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Clifton Hill:
Clifton Hill is the original area taken over by skyscraper hotels, a casino, and well-known tourist restaurants. It is now a tourist mecca, with Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café, and Hard Rock Café. There are no less than four haunted houses, a maze, a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, several recognizable galleries and chain restaurants. Maid of the Mist is at the bottom of the hill in one of the shallower entrances in the gorge.
You can drop a package on Clifton Hill. Depending on how much you like your tourist traps, some of the attractions are worth it and some are not. Recommendations: Ripley Believe It Or Not and NIGHTMARES Fear Factory.
Fallsview:
Lots of construction and growth has transformed the Fallsview area in recent years. It faces the largest of the falls, Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side. Most of the area is on a cliff, requiring a trip on the Falls Incline Railway to get to the falls and some of the falls activities such as a trip behind the falls and the Niagara Fury. This area is higher than its tourist trap competitor, Clifton Hill. A new casino / shopping center forms the center of the hotel and the entertainment district. In addition to gaming, the casino also hosts shows and concerts of the caliber of Las Vegas.
The area also has several well-known chain restaurants, such as Wolf Gang Puck’s.
When you’re in Fallsview, head down the hill on Murray Street, have a beer at Edgewater’s Tap & Grill, and walk the Niagara River Parkway to Table Rock Center. At Table Rock, you can see Horseshoe Falls up close and / or get tickets to an attraction, such as Journey Behind the Falls and Niagara’s Fury, an exciting new ride opening in 2008 consisting of a circular 4D theater. When you’re done, you’ll be a bit damp and maybe tired and ready to complete the loop back to your hotel. This is a good time to ride the Falls Incline Railway back up the hill, which gives you an excellent view of the Horseshoe Falls during the journey.
Maps:
Realtravel.com provides some great interactive maps of the Niagara Falls area.
Do not miss
- Of the restaurants , Edgewater’s Tap and Grill is a great option. It is on the second floor of Queen Victoria Place, on the Niagara River Parkway, a little below the Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side. In addition to providing a nice interlude on your long walk along the Niagara River Parkway, the road house has a wonderful view of the American & Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls from its second-floor deck. It is also one of the most reasonably priced restaurants in the area with an extensive menu, including soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, and entrees.
- Of the falls attractions , the Maid of the Mist and Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours are among the best Maid of the Mist is a trip on a double-decker ferry boat to the heart of the horseshoe-shaped falls on the Canadian side. . You can’t beat the vantage point, mist bath, and rocking of the boat as it holds its own against rushing water. The Whirlpool Jet trip can be done in a covered or uncovered boat. As your guide will point out, you can expect to get as wet as if you just jumped into the lake if you take the open boat. The boat is guided through the rapids of Devils Hole and towards a hydromassage area. You end up making about three passes through the rapids and you get hit with water as you dive under some of the waves. The best part, however, is the 360 spins made for your fun during the hour-long ride.
- From the tourist traps along Clifton Hill, Ripley’s Believe It or Not offers a museum and a 4-D ride. They are among the best attractions and museums on the hill. NIGHTMARE Fear Factor is a permanent fixture, meaning it surpasses or at least rivals some of the best haunted houses set up on Halloween. A maze traversed in total darkness is made more interesting by unexpected hills, fluffy floors, and ghosts / goblins slithering through your hair and jumping unexpectedly. Like a roller coaster, your best scare images are captured for prosperity and available for purchase. Fair warning: it’s scary. More than 90,000 people have cowering. If you are one of them, your number will be added to the running total on a board in the attraction lobby.
- If you’re into glass blowing, Niagara has a Rossi Glass with an almost constant demonstration of glass blowing by renowned artist, Angelo Rossi.
- Don’t miss the falls at night when they are illuminated with a spectrum of colors. There are also fireworks on the weekends.
Other things to do in the area:
Niagara on the Lake is a small town on the shores of Lake Ontario that has an abundance of bed and breakfasts, boutique shops, bistros, wine tasting vineyards, galleries, and the Shaw Festival Theater. It is also home to the advertised Whirlpool Jet ride at Niagara Falls. Driving north on Niagara River Parkway, the road eventually becomes River Road, Niagara Parkway, and finally Queen Street, the main street that runs through Niagara on the Lake. Along the way, you will pass the Artistic Glassblowing Studio, the panoramic views, the Butterfly Conservatory, the White Water Walk, and several wineries.
There are also several golf courses.
Advice:
- Many attractions and restaurants have not made up for the fact that the Canadian dollar is about the same as the American these days. This means that it is important to review a menu before choosing a restaurant or you will definitely have a etiquette shock when you sit down to eat.
- The American side is not as developed as the Canadian side, although it is starting to be with the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. The Cave of the Winds tour definitely looks interesting as you walk up a ladder and deck near the base of the American Falls. It may be worth the trip through customs.
- There are two casinos available on the Canadian side these days. The Fallsview Casino is definitely the fancier of the two, with the Casino Niagara now hosting more than a multitude of horse tracks. The performance of the slot machines seems good and there are several Japanese slot machines and games because many of the tourists who visit Niagara Falls are from Toronto, where there is a large Asian population.
