Known as the honeymoon capital of the world, Niagara Falls was always a lame day trip when I was growing up.  Going to “The Falls” consisted of 6 hours of driving for 2-4 hours of entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, it was cool to see them but it’s wasn’t a huge deal, that is until 2 years ago when I made the choice to live and work at HI Niagara for 6 months.

People travel from all over the world to visit Niagara Falls, and who can blame them.  The Falls are roughly 12,000 yrs old- The Canadian side (Horseshoe Falls) are 57 m (180 ft) high and during peak daylight tourist hours 6 million cubic feet of water rushes over the falls every minute. That makes for a very impressive and memorizing display of Mother Nature at work. On a clear sunny day you’re almost guaranteed to see rainbows over the falls and if you’re lucky, a double rainbow.

As the Falls grow in popularity more and more tourist attractions open up.  This may be fun for some, but in many ways it’s a disappointment. Often times these attractions can expensive and lame.  Here are my thoughts on a few of the attractions closest to the Falls.

• Maid of the Mist- You’re guaranteed to get wet, very wet on this boat ride towards the base of the Horseshoe falls and on a hot day it can be heaven, but is it worth it? Admission is $14.50 for adults and on a busy day getting a great photo can be difficult as the boats are loaded to capacity.
• Journey Behind the Falls- This is one of my favourites. Journey takes you into the tunnels behind the falls.  Although watching the rushing water and hearing it’s thundering noise isn’t enough to entertain you for the admission cost of $12.75, the platform is!  After you’ve walked the tunnels, you can go outside where you’re feet away from the Falls.  This is the closest you will ever be, closer than the Maid of the Mist. The photo at the beginning of this post was taken from street level of the Journey Behind the Falls platform.  There is no time limit here. You can spend 15 mins or 2 hours.
• Skylon Tower- This tower sits 775ft above the Falls and in the summer it’s the perfect place to view the fireworks over the falls. Admisson is $12.95 and during the summer it can be a busy place. On fireworks nights (Sun, Wed, Fri @10pm) it’s best to arrive early, find your spot and stay there.  The fireworks last about 15mins, but are spectacular.  If you’re looking for a cool splurge, diner in their revolving dinning room and visit the top of the tower afterwards for FREE.
• Bird Kingdom- If you like exotic animals, this is the place to be. I’ve seen the most bizarre looking birds here and even conquered my fear of holding a python! Admisson is $16.50.
• Nightmares Fear Factory- I can’t say a lot, as it’ll ruin the whole thing.  I use to LOVE taking travelers to this place (part of my job with HI). The fact that it was next door to the best bar EVER, was a bonus. I’d post my photo from when I went through, but I look awful!! haha

There are a lot of other attractions in Niagara, but their expensive and lame.  If you’re into wax museums, Ripley’s, trendy restaurants like Rainforest Cafe or Hard Rock Cafe you can find them and more along Clifton Hill- the- busiest- most-annoying-street-in-Niagara-that-most-locals-avoid. If you’re looking for other fun things to check out keep reading!

As I mentioned above Nightmares Fear Factory is located next door to the best bar in Niagara, The Wild Mushroom.  This was THE bar that I took all my groups to. Why? Cheap drinks, great atmosphere, fun bartenders and good bar food. In fact, I wish I was back in Niagara right now so I could go to the Mush in a few hours, grab a beer and hangout (She is SO going to kill me for posting this photo, haha). Besides do you know another bar where the ceiling is covered in real US money? Yep, you read that right. For some reason drunk college kids sign money, give it to the bartenders and ask to be immortalized on the ceiling of the Wild Mushroom. If you’re down at the Falls and want to check out the Mush, walk up Clifton Hill to Victoria and turn right.  The Wild Mushroom is a couple minutes down the street on the left hand side.

Here a few more not-to-be-missed experiences in Niagara.

• Hiking along the Niagara Gorge.  If you love nature, hiking or photography, or if you need something to do that’s FREE, walking along the Gorge is your best option. Just hop on the “People Mover” towards the Butterfly Conservatory.  There are a few spots along the way where you can walk down to the gorge for a lovely hike.
• Queen Street was once the downtown core of Niagara, that is until the action was moved closer to the falls.  Over the years Queen Street fell into disrepair.  However in recent years there has been a lot of activity in this area to renew the old neighbourhood. Queen Street is full of shops, Bistros and that local feel that this backpacker craves when traveling.
• Shwarma! Along Victoria, past The Wild Mushroom and Clifton Hill, towards Falls Ave is the best Shwarma place on earth. There was nothing better than leaving the bar to buy shwarma and then coming back for more beer afterward.

• Light Up the Falls- When you’re down by the falls at night, walk up behind the Illumination tower and knock on the door. This is a BIG secret in Niagara.  Generally this is only offered to tour groups that make appointments, but if you just show up, he may just let you in for a little tour. This is the COOLEST part of Niagara.  I was able to take 2 groups here for FREE while I was there.  During the tour you’ll be shown the light board that illuminates the Falls and even given the chance to light them up yourself.  You can generally stay as long as you wish, and before leaving you may score a certificate stating that you “Lit Up the Falls”.

My Niagara is not just about the tourist traps, it’s about finding the fun and the free.  Niagara has amazing scenery, amazing people and some fun cheap options, as long as you budget carefully.  If you’re going to Niagara Falls (You should by the way), staying at HI Niagara is a good choice and not just because I worked there.  HI Niagara is minutes away from the train and bus stations and far enough away from the Falls to afford some peace and quiet. Oh, and if you do stay at HI Niagara, tell Martha Pam says Hi and get off MSN already!!