Tag: newyork

Travel

A day trip to Watkins Glen State Park from Niagara Falls

hiralk126

Known for its world famous motor racetrack, award winning wineries and a state park full of waterfalls Watkins Glen is a great place for a road trip with Instagram worthy scenery for the whole family. I travelled to Niagara Falls with my friends and on our way to Niagara Falls, New York we decided to take a day trip to the beautiful and popular Watkins Glen State Park in Finger Lakes. Located on the southern tip of Seneca Lake in the Finger lakes, Watkins Glen State Park is a gorgeous place for hiking, camping and outdoor recreation.

As we were only doing a day trip to Watkins Glen on our way to the majestic Niagara Falls, we decided to visit Watkins Glen State Park, famous for its stream -carved gorge now preserved as a State Park.

Fun Facts about Watkins Glen State Park

  1. The gorge derived its name from Dr. Samuel Watkins and his brother John who acquired land in the area in the 1850’s.
  2. To increase tourist appeal, in the mid 1920’s the word “Glen” was added to the town name – Watkins.
  3. Within two miles, the glen’s stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs generating 19 waterfalls.
  4. The gorge emerged more than 2.5 million years ago during the Pleistocene Ice Age when the polar ice sheet advanced and receded and making it wider and deeper each time the ice sheet advanced southward.

When to Visit?

Watkins Glen is open all year however the best time to visit the park is anytime other than the winter months. Personally, we visited the state park in May and thought it was the perfect time to enjoy and explore the State Park without it being too hot or too cold. We combined it with our trip to the Niagara Falls.

Where to enter the park ?

There are three entrances to enter the park – Upper, South and Main. We entered the park through the South Entrance as we also made a quick stop at the Hector Falls along the way which are the third tallest falls in the state. Since the South entrance sits between the main and upper entrances its a great place to start as you will be in the middle of the park and you can retrace your steps as you like. There is no fee to visit the park although there is a parking fee of $8 per vehicle. The upper entrance is not as busy as the other entrances and on long holidays or weekends it may be easier to find parking here in case the main and south entrance are full.

The scenic gorge trail is family friendly however not the most accessible for those with mobility issues. It is an easy and incredible hike with gorgeous views but just be careful as the wet leaves and waterfalls make the path a little slippery sometimes.

We explored walking along the spectacular gorge soaking in the lush greens, waterfalls and fresh air. Walking through a spiral staircase we found ourselves at the Suspension bridge crossing over Watkins Glen Gorge. It made me get lost in nature while also connecting with myself on a deeper level and feeling absolutely rejuvenated.

While all the falls are beautiful my absolute favorite was the Rainbow Falls. We spent most of our time at the striking, delicate, dramatic and beautiful Rainbow Falls. The view from here is absolutely marvelous. The water falling from above, the bridge in the background, the lovely stone stairs is something that looks like from a fairytale. Did you know – The falls get its name from the rainbows that appear in the mist of the falls on sunny days.

As we explored the gorge, we were pleasantly surprised by the powerful Cavern Cascade. The spiral tunnel seemed like a dead end but as we walked down, it led us underneath the Cavern Cascade. Try to put your hand underneath the falls and you will be surprised to find out how strong the current is.

Tips for visiting Watkins Glen State Park

  1. Carry water as there is no water fountain along the trail.
  2. Wear waterproof and comfortable shoes.
  3. During the summer months there is a bus shuttle between the three entrances which helps navigates around the park.
  4. Carry a map, it will come in handy to know where you are and what you would like to explore.

If you are looking for the ultimate travel guide to Niagara Falls which is only a 2.5 hours drive check out my blog post here

Hope you enjoyed reading my post! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or email me and I will be happy to answer them. For all other travel guides and to receive my blog posts subscribe to the blog follow me on Instagram.

Food, Travel

A Complete Travel Guide to Niagara Falls

hiralk126

Spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States are the majestic Niagara Falls which has been on my bucket list for a long time. Every time I saw pictures or videos I have been marveled at the miracle of the nature and I was beyond ecstatic to finally visit them over the Memorial Day weekend with my friends and experience it myself. To say, I was left speechless and lost in thoughts would be an understatement.

There are two sides to the Niagara Falls – The US side and the Canadian side. Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls. The spectacular falls can be toured by boat, helicopter or on your own two feet. The largest of the three falls is the Horseshoe Falls and is also known as the Canadian Falls and the smaller two falls – Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls lie on the American side. I haven’t been to the Canadian side yet and would love to go to see the Horseshoe Falls in its entirety however you can see all the three falls from the US side and trust me it is breathtaking either way. 

One of my friend quoted and it stuck with me ” In Canada you see the falls, and in US you feel the falls”.

How to get to Niagara Falls

We drove to Niagara Falls from Boston starting on Friday evening at 5.00 pm EST and took a few stops to do things along the way and stay over the night. Niagara Falls is approximately 460 miles from Boston. You can also fly to Buffalo Niagara International Airport and then drive to the falls which is approximately 30 minutes away.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Ellicottville, New York which was approximately a one hour and fifteen-minute drive to the Niagara Falls. Check out the place here. We really enjoyed our stay here and it was perfect for our group of 10. Ellicottville is known for its ski resorts. We booked only a week before the Memorial Day weekend and most of the places we liked near Niagara Falls were sold out. If you are looking for an upscale hotel and place closer to the falls check out Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino. Some other options closer are Hyatt Place Niagara Falls and Red Coach Inn.

Best Time to Visit Niagara

The best time to visit the falls is mid-May through mid-September. However, the peak season is in summer from June to August. However, having said that there is no right or wrong time to visit in Niagara. The colder winter months offer a chance to see the falls frozen which is something I want to visit as well. If you also wish to explore some of the parks around New York like us, May is great time as it is not too hot or too cold.

Must do things in Niagara Falls

Maid of the Mist – If there is only one thing you can do, I highly recommend this tour. This is an absolute must do! Strolling along the water’s edge and viewing the Niagara Falls from an outlook is one thing but viewing the falls from the vantage point of the water via a boat tour on the Maid of the Mist is a totally different experience. If you are traveling during long weekends or at peak times there is likely going to be two hours wait time or more. The tickets to this tour are $25.25 for adults and I recommend buying them in advance especially if you are visiting during busy times. They provide you ponchos on the tour so that you are do not get wet. Experiencing the roar and the drenching spray of mist of the powerful and hypnotic falls is surreal. We were lucky to see two rainbows formed as a result of the mist in the air You can check the schedule and book you ticket here.

Things to know for the tour:

  1. Carry a waterproof phone or GoPro to capture the mighty falls.
  2. Be ready to wait in long queues. But don’t worry it is worth the wait.
  3. The tour runs every 15 minutes and lasts approximately 20 minutes.
  4. Tour times cannot be reserved in advance.
  • Observation Tower – After the Maid of the Mist tour we headed to the Observation tower to soak in the panoramic views. It is the only place where you can see both the American falls and the Horseshoe Falls together.
  • Illuminated Falls – When the sun goes down the striking Niagara Falls are illuminated every night of the year beginning at dusk all the way up to 2.00 am in the summer and create a stunning vista that can be marveled from near and far. Did you know – the first ever illumination took place in 1860 with 200 Bengal lights to honor the visit of Prince of Whales as a one-night event. You can check the Illumination schedule here. Usually, in the summer every night at 10.00 pm there are fireworks at the falls but due to the COVID-19 restrictions the fireworks are cancelled for 2021.
  • Cave of the Winds – This is one thing we could not do as the tickets were sold out for the day but cannot wait to go back and try this. Highly recommend booking the tickets by going in early as they are not sold online to avoid the tickets being sold out. I have heard that there is no better way to experience the mighty power of the falls safely than standing underneath a torrent of water on the famous Hurricane Deck. They provide yellow ponchos for this experience but you are bound to get drenched so carry a change of clothes and wear footwear accordingly. Did you know – the decking is removed each fall due to potential damage and re-installed each spring by the park officials to enjoy the experience. Cannot wait to go back and try this enthralling experience!!
  • Rainbow Bridge – Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 restrictions the Canadian border was closed and we could not cross the border at the Niagara Falls. You can either walk or drive on the Rainbow bridge to cross the border but remember you need a valid Canadian visa to go if you are going from New York. It takes approximately five minutes to walk this bridge. You can literally have one foot in US and one in Canada on this bridge. 
  • Terrapin Point– The best view of the Horseshoe falls other than from the Maid of the mist is from the Terrapin point to see the falls and mists forming up close.  This is a great place to check out the illuminated falls. 
  • Goat Island – You can also explore and walk around the Goat Island. The best way to explore the goat island is on foot. Goat Island is in the middle of the Niagara River. The island splits the Niagara River in two before it cascades over the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. It is a great place to enjoy the natural beauty and view of the falls. It is connected to the Luna Island with a pedestrian bridge. 

Where to Eat

  1. Kathi Roll on the Falls – Highly recommend trying this food truck for its lip smacking and delicious kathi rolls. My favorite kathi rolls were the Aloo roll and the Chana roll. I also liked the paneer roll. They offer many options to choose from for vegetarians as well and this place does not disappoint.
  2. Dosa Hut Fine Indian Cuisine – We also tried another food truck and tried the masala dosa, idli sambhar, parathas, channa masala, and samosa chaat here. I personally enjoyed the samosa chaat here the most. 

Day Trips from Niagara Falls

  1. Watkins Glen State Park – 2.5 hours from Niagara Falls. We took a day trip to Watkins Glen State Park. Check out the complete guide on what to do and where to eat here.
  2. Letchworth State Park – This is another great day trip to explore which is only 1.5 hours from Niagara Falls.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will be happy to answer all your questions. Hope you enjoyed the post!