Family Trip : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY

The whole family did some touristy thing before the graduation weekend…. We toured Buffalo and visited some local attractions. Among them were the Buffalo Botanical Garden (left), Buffalo Naval Park/Musuem & Our Lady Of Victory Basillica (right; spectacular architecture, unfortunately closed).

My green thumb parents were thrilled with the visit to the indoor Botanical Garden featuring various plants and flowers. I did not inherit the green thumb trait from my parents as I manage to kill the only bamboo plant in my house =P. I found the garden all right, the building is really pretty from the outside. Entrance fee is $6 and you get discounts for being a senior or student! =)

The Naval Park was not too bad either and entrance fee was $9 per person. You get to walk thru retired war ships and submarines, absorbing pieces of history. Warning: The ships tend to get a little musky, and after walking in and around the ships…we were all a little nauseous! The following day (after picking up the hubby from the airport); we drove to Niagara Falls National Park (NY). We were blessed with wonderful weather that Friday. The Niagara Falls were picturesque. It was simply breathtaking to see the mother nature’s wonders! I’ll just share a couple pictures to take your breath away, as it did mine!

It has been my mom’s longest dream to visit the Niagara Falls, and we’re all happy that she was able to fulfill this dream of hers. All of us were in awe with the falls. Even though everyone except my mom has been to the Falls at least once, we’re still amazed with the scenery and the rapidness of the water!

 

Besides walking by the falls and soaking in the awesomeness of the scenery, we did 2 paid touristy thingy. Both activities gained 2 thumbs (and 2 toes) up from everyone in the family! Hubby and I especially enjoyed the Cave Of The Winds walk. For $11 per person, this is so worth every penny of it! Ponchos and waterproof sandals were provided (and yours to keep). You will take an elevator 175 feet down into the Niagara Gorge and from there you’ll be walking on decks near the base of the water falls and experiencing storm like weather conditions with water gushing (at certain areas) at you! This great adventure is definitely not for someone who’s fear of waterfalls or is aqua phobic! =P

Maid Of The Mist is a must ride when you’re in the Niagara Falls area. This was our first time on the boat, and my dad’s second time. Coincidentally, it was about 25 years ago when he first visited the falls and sat on the Maid Of The Mist! Boat ride costs $13.50 and each person is given a poncho. The 30 minute boat brings you quite close to the base of the Niagara Horseshoe Falls where you’ll be able to “soak” in the powerful rushing waters of the falls. It’s truly a once in a lifetime experience! Boats leave both from the US and Canadian side.

 

If you plan to do both activities, may I suggest that you do Cave Of The Winds first and keep your waterproof sandals!! Wear the sandal aboard the Maid Of The Mist when you’re doing that tour! You’re bound to get wet and your shoes soaked on the boat! We were lucky as I planned for the family to do the Cave Of The Winds first as my logic was to let lunch settle before we do the boat ride, in case the ride was bumpy. Now, we don’t want lunch in the river…do we?! =P