Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.

Thanks so much:)

On Jun 8, 2:48 pm, "HeatherD" <u34914@uwe> wrote:
Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.

Thanks so much:)


I cant imagine spending 2 days on the US side of the falls.
You dont need passports to drive into canada, Unless you are in the
usa on a visa or whatever.

There realy is nothing to recomend on the US side of the falls. Okay,
a couple of things, but it sure isnt worth staying over there.

We just stayed at the sheraton on the falls canadian side, 2 story
suite for 200 bucks a nite. Well worth it, but there are several
other fallsview motels with considerably cheaper rooms.

Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.

Thanks so much:)

On 2007-06-08 19:41:14 -0400, "garciyalater@hotmail.com"
garciyalater@hotmail.com> said:

On Jun 8, 2:48 pm, "HeatherD" <u34914@uwe> wrote:
Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.

There realy is nothing to recomend on the US side of the falls. Okay,
a couple of things, but it sure isnt worth staying over there.

We just stayed at the sheraton on the falls canadian side, 2 story
suite for 200 bucks a nite. Well worth it, but there are several
other fallsview motels with considerably cheaper rooms.

Heather should keep in mind that the city of Niagara Falls in the US is
a broken down old rust-belt industrial city with a past but probably no
future. It was, among other things, the nearest urban area to the
famous Love Canal scandal of the 1980's.

The Canadian Niagara Falls, on the other hand, is a schlock-filled
tourist trap. Not great, but at least it has lots of hotels & motels.

On Jun 8, 1:48 pm, "HeatherD" <u34914@uwe> wrote:
Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.

Thanks so much:)

Check http://www.tripadvisor.com. There reviews are always dead
accurate. Personally, I always went to the Canadian side. There really
was not much on the US back in the 80's when I lived up there.

The Canadian side is such a tourist trap that I would actually prefer
to stay on the American side. I would never, on principle, stay in one
of the high rises with a falls view. However, the next time I would
walk, not drive, to the Canadian side at least once to get the better
view.

Niagara Falls New York has a very nice park in the area of the falls.
Nicer than anything on the Canadian side, I would say.

By the way, one of the reasons the view from the Canadian side is
better is that the Canadian government has allowed all those high rise
hotels to be built right up to the edge of the falls. If you're on the
Canadian side, you're looking at the falls and the American park,
whilst if you're on the American side you're looking at the huge neon
signs in Canada.

The Canadian side is such a tourist trap that I would actually prefer
to stay on the American side. I would never, on principle, stay in one
of the high rises with a falls view. However, the next time I would
walk, not drive, to the Canadian side at least once to get the better
view.

Just curious if you have been since the neon casino went up on the US
side? It is 10 times worse looking than anything over on the canadian
side. What is the principal that keeps you from a high rise on the
candian side? Just curious as I cant think of anything better than
coffee on your porch as you look out at the falls?

By the way, one of the reasons the view from the Canadian side is
better is that the Canadian government has allowed all those high rise
hotels to be built right up to the edge of the falls. If you're on the
Canadian side, you're looking at the falls and the American park,
whilst if you're on the American side you're looking at the huge neon
signs in Canada.

The reason that the view of the falls is better from the Canadian side is
that the American falls runs the side of the gorge and faces the Canadian
side. While the American side of the falls looks better, you have to go to
the Canadian side to see it.

The Canadian side is such a tourist trap that I would actually prefer
to stay on the American side. I would never, on principle, stay in one
of the high rises with a falls view. However, the next time I would
walk, not drive, to the Canadian side at least once to get the better
view.

For crying out loud. There are a few blocks of tourist traps. I suppose
that is where they all located because they know that so many tourists are
too lazy to check into what else is available and to spend a few minutes to
get to them. There is a horticulture school and gardens, hiking trails
into the gorge, a 30 mile biking trail and park land along the river, a
butterfly conservatory, Queenston Heights park, winery tours, the nearby
Welland Canal, horse racing. But all you managed to see was the few blocks
of the tourist traps that so many people flock too.

By the way, one of the reasons the view from the Canadian side is
better is that the Canadian government has allowed all those high rise
hotels to be built right up to the edge of the falls. If you're on the
Canadian side, you're looking at the falls and the American park,
whilst if you're on the American side you're looking at the huge neon
signs in Canada.

The reason that the view of the falls is better from the Canadian side is
that the American falls runs the side of the gorge and faces the Canadian
side. While the American side of the falls looks better, you have to go to
the Canadian side to see it.

I believe I said the same thing.

However, due to heavy traffic and
inadequate parking I was unable to stop on the Canadian side the last
time I was there.

I wanted to see the falls. The immediate area of the falls on the
Canadian side resembles Cancun.

The reason the tourist traps are there
is of course because there are so many tourists there, but a
responsible urban planning would have prevented them from ruining the
immediate vicinity of the falls. The Canadian side was truly beautiful
30 years ago and now it's been trashed.

You can have all the hiking
trails and butterfly conservatories and riverside parks you want along
the Niagara river, but what's been done in the vicinity of the falls
is execrable. People don't go to Niagara Falls to see butterflys.

Smoky Mountain National Park in the US is beautiful, but to get to it
you have to pass through a gauntlet of tourist traps and heavy
traffic. I took some European friends camping there and was sorry I
had.

No, I believe that you said that the reason the few is better from the when
you look across from the American side you see all those big hotels that
overlook the falls.

On 2007-06-11 17:10:20 -0400, Dave Smith <adavidsmith@sympatico.ca> said:

No, I believe that you said that the reason the few is better from the when
you look across from the American side you see all those big hotels that
overlook the falls.

Which means just what? "the few is better from the" what?

sechumlib wrote:

On 2007-06-11 17:10:20 -0400, Dave Smith <adavidsmith@sympatico.ca> said:

No, I believe that you said that the reason the few is better from the when
you look across from the American side you see all those big hotels that
overlook the falls.

Which means just what? "the few is better from the" what?


It means that my spell checker doesn't catch stupid mistakes that I
miss..... view.

On Sat, 9 Jun 2007 08:43:09 -0400, sechumlib <sechumlib@liberal.net
wrote:

On 2007-06-08 19:41:14 -0400, "garciyalater@hotmail.com"
garciyalater@hotmail.com> said:


Every time this comes up, everyone says that there's nothing at all on
the American side, but we enjoyed our stay very much. We walked to the
falls from our hotel twice, once in the daytime and once in the
evening, to see the lights. (There wasn't much to see as the mist was
a bit excessive that night.) We spent several hours in the park on the
American side, walking along the Niagara river and standing above the
falls. The river is so calm above the falls that it's a real shock to
get to the edge and see all that water plummet into the gorge below.
We also took the Maid of the Mist ride, which is the one must-do thing
at the falls, in my opinion.

The Canadian side is such a tourist trap that I would actually prefer
to stay on the American side. I would never, on principle, stay in one
of the high rises with a falls view. However, the next time I would
walk, not drive, to the Canadian side at least once to get the better
view.

--
Barbara Vaughan

If you don't mind a bit of a walk, then keep your car on the US side and

On Sat, 9 Jun 2007 08:43:09 -0400, sechumlib <sechumlib@liberal.net
wrote:


On 2007-06-08 19:41:14 -0400, "garciyalater@hotmail.com"
garciyalater@hotmail.com> said:


On Jun 8, 2:48 pm, "HeatherD" <u34914@uwe> wrote:

Hi!
My family is planning a 2 day trip to the American side of the Falls. Any
personal suggestions on HOTELS (3 star) and above to stay close to the Falls.


There realy is nothing to recomend on the US side of the falls. Okay,
a couple of things, but it sure isnt worth staying over there.

We just stayed at the sheraton on the falls canadian side, 2 story
suite for 200 bucks a nite. Well worth it, but there are several
other fallsview motels with considerably cheaper rooms.

Heather should keep in mind that the city of Niagara Falls in the US is
a broken down old rust-belt industrial city with a past but probably no
future. It was, among other things, the nearest urban area to the
famous Love Canal scandal of the 1980's.

The Canadian Niagara Falls, on the other hand, is a schlock-filled
tourist trap. Not great, but at least it has lots of hotels & motels.


Niagara Falls New York has a very nice park in the area of the falls.
Nicer than anything on the Canadian side, I would say. The rest of the
town may be the pits, but I wouldn't miss the park, especially the
Goat Island walk up to the very edge of the falls.

There are also some very inexpensive hotels on the American side,
within walking distance of the falls. We stayed at the Econolodge
several years and were quite satisfied with it. It was very close to
the park and an easy walk to the falls. We didn't need to deal with
the rest of the town at all. Best of all it cost less than half what a
hotel on the Canadian side would have cost.

There is a better view of the falls from the Canadian side, but if
someone has visa reasons for not going to Canada, you can get the best
view of all from the Maid of the Mist boat. It's no reason not to go
to the Falls.

By the way, one of the reasons the view from the Canadian side is
better is that the Canadian government has allowed all those high rise
hotels to be built right up to the edge of the falls. If you're on the
Canadian side, you're looking at the falls and the American park,
whilst if you're on the American side you're looking at the huge neon
signs in Canada.

My husband, neither American nor Canadian, but Italian, didn't even
want to go to the Canadian side when he saw what they had allowed to
be built in such a beautiful spot. He said that he had thought that
only in Naples would such a travesty be allowed. I convinced him to go
there to see the better view, but in the end we passed on it, because
all of the parking lots anywhere near the falls were full, even the
distant lots with shuttle buses. So we saw the view from the Canadian
side while we were stuck on bumper to bumper traffic trying to get to
a far parking lot. When we found it full, my husband said nothing on
earth would induce him to go back to try to find something on the
other side of town, so we went on our way.

Every time this comes up, everyone says that there's nothing at all on
the American side, but we enjoyed our stay very much. We walked to the
falls from our hotel twice, once in the daytime and once in the
evening, to see the lights. (There wasn't much to see as the mist was
a bit excessive that night.) We spent several hours in the park on the
American side, walking along the Niagara river and standing above the
falls. The river is so calm above the falls that it's a real shock to
get to the edge and see all that water plummet into the gorge below.
We also took the Maid of the Mist ride, which is the one must-do thing
at the falls, in my opinion.

The Canadian side is such a tourist trap that I would actually prefer
to stay on the American side. I would never, on principle, stay in one
of the high rises with a falls view. However, the next time I would
walk, not drive, to the Canadian side at least once to get the better
view.

Christ, first you complain about the hotels ruining the view, but they you
complain that the entire park is not paved for your parking convenience,
and in your mind there is less to see because the place is packed with
people. There us a large parking lot just south of the falls where you pay
to park for the day and get a pass on the People Mover shuttle buses.

If they hadn't put so many hotels up right smack across from the
falls, the traffic wouldn't be so horrendous, would it?

The large parking lot with the people mover pass was *full* when I was
there.

I wanted to see the falls. The immediate area of the falls on the
Canadian side resembles Cancun.

Bullshit. The "immediate area* is a park. There is a road along the side of
the river and a nice wide sidewalk, plus a paved pedestrian walkway right
by the falls.

What's on the other side of the road?

I spent most of my time walking in the park on the American side. I
also went to the observation tower over the river and took the Maid
of the Mist ride. Is that a tourist trap? Because that was the only
paid attraction I frequented.

Most of those tourist traps were there 30 years ago. Some of them have
changed hands or changed themes. The road was repaved and roadside parking
removed along the last mile of the parkway by the falls. The sidewalks have
been replaced and there was a lot of interlocking brick installed. The old
concession building by the falls was refurbished. A parking lot was added
when they removed the roadside parking. Other than that, the "immediate
vicinity" of the falls on the Canadian side has not changed much in the 43
years I have been living in the area.

Did the high rise hotels just spring up like mushrooms?

Look, I've done a lot of hiking all over the world, on four
continents, actually, but that's not what I would go to Niagara falls
for. I don't visit tourist traps, period, not here, not there, not
anywhere.

If you actually enter the park there's no problem finding a parking
space. It's just in the tarted up towns on the perimeter that there's
a problem and unfortunately you can't get into the park without going
through those towns. We did a lot of hiking there, but as I said,
Niagara's Falls has one big attraction: IT'S THE FALLS. If you've
lived there for 30 years and don't think the ambience has been ruined,
I can only say that it must have happened so slowly that it crept up
on you. Or maybe you have a fondness for neon.

I visited Niagara Falls once in the 1960s, once in the 1980s and once
in 2002 or something like that. In the 1980s the American side had
improved since my first visit and the Canadian side was nice but
already getting a bit overbuilt. On that visit, we spent most of our
time on the Canadian side. On my latest visit, I was pretty much
horrified.The Italian first time visitor to the falls who was with me
couldn't believe the level of tackiness. I could only say, "You should
have seen it 30 years ago."

However, due to heavy traffic and
inadequate parking I was unable to stop on the Canadian side the last
time I was there.

Christ, first you complain about the hotels ruining the view, but they you
complain that the entire park is not paved for your parking convenience,
and in your mind there is less to see because the place is packed with
people. There us a large parking lot just south of the falls where you pay
to park for the day and get a pass on the People Mover shuttle buses.

I wanted to see the falls. The immediate area of the falls on the
Canadian side resembles Cancun.

Bullshit. The "immediate area* is a park. There is a road along the side of
the river and a nice wide sidewalk, plus a paved pedestrian walkway right
by the falls.

Most of the tourist traps are on Clifton Hill and along
Victoria Ave, which is more than a half mile away and its total area is
less than the park alongside the river in the "immediate vicinity" of the
falls, and not counting the 25+ miles of park land than runs along the
river al the way from Fort Erie to Niagara on the Lake that you managed to
miss because you spent all your time in tourist traps.

The reason the tourist traps are there
is of course because there are so many tourists there, but a
responsible urban planning would have prevented them from ruining the
immediate vicinity of the falls. The Canadian side was truly beautiful
30 years ago and now it's been trashed.

Most of those tourist traps were there 30 years ago. Some of them have
changed hands or changed themes. The road was repaved and roadside parking
removed along the last mile of the parkway by the falls. The sidewalks have
been replaced and there was a lot of interlocking brick installed. The old
concession building by the falls was refurbished. A parking lot was added
when they removed the roadside parking. Other than that, the "immediate
vicinity" of the falls on the Canadian side has not changed much in the 43
years I have been living in the area.

You can have all the hiking
trails and butterfly conservatories and riverside parks you want along
the Niagara river, but what's been done in the vicinity of the falls
is execrable. People don't go to Niagara Falls to see butterflys.

Obviously some of you are more interested in driving around the tourist
traps and looking down their noses at them than putting a little effort
into seeing something significant. People do go to the falls to see the
falls, but then they want to see something else. If you think that they
don't go see the butterfly conservatory, then I guess you haven't stood in
line for an hour or two to go through it. What you have managed to do is
to ignore the miles and miles of parks and hiking trails in the area and
harped about a few blocks of tourist traps because you were too lazy or
apathetic to get out an look for them are take part in them.

Smoky Mountain National Park in the US is beautiful, but to get to it
you have to pass through a gauntlet of tourist traps and heavy
traffic. I took some European friends camping there and was sorry I
had.

Yep. And the worst thing is that you can't find a parking spot when you get
to those places because that is where everyone else goes.

There is a nice walking park along the river on the Canadian side.

With regard to parking you might park at the Butterfly museum and get a
day ticket for the shuttle. The butterfly museum lot is rarely full
when the lots near the falls are overflowing.

If you don't mind a bit of a walk, then keep your car on the US side and
take a walk to the Canadian side. That way, you avoid the traffic, the
parking problems, and the long wait to cross the border.

Oh,,,there's a fifty cent toll (or is it 75 cents?) to walk across the
bridge back to the US.