Niagara Falls Family Vacation

For our first getaway as a family of four, we decided to go somewhere beautiful, romantic, and family friendly. So, we went on a Niagara Falls family vacation.

If you haven’t been to Niagara Falls, it is truly a sight to see. With rolling water, a misty spray, and three different falls on the Canadian and American side, Niagara Falls is truly beautiful. People from all over the world flock to the falls for fun, romantic, and family-friendly vacations.

Our vacation to Niagara Falls was for some family fun, but it was sweet to see a little romance while we were there. When we were standing in front of the falls, a man beside us went down on one knee and asked his girlfriend, “Will you marry me?” We watched her gasp, catch her breath, and excitedly exclaim, “Yes!” My five-year-old daughter clapped when they hugged and announced, “They’re going to get married!”

With a bit of romance and family fun, Niagara Falls was the perfect place to celebrate our 8 year anniversary. Instead of getting each other a classic gift of pottery or bronze, we decided to do something a little different. We took a little family vacation. There’s no better gift than time with people you love, right! So, we planned a mini, two-day family vacation.

On the first day of our Niagara Falls family vacation, we wanted to just walk around and explore. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. It rained and rained and rained. So, we enjoyed some quality family time indoors and saved the falls for the next day. We had dinner, with a view of the falls and just laughed about the weather.

When the next day came, we went straight to the falls. My daughter couldn’t get over the beauty of them. We walked along the sidewalk in front of the falls and we kept stopping to look at them. Just look at how beautiful they are, even on a cloudy day.

As amazing as the Niagara Falls is from the walkway, nothing compares to experiencing it up close. In the picture below you can see two boats in front of the falls. The red one is the Hornblower and the further away one is the Maid of the Mist. Both offer amazing views of the falls. The Hornblower is available on the Canadian side and the Maid of the Mist is on the American side.

Since we were on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, we decided to go on the Hornblower cruise. The experience was amazing. Once we got our tickets, we walked down the ramp to where you board the cruise. From there, you have amazing views of the American Falls. We waited in line for maybe 15 minutes before it was our time to cruise. We put on our red poncho, which we definitely needed, and we waited to ride. Our kiddos made the best of it even though the sun was in their eyes. (Guess we’ll need sunglasses for them on our next trip.)

Before we knew it, the boat was boarding. It’s a two story boat. Many of the passengers quickly climbed the stairs to the upper level. Since we had a stroller, we stayed on the lower level and found a spot to stand in the front of the boat.

The views were unreal. The boat cruise starts at the American falls, you can see it below.

The boat ride continues to the Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls. It is the largest of the three falls. Once you are in the middle of the falls the boat stays there for a bit so you can experience having the waterfalls all around you. Below is a picture of the falls as we approached it.

When you are in the middle of the falls, it’s unreal. On the day we were there, the mist was so strong we were so wet. At some points it was so misty you could hardly take it all in.

We laughed as our hair and clothes got wetter and wetter. Luckily we had those red ponchos, so it wasn’t too much.

If getting wet isn’t your thing, the people on the upper level did not get nearly as wet as those on the lower level. So, you can still get up close with Niagara Falls and stay a little drier.

Luckily, it was a warm September afternoon, so the water was refreshing and beautiful. You can see our smiling wet faces when we got off the boat!

What a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary! Whether you are planning a trip with your family, friends, or a romantic getaway, Niagara Falls is a wonderful place to visit. We are so happy that we made it our first family vacation.

Can’t get enough? Keep up to date with recipes and other fun at This Happy Mommy. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

If you love family vacations, you may also want to check out Family Vacation to Las Vegas

Want to Remember this? Save Niagara Falls Family Vacation to your favourite family and travel Pinterest Board!