Verify Niagara Hotels with Teens and what to do?!
Aug 10th, 2010 | 02:44 PM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Verify Niagara Hotels with Teens and what to do?!
Hello Everyone
We are going to Niagara Falls for four days end of next week.
We are a family of four, 2 teenage boys 12 and 15.. We are all rather tall so I usually book a suite and someone ends up sleeping on the floor as the beds are usually to short..
So help me pick a Hotel and give me some ideas on what to do with my sons!
I am thinking of Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, Double Tree or the Sheraton Falls View.
I have already booked rooms in all these places, and now need to cancel some reservations. As it might be a long time if we ever go back I booked the Sheraton with a Falls view on the lower floors as others have suggested.
Does anyone out there have an absolute favorire hotel from my list above? As well how can I get around some of the expensive hotel parking?
Things to do:
Maid of the Mist, Walk behind the Falls, The wet Jet Boat Ride, Maybe walk over to the US side and check out Goat Island. Spend a day at Niagara on the Lake. I heard that High Tea is kind of cool as well. Anyone have recommendations for High Tea places?
Any advice for our 3+ days at Niagara Falls ON would be great!
Thanks
Dan
We are going to Niagara Falls for four days end of next week.
We are a family of four, 2 teenage boys 12 and 15.. We are all rather tall so I usually book a suite and someone ends up sleeping on the floor as the beds are usually to short..
So help me pick a Hotel and give me some ideas on what to do with my sons!
I am thinking of Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, Double Tree or the Sheraton Falls View.
I have already booked rooms in all these places, and now need to cancel some reservations. As it might be a long time if we ever go back I booked the Sheraton with a Falls view on the lower floors as others have suggested.
Does anyone out there have an absolute favorire hotel from my list above? As well how can I get around some of the expensive hotel parking?
Things to do:
Maid of the Mist, Walk behind the Falls, The wet Jet Boat Ride, Maybe walk over to the US side and check out Goat Island. Spend a day at Niagara on the Lake. I heard that High Tea is kind of cool as well. Anyone have recommendations for High Tea places?
Any advice for our 3+ days at Niagara Falls ON would be great!
Thanks
Dan
Aug 10th, 2010 | 05:41 PM
#3
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,559
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Hi, Dan,
3+ days is a looong time for NF/NOTL! Especially with 2 teens! Have you considered heading to Toronto for a day? You can take the GO Train from NF to Toronto so no parking fees!
www.gotransit.com
Cambridge Suites in Toronto may work for you. www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com .Or, 2 rooms. I always go with 2 rooms. It's worth the added expense.
3+ days is a looong time for NF/NOTL! Especially with 2 teens! Have you considered heading to Toronto for a day? You can take the GO Train from NF to Toronto so no parking fees!
www.gotransit.comCambridge Suites in Toronto may work for you. www.cambridgesuitestoronto.com .Or, 2 rooms. I always go with 2 rooms. It's worth the added expense.
Aug 10th, 2010 | 05:56 PM
#4
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
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Thanks for your note
Yeah I was kind of wondering if we were spending to much time..
I know that we plan to do:
Walk behind the falls
Walk the River, Jet boat tour, Walk over to the US side and do the Maid of the Mist.
Also I heard Ripleys Is pretty good..although we aren't really to much into Tourist traps which I know Niagara is full of!
How long of a drive is it to Toronto?
and what could we do say for a day and half?
Thanks
Dan
Yeah I was kind of wondering if we were spending to much time..
I know that we plan to do:
Walk behind the falls
Walk the River, Jet boat tour, Walk over to the US side and do the Maid of the Mist.
Also I heard Ripleys Is pretty good..although we aren't really to much into Tourist traps which I know Niagara is full of!
How long of a drive is it to Toronto?
and what could we do say for a day and half?
Thanks
Dan
Aug 10th, 2010 | 06:07 PM
#5
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,559
Likes: 0
Depending on the time of day that you travel, the drive to downtown Toronto could be 1.5 hour to 2.5 hours. I would take the GO Train. It goes directly to Union Station. You cld go to the Hockey Hall of Fame, maybe take in a Blue Jays ball game or an afternoon play, museums, Centre Island, just roam around. Lots to do. I think your boys wld love it!
Aug 10th, 2010 | 06:14 PM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 44
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Yes I like your ideas..but I think I will stay put in NF for the time..I arrive midnight thursday and leave monday by lunch..We live in NJ so I have a 8 hour drive back home.
I would like to try High Tea in Niagara on the Falls.
On such vacations I am usually the first one up and the have to drag everyone else out of bed
I would like to try High Tea in Niagara on the Falls.
On such vacations I am usually the first one up and the have to drag everyone else out of bed
Aug 10th, 2010 | 07:52 PM
#7
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,544
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dgmr... the best hotel for your crew is the Embassy Suites... the rooms are suites giving you more room and the hotel is very family... plus free breakfast in the AM... there's also a decent steakhouse in the Hotel called the KEG and a brand new Margaritaville across the street...
For your activities plan, consider the following for Friday...
Hotel breakfast followed by a short drive to park your car near the Rainbow bridge... walk across to US side and head for Goat Island State Park... get on Cave of the Winds Tour (way better than Journey Behind the Falls)... and walk to edge of falls... Then take Maid of the Mist tour on US side (less Crowded) and enjoy the views from the observation tower... then walk back across to Canada... Perhaps grab a lunch along the way and gawk at the falls for a while... then jump in the Car and head up the Niagara Parkway and get everyone on the Whirlpool JetBoats(bring towels and wet clothes to change(this will be the highlight of the trip)...
on Fridays there are concerts at 7 or 8pm and Fireworks over the Falls at 10 pm so get the gang over to the Clifton Hill Tourist area and let them explore the museums, arcades and junk stores and get by the water for the fireworks...
On Saturday, get the free breakfast and head out for any of the attractions you have interest in... there are brochure racks in the hotel lobbies with discount coupons... after that head up the Niagara Parkway toward Niagara on the Lake village where the emphasis changes to you... Tea is at the Prince of Wales and you can lose the kids for a while by letting them wander the village, or head down to the water... there's also a golf course in the village... there are over 100 wineries in the region if you feel like wine touring, and some fun places to eat... you can also stop at the fruit stands along the way (but you can't bring fruit back to US)
On Sunday I would think about Toronto for the Day or start back for home with a stop at Cooperstown or you could drive the 2&1/2 hours to Cleveland for the Rock'nRoll Hall of Fame... it's much harder to plan this trip with teens because they get bored too easily, however I have seen teen visitors who want to spend DAYS on Clifton Hill... good luck!
For your activities plan, consider the following for Friday...
Hotel breakfast followed by a short drive to park your car near the Rainbow bridge... walk across to US side and head for Goat Island State Park... get on Cave of the Winds Tour (way better than Journey Behind the Falls)... and walk to edge of falls... Then take Maid of the Mist tour on US side (less Crowded) and enjoy the views from the observation tower... then walk back across to Canada... Perhaps grab a lunch along the way and gawk at the falls for a while... then jump in the Car and head up the Niagara Parkway and get everyone on the Whirlpool JetBoats(bring towels and wet clothes to change(this will be the highlight of the trip)...
on Fridays there are concerts at 7 or 8pm and Fireworks over the Falls at 10 pm so get the gang over to the Clifton Hill Tourist area and let them explore the museums, arcades and junk stores and get by the water for the fireworks...
On Saturday, get the free breakfast and head out for any of the attractions you have interest in... there are brochure racks in the hotel lobbies with discount coupons... after that head up the Niagara Parkway toward Niagara on the Lake village where the emphasis changes to you... Tea is at the Prince of Wales and you can lose the kids for a while by letting them wander the village, or head down to the water... there's also a golf course in the village... there are over 100 wineries in the region if you feel like wine touring, and some fun places to eat... you can also stop at the fruit stands along the way (but you can't bring fruit back to US)
On Sunday I would think about Toronto for the Day or start back for home with a stop at Cooperstown or you could drive the 2&1/2 hours to Cleveland for the Rock'nRoll Hall of Fame... it's much harder to plan this trip with teens because they get bored too easily, however I have seen teen visitors who want to spend DAYS on Clifton Hill... good luck!
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Sep 3rd, 2010 | 05:15 PM
#13
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2010
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Hello Everyone
Here is our Niagara Falls Trip Report
We went Aug 20-23
We stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel. We were on the 35th Floor.. Beware this is a VERY BIG hotel..so if crowds isn't your thing, stay away!
Otherwise the hotel was just fine. the view from the room was 100% and we could see both falls and we watched the fire works from our room.
The morning breakfast were fine. There was a line to wait to get in but the place quickly seated you!.
The first day we walked down to the Maid of the Mist which was great. Then we walked over to Journey Behind the falls which pales in comparison to the Maid of the Mist.
Then we took the people mover down to the White Water Walk. As hikers the walk was to short, but as a white water kayaker the water was great.
That night we ate at Brasa restaurant. The food was great..the restaurant was perfect. What I liked very much about it was that it was reasonably quite, eventhough they had a nice band playing and the restaurant people were very nice. There was no rush to get us out! It was like being in an european restaurant..we could have stayed all night talking. The meal was very memorable for us eventhough I am not a meat eater!
The next day as some of you recommended we walked over to the US side..
We had a great walk over and spent the day just walking around on the other side!
We did the cave of the winds which was great! You do get soaked! but you end up right next to the falls!
Also the restuarant on the US side overlooking the falls was nice we ate lunch there!.
The next day we did the jet boat tour which was fun..
As well we went to Niagara on the Falls which wasn't to interesting for teenage Boys. But they like Ft George which was pretty cool As well we ate at an orchard on the way back.
Finally the last day we went to the Butterfly conservancy which was cool. As well we went to the Glen Beck Power station which is pretty cool altough you really don't get to see much!
Thanks for all the advice!
Here is our Niagara Falls Trip Report
We went Aug 20-23
We stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel. We were on the 35th Floor.. Beware this is a VERY BIG hotel..so if crowds isn't your thing, stay away!
Otherwise the hotel was just fine. the view from the room was 100% and we could see both falls and we watched the fire works from our room.
The morning breakfast were fine. There was a line to wait to get in but the place quickly seated you!.
The first day we walked down to the Maid of the Mist which was great. Then we walked over to Journey Behind the falls which pales in comparison to the Maid of the Mist.
Then we took the people mover down to the White Water Walk. As hikers the walk was to short, but as a white water kayaker the water was great.
That night we ate at Brasa restaurant. The food was great..the restaurant was perfect. What I liked very much about it was that it was reasonably quite, eventhough they had a nice band playing and the restaurant people were very nice. There was no rush to get us out! It was like being in an european restaurant..we could have stayed all night talking. The meal was very memorable for us eventhough I am not a meat eater!
The next day as some of you recommended we walked over to the US side..
We had a great walk over and spent the day just walking around on the other side!
We did the cave of the winds which was great! You do get soaked! but you end up right next to the falls!
Also the restuarant on the US side overlooking the falls was nice we ate lunch there!.
The next day we did the jet boat tour which was fun..
As well we went to Niagara on the Falls which wasn't to interesting for teenage Boys. But they like Ft George which was pretty cool As well we ate at an orchard on the way back.
Finally the last day we went to the Butterfly conservancy which was cool. As well we went to the Glen Beck Power station which is pretty cool altough you really don't get to see much!
Thanks for all the advice!
