Community Forums

Dougrus · 02-10-2013, 10:57 AM

We are planning a trip from South Central PA to the PA Grand Canyon then Niagra Falls, would also like to see buffalo/Erie on the way home to show the Kid a Great Lake.
Any good CG for Niagra? Do they have shuttles or will we need to pull our Hyundai? Planning for August before school starts.

palehorse89 · 02-10-2013, 11:21 AM

Here is some reading from other posts http://www.irv2.com/forums/search.php?searchid=3897516 and some more http://www.irv2.com/forums/search.php?searchid=3897466. You will see that opions vary on Niagra Falls and where to stay. We stayed at the KOA on Grand Island last summer and it worked great for us, kinda expensive but you could buy tickets right at check-in for the day long tour of the falls. A tour bus picked us up and dropped us back off. As far as towing,I never leave home without it. Added insurance when traveling to have another auto with us, use it or not , it goes with us.

wnytaxman · 02-10-2013, 12:08 PM

Doug,

Are you planning on just visiting the US side or will you hit the Canadian side also? If you are crossing over to Canada you would probably want to use the Peace Bridge at Buffalo which will give you a pretty good panorama of the end of Lake Erie and the beginning of the Niagara River. Make sure you have your passports and birth certificates for the kids if you are going to Canada. Sadly, for us here on the NY side, there is much more to see on the Canadian side of the River.

I would think you would be best to take along your toad. There can be a number of things you might want to do that will require driving that are not available on the shuttle bus runs, such as Ft. Niagara and the jet boat rides through the Whirlpool.

Possum · 02-10-2013, 12:25 PM

Take your toad and if possible park on the Canadian side. There are vistas from the Peace Bridge and there is a shortish drive along the Canadian side that includes Brock's Monument, The best falls viewing side, and the fruit and vineyards all the way down to Lake Ontario, the other end of the Niagara River.

Touristy stuff to do like crazy that is much easier accessed with a toad. Cross into Canada and camp there and do all your running about with the toad and then cross back into the states.

If you can work in in there are some great activities in and around Chautauqua Lake in western NY state that your kids would love. Paddle wheel boat ride, the Chautauqua Institute, Lucy's Museum in Jamestown, DW and I love getting to that area every five years or so.

Have fun and plan well as there is lots to do for the whole family.

1ciderdog · 02-10-2013, 06:37 PM

We stayed at the KOA on the Canada side and there was a bus stop maybe half a block from the KOA. We took the bus into and back from the Falls area several times without problem. The drivers had suggestions as to where to get off for particular views or other places of interest. That worked out well for us and I don't hesitate to recommend that if it fits your agenda. We have also stayed on the US side at KOA and at Four Mile State Park but we had a tow car and did not look into other methods of transportation from those parks.

H. Miller · 02-11-2013, 06:49 AM

Take a toad and stay at Four Mile Creek State Park which is ON Lake Ontario and near the best historical site in the area - Ft. Niagara.
The park is economical for the area and to our way of thinking, the fort was the highlight of the tour. Great docents and reinactors - we spent 1/2 a day there. Then there was a very interesting lighthouse tour at Thirty Mile Creek....

Dog Folks · 02-11-2013, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H. Miller

Take a toad and stay at Four Mile Creek State Park which is ON Lake Ontario and near the best historical site in the area - Ft. Niagara.
The park is economical for the area and to our way of thinking, the fort was the highlight of the tour. Great docents and reinactors - we spent 1/2 a day there. Then there was a very interesting lighthouse tour at Thirty Mile Creek....

X2 We stayed there when we visited the falls. Great Park!

DoctorH · 02-11-2013, 07:10 PM

If you are going to be staying on the Canadian side, I strongly recommend Bissel's Hideaway. Their web address is bisselshideaway.com. You will need your toad. The drive to Horseshoe Falls is about 10 to 12 miles and is a fairly straight drive through the country side. You pass some other closer camp grounds which are more expensive and not half as nice. I plan to return to Bissels whenever I'm around the falls. DoctorH

MattC · 02-12-2013, 10:03 AM

I am going to completely Not answer your question. I can't, we carry bicycles and I haven't hooked up a toad in years.
But, If you are coming back that way, I have two good ideas for Erie, PA.
The first is a drive out the peninsula that is Presque Isle State Park. If the kids want to see a Great Lake, this sure is one.
Second would be to find the Erie Maritime Museum. Even if the kids are really big on museums, this is a good one.

Matt