Niagara Falls Local Customs

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Our winters are cold and tough. Bring gloves, hat, scarf, boots and good warm long jacket if you are planning on visiting Niagara Falls in the winter. It's extrememly beautiful to see The Falls during winter, the snow falling. It's amazing.

I have been in the hospitality industry for over 15 years now. I enjoy my job and all the interesting travelers I get to meet. My beef is, when you are traveling please remember your waitress at the end of your dinner. It is customary to tip 15-20% of your bill. Or you can add up all of Ontario's fine taxes to get 15%. That entire gratutiy does not go soley to the waitress. We must tip out our bartenders/hostess and bus kids and even management. If your service is poor, I can appreciate you wanting to leave little. But please show us some respect with nothing lower then a 15% tip.
Thank You.

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There a great viewpoint of the brink of Niagara Falls right along the pathway. You can see the water rush over the falls. It moving. I make it there at least twice a year. To find it, just look for the huge group of people by Table Rock.

Before you go off and buy a postcard at one of the HUNDREDS of souvenier shops, it's good to know that you can get one for Free. When you purchase your tickets for the maid of the Mist boat ride, they give you a complimentary postcard. It's a great bonus souvenier!

He deserves to be my first tip in my Niagara Page!!!! This was Bobby Leach and his barrel after his trip over Niagara Falls, 1911, two years before my Grandma Carmen born. Anyway, I doubt Bobby would do such a thing during the winter, hahahaha

Much before, in 1902 a great woman named Annie Taylor, 63-year-old was the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel; she survived virtually unharmed. Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal to attempt to go over the Falls.

A question came up recently from someone who was considering just staying on the US side because they didn't have passports. While the US side is nicer with regard to lack of the "cheese" factor, the Canadian side wins out for overall beauty and view of the Falls which is naturally the highlight of Niagara Falls. The US side is a State Park so you don't have the schlock of the Clifton Hill area that you find on the Canadian side, no Ripley's Believe it or Not or amusement park rides or fudge shops or neon lights. Instead the US side focuses on the natural side of the Falls themselves, you can take the Maid of the Mist from the US side for a better look at both of the Falls, walk out onto a viewing platform for a better view of the American Falls, get an up close look at the Horseshoe Falls before the water tumbles over or stand beneath the Bridal Falls at the Cave of the Winds attraction. But you are still looking at the Falls not head on but from the side.

Is it the end of the world if you don't see both sides? Of course not, there is plenty to see on the US side and with the Maid of the Mist boat ride you are seeing the same thing as those from the Canadian side. But if it were me, I'd spring for a passport or passport card and see the view from both sides.

You will be able to feel at home, many things are written in Chinese, even this nutrition centre which has a large collection of herbs. As soon as we got to the little train station it was snowing, and for me it is always a real party when I see snow falling!

I do not remember the name of this street, but maybe you can guess, it is the same street of the bus station which leads you to the Falls!

Before being burried by the snow, I took this remarkable picture on the cliffs of Niagara. of course I was in the canadian side, overviewing the american edge.

It was heavingly snowing but I had fun, even though it was crazy to visit the Falls in the Winter.