Embrace the Kitsch: A Weekend Getaway Guide to Niagara Falls

The thing about Niagara Falls is that it’s hard to come here and miss the main event: Everything is set up to enjoy the falls. (Photo: Christine Amorose)

By Christine Amorose / C’est Christine

I always feel a little guilty when I travel across the world to see something spectacular when there are still so many places to explore in my own backyard. Niagara Falls has been on my list of places to go for ages, so recently my boyfriend and I took a quick flight up on a Friday night, and spent two glorious days exploring all the area has to offer: plenty of epic waterfall views, craft breweries, and spectacularly scenic drives. Here are our eight favorite ways to dive into the craziness of Niagara Falls.

1. Board the Maid of the Mist

The view from the Maid of the Mist is worth the wait. (Photo: Christine Amorose)

The one extremely touristy thing to do that is 100% worth it, despite the insane line: the Maid of the Mist! The boat takes lets you get up close and personal with the falls, and it’s an experience that intensely involves all of the senses: the noise is thunderous, you can feel the churning of the water beneath you, and you get absolutely soaked by the crashing water.

2. Fly Over the Falls in a Helicopter

(Photo: Christine Amorose)

We had to get a bird’s-eye view of the area with Niagara Helicopters — what’s an adventurous trip to the Falls if you can’t see experience it thousands of feet in the air?! Although it’s a short flight — no more than 15 minutes — the view is mesmerizing. It’s crazy to see how the entire ecosystem works, especially how the water is harnessed for power.

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3. Ride the SkyWheel

(Photo: CliftonHill.com)

One thing to confess so that you take this recommendation with a grain of salt: I absolutely love Ferris wheels. I persuaded my boyfriend to go on the Niagara SkyWheel after dinner, even though it was dark. He wasn’t impressed, and I will admit that it would have been a lot cooler during daytime hours: the view is kind of nonexistent at night. But I still thought it was pretty cool, especially being able to look down on the craziness and neon lights of Clifton Hill, an area packed with restaurants and attractions.

4. Escape to the Islands

(Photo: Christine Amorose)

While my boyfriend went on a long run, I took a nice walk around Goat Island and the Three Sisters Islands, parks that are accessible by footbridge. It’s totally free to walk around these tiny isles and the experience will give you so many different perspectives on Niagara Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls, as well as on the rushing water river that leads to the cascades. The islands have plenty of picnic benches and shady hills to relax and read a book as well!

5. Get Out of Town

(Photo: Christine Amorose)

If you want to explore beyond the falls, we loved Lewiston, NY, and Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada: both small towns with gazebos, waterfront paths, stately homes, and delightful main streets. Neither are more than a 30-minute (very scenic) drive from Niagara Falls itself. Remember to take your passport if you head over to Canada!

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6. Get Spiritual

(Photo: Christine Amorose)

Another super funky thing to check out is the Second Coming House of Prophet Isaiah: located in a residential neighborhood away from the falls, it’s covered in colorful religious symbolism.

7. Eat and Drink as Local as You Can

(Photo: Christine Amorose)

The food options on the American side of Niagara Falls aren’t exactly teeming with innovative flavor and ambience — think TGI Friday’s, Rainforest Cafe and Punjabi Hut. Although we enjoyed the free breakfast buffet every morning at our Hampton by Hilton (I die for those little boxes of cereal and make-your-own-waffle stations), we didn’t eat much in Niagara Falls proper.

Instead, we ventured out a bit and discovered a bunch of great places with craft beer and simple but delicious food. At the Brickyard Pub in Lewiston, you can choose from macaroni and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw or even a shot of whiskey as sides to go with a pulled-pork sandwich or a platter of meat. At Taps Brewhouse, we tried to go local: my boyfriend chose poutine since we were in Canada, and I had the Buffalo chicken wrap since we were only a few miles from where spicy Buffalo wings were invented in Buffalo, New York.

But our favorite eatery was the Niagara Brewing Company, located right on the heart of the neon craziness on Clifton Hill — mostly because it felt like such a dramatic departure from the teeming tourist hordes outside. The beer was very good (I could have easily drank quite a few more of the Honeymoon Peach Radler), and the food was simple, tasty, and reasonably priced. If you’re on the Canada side to view the falls and you like beer, I definitely recommend popping in here.

For a good coffee fix, keep an eye out for Balzac’s cafés. This chain (created by a coffee roaster who trained in San Francisco) has locations throughout Canada, but don’t let that put you off: The coffee drinks are delicious and the decor is bright and sunny.

And although we didn’t go wine tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, we did have dinner at The Garrison House — which keeps several local craft beers on draft and has almost completely Canadian wine list. The best part of the meal might have been the creme brûlée with local berries!

Related: What Burgers Look Like Around the World

(Video: Christine Amorose)

8. If You Still Have Time…

There are few things that we didn’t have a chance to do, but that are fully on my list for the next time I’m in the area. The Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory; the Whirlpool Aero Car, which soars right out over the water; and a wine tour through the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Better yet: You could rent bikes and create your own wine tasting trip through the region!

Have you been to Niagara Falls? What do you recommend?

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