Niagara falls/NY side. Vacation?

[kandb]

We live in northern NJ. We are trying to plan a vacation for 10 days in July. We have never been north of Rhode Island (love Newport). Was thinking of maybe going to Vermont and then going to Niagara falls to visit. We are a family of 5, dh, me, twins 12 years old and a 6 year old. How would that area be to visit? Any other ideas for a drive to vacation for mid-July? We are going to Florida 2 other times this year, so going south is out.

 

[clori]

have you done the Hershey, Gettysburg, Lancaster area already? There is tons to do there if you have never done it. We drove from Boston to Niagara Falls, Canada and stayed a few days and could have done more days. We only did a tiny bit on the American side so not sure about that but if you can do the Canadian side there is plenty. There is also activities in the White Moiuntains in NH.

 

[kandb]

Thanks for the advice. We have done Pennsylvania numerous times. We are going to Fl in April and doing SeaWorld/Acquatica/LEGOLAND and in August doing Disney so were looking for more
of a sightseeing trip.

 

[jkelly86]

I wouldn't spend more than a few days in Niagara Falls. The drive through Western New York is very similar to PA, farmland and small towns (for the most part). In New York, you could visit the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, or the Hudson Valley. MA (Berkshires), VT (Green Mountains), and NH (White Mountains) are all picturesque.
If it were me, I would skip Niagara Falls altogether and travel to Boston and then to the north shore (Cape Ann is beautiful) and to Maine and Acadia NP. That is a truly spectacular drive.

 

[kandb]

Thanks for the advice. Niagara falls is not a definite. We have never been north of Newport, RI. I was also thinking of maybe Cape Cod? We have never been, maybe that would be nice. Is there much for children to do in Boston?

 

[Annie Mills]

Canadian side for the evening. Eat & sleep on American side.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Thanks for the advice. Niagara falls is not a definite. We have never been north of Newport, RI. I was also thinking of maybe Cape Cod? We have never been, maybe that would be nice. Is there much for children to do in Boston?

We went to Boston in November with a 6 and almost 4 year old. My 4 year old hated all the walking and wasn't too interested but my 6 year old loved it! He loves history so the Freedom Trail was interesting to him. We also did a Duck Tour, visited Fenway (pretty neat if you like sports just the least bit) and went to the Broncos/Patriots game. We were only there a total of 3 1/2 days which was enough for my little one.

I think there's a Great Wolf Lodge nearby if you want to add that in there.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We love Niagara Falls, and generally go at least once a year.

If your budget can swing it, Great Wolf Lodge is awesome for kids the ages of your children. In addition to the indoor waterpark, the outdoor pool would also be open, and there's mini golf, an arcade, a bowling alley, Magic Quest and other activities right on site. Summer is pricey, though....but that may be offset by the fact that your dollar will far based on the current exchange rates.

The Hornblower Cruises (formerly Maid of the Mist), the Butterfly Conservatory, Bird Kingdom, Greg Frewin's show, the SkyWheel, and Cave of the Winds (that one is on the US side) are all very worthwhile attractions. There is also another indoor waterpark (Fallsview) right down by the Falls, and unlike Great Wolf, its open to the general public (not just hotel guests).

On the US side, there's a place called the Silo that is nice to visit in the summer. It was featured some years back on Man v. Food, and the outdoor seating area offers a lovely view of the Niagara River.

There are fireworks several times a week (free).

If you have never been before, I say give it a go. There's TONS to do (just be selective.....not all tourist attractions are worth the price of admission) and its very family friendly.

 

[starwart]

How about going to Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont. Then drive to the White mountains and climb (drive or by train) Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. From there, you can either go to Canada to visit Quebec/Montreal/Toronto/Niagara Falls or go to Acadia in Maine.

 

[4under4]

I grew up not far from Niagra Falls, and I agree with PP... lots of tourist traps, but also a lot of great activities. You really need to go to the Canadian side to appreciate the falls though, so if you don't have passports (or cards) you should get them.

With the US dollar as strong as it is right now, a trip North of the border could be quite cost effective, and Canada is a great place to road trip, especially in the summer months.

 

[jkelly86]

In Boston, my family loved the Children's Museum, Science Museum, NE Aquarium, and Quincy market.

I think Niagara Falls is worth a visit for a few days, it's just that the drive to/from will be very similar to your travels in PA.

 

[kj2mom]

I took my twins (10 at the time) to the Canadian side for a long weekend and we had a great time. We got passport cards (much cheaper than passports but can only be used for ground travel which sounds like it would work for you on this trip) to cross the border. We bought the adventure pass which allowed us to do Maid of the Mist, Journey Into the Falls, a white river rapid walk that were all fun. We caught the fireworks one night, ate dinner at the buffet in the Sky Tower, took a ride on the ferris wheel (can't remember the exact name) and spent some time walking the main road there with all of the shops. A suggestion for after, if you spend a few days there, would be to head to NH. Storyland, Santa's Village, Hobo Railroad, Clark's Trading Post, Fort Jefferson Fun Park are all relatively close in proximity for a few more days.

 

[Brook1099]

Our family enjoys Lake George NY. We try and go every other year. We have wanted to go to Niagra Falls Canada side.. just haven't got our passports to do so.

 

[LovemesomeDW]

We love Niagara Falls but spend most of our time on the Canadian side. We usually do 2-3 day trips.

 

[kandb]

Thanks for all the great info. We are still trying to decide where to go.

 

[Swimalie]

How about Cooperstown, NY? We (husband, 9 year old and me) did a trip up there this past summer. Two days in Cooperstown with the Baseball Hall of Fame, fishing, boating, boat tour, Farmers Museum, etc. Then did a day of casual driving around the Finger Lakes and to Corning where we did the Corning museum (I was able to blow glass, which has been a dream of mine). We had extra hours the last day so we went to Niagara Falls for a few hours before heading home through Corning (needed to pick up my piece). By the way, my profile picture is of the sunrise over Lake Otsego in Cooperstown. The lake is amazing and there is quite a bit to do in such a quant town.

 

[jkelly86]

Great suggestions above.
Another option is to drive north to Lake George for a few days, then drive/take the ferry to Burlington, VT for a few days, then travel over to NH or Southern Maine for a few days. Each drive would be 2-3 hours, except for your first and last day of travel. You could try to get in a little ocean time since you love Newport so much.
If you definitely want to visit the falls, a nice place to visit about 4 hours from there is Old Forge, NY (in the Adirondacks).
Even though you have 10 days, you may want to limit your traveling since many vacation areas will require a one week stay in the summer.

 

[aprilgail]

If you go you should consider the Canadian side- I have gone numerous times and the Canadian side is so much better than the US side. We typically stay 5 days and never run out of things to do!

 

[jlovesee]

I might be from Missouri but have been all up and down the east coast (I have visited every state except W. Virginia east of the Mississippi. A few years ago we flew into Toronto, spent a few days at Niagara Falls, drove down to Fort Ticonderoga where they were having a Revolutionary War Reenactment, and then took a car ferry across Lake George to Vermont and toured Ben and Jerry's. I second everyone's opinion about the Canada side being so much more enjoyable then the American side, border crossing is extremely easy but I think you do need a passport now.

Boston is also nice, especially if you love history, we did the freedom walk around Lexington/Concord, The USS Constitution is there too which was my favorite part as you get to tour her and climb around the ship. I have to say the boston massacre point was quite a let down though.

Jennifer

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Personally if I were going to Niagara Falls and only the NY side, probably wouldn't even bother. The Canadian side has much more to do.