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Our first destination trip following retirement! We hope to share our travels with you along the way.
POSTPONED THIS TRIP DUE TO CANADIAN BORDER RESTRICTIONS FOR U.S. TRAVELERS
We are sharing this post as we plan our trip. Answers to questions, the information we gather, and details we find will be included in the final product, available after we return from this trip.
It is our hope that the final result will be an informative travel guide for Niagara Falls which answers all of your questions.
Our ultimate destination: Niagara Falls, NY.
Information about Niagara Falls, NY
Here are some questions we have about visiting Niagara Falls, NY. We would like to find the answers before we go, so we are prepared in advance. What other questions should we be asking? What would YOU want to know?
Where is Niagara Falls located?
How do we get there?
Are there airports close by? Is there a place to park and walk if we drive our own car? Is there camping if we decide to take the RV?
Where to stay?
Are there hotels nearby? What are the average rates? Are there VRBO or AirBnB rentals available?
Things to do at Niagara Falls, NY
What can we do besides stand there and look at the waterfall?
Are there guided tours of Niagara Falls?
Is there a guided tour that might offer informative talks about the history and details of the falls and the area?
What’s the weather at Niagara Falls and best time to visit?
Do I need a raincoat, poncho or umbrella? A jacket and jeans? A winter coat?
What does it cost to go to Niagara Falls?
Do you need tickets?
Can you see Niagara Falls from Canada and the US? What’s the difference?
Which side has a better view of the falls? Are COVID restrictions allowing visitors to cross the border in Fall 2021?
Do I need a passport if I want to cross into Canada at Niagara Falls?
What is the process for crossing the border?
How to Get There:
Fly to Buffalo, NY and rent a car, pack and take the RV or drive the car and stay in hotel or other accommodation.
What we decided to do:
Possible routes:
Fly from St. Louis to Buffalo and drive, take car or camper and drive 11-12 hours from the Midwest, or take the long way and enjoy the Mississippi River along the way – north from St. Louis to Chicago, then Michigan and across the Great Lakes to New York.
What we decided to do:
Other destinations along the way:
Do any of our other bucket list places show up on these routes? Can we knock off anything else with this trip?
Research Activities
What activities are there to do? What things need advance ticketing and reservations?
Time away:
Time away from home for this trip depends on what route we take, how long we plan to be there, the stops we want to make along the way, etc. Initially looking at 3 weeks for our first few trips, but trying to plan this around seasons, family events, and other obligations may be a challenge. If we can’t take the time, that might change our options…
What we decided to do:
Budget:
What can we afford to do? Just starting retirement and living off a pension and social security is new to us. We’d like to see how it shakes out and what we’re actually up against for the future. This means we need to sit down and take a hard look at the finances. How much will this trip cost and can we afford it?
What we decided: We have saved an adequate amount of money during our working lives to allow for budget-conscious travel. We will go, but be mindful of how we spend our dollars.
What about the dog?
We can kennel him, find a neighbor to watch him, ask a family member to keep him, or take him with us. He would be very lonely for 3 weeks, since he is very much a “one-person dog”. Hope to find a way to take him along.
What we decided to do: