some decent (I'm fine with budget hotels, doesn't have to be posh) hotels, and/or tell me what street is close to the downtown type area? I'd rather not have to jump in my car and drive somewhere in order to take a walk, so to speak.

I found the Hilton Garden Inn Niagara-on-the-Lake, for example, but from Google Maps it looks like it is nowhere near NOTL, in fact it looks almost closer to Niagara Falls.

HGerchikov

I went for a girls weekend a few years ago and we stayed at the King George Inn, it has parking, is reasonably priced (although not fancy it was clean) and within walking distance of everything. There are quite a few posher hotels eg Queens Landing, and Prince of Wales which are very nice but considerably more expensive.

dunroving

Thank you for the suggestion - the big Web sites didn't bring this place up with prices so I did some rooting round and found that it was about £70per night, compared to places like the Shaw Club and Queen's Landing, at about £130-£160. And as you say, it is right there close to the waterfront. Thanks!

Tirytory

Just hijacking the thread slightly...sorry

We have relatives coming over in the summer and would love to go a winery....but will have the kids in tow as no handy relatives around to babysit. Are there any wineries that cater towards or entertain children? Silly question probably but if you don't ask....

Novocastrian

Try the Calamus winery in Twenty Valley. It's not that they go out of their way to cater to kids but they're kid friendly with an outdoor play area and, believe or not, an observatory with a functioning telescope.

They also provide an excellent Gewurtztraminer and a very decent Merlot (at a not-very-moderate price).

PS Nice to make your acquaintance yesterday.