USA Road Trip | Niagara Falls

Two years ago whilst I was living in New York Tom and I decided to celebrate the impending holiday season with a winter road trip around North East America. I wasn’t “blogging” per se at the time (although I did nicely document my location on a map on Tumblr) so until recently the photos and memories of the trip had been stored away or archived, if you will. It was only a couple of weeks ago when two separate sets of friends asked for travel tips on Boston that I was reminded of all the things we did and how much I just adore that part of the world. I spent two summers working at a summer camp in Massachusetts so my New England love affair has really been ongoing since 2008. Safe to say it’s a different world in the winter compared to the balmy Berkshire summers but I was adamant that while being so close we had to make the most of the area and visit places that were both new and familiar. Our route took us from New Jersey where we collected our all American car (always cheaper to hire at airports) through upstate New York to our first stop- Niagara Falls.

Now the New York side of the Falls is generally the subject of a lot of hate. Most deem it substandard compared to its Canadian counterpart and argue that the only people who visit are Chinese tourists on coach trips. Well I haven’t been to the Canadian side but can confirm that there was definitely a coach trip present. Or two. However, considering we went in the super off peak (read- dead) time of late December I still thought it was wonderful. We may not have been able to go on a boat voyage to feel the real force but to just be surrounded by nature at such a scale was enough to keep me content…and ok maybe it helps that we stayed in one of my favourite hotel rooms to date.

The Red Coach Inn was an obvious choice when it came to finding a suitable stopover for the night. Cosy, traditional and in the perfect location it was also a bargain when we booked it. Definitely an off-peak advantage. Our room (The Portsmouth Room) was huge. And I’m not just saying this after experiencing months of being confined to my Brooklyn apartment. It also had the winning feature of a stand alone jacuzzi tub in the room as well as an amazing bathroom with walk in shower. They take their water features very seriously around here.

After quickly running down to take in the Falls at dusk we walked around the (very small and largely closed) town before returning for an evening at the Inn. We ate a beautiful dinner in their restaurant and although sadly I can’t remember the finer details although I do know it was the first time I had experienced strawberries in a salad- I was an immediate convert. Breakfast was also included in the stay and equipped us ready for a morning at the Falls before heading onwards to our next destination.

Say what you will but I love squirrels. Sadly these ones weren’t very reciprocating of my affection.

I’m so pleased we made the journey up to Niagara. I enjoyed all the vantage points you could explore around the park and although it did feel a bit like a ghost town, it was nice to see to be away from the city hustle and bustle. It’s definitely a place to “tick off” and I’m sure that if the chance arose in the future I’d go back to see what all the Canadian fuss is about (and ok maybe a summer time visit wouldn’t be so bad either.)