Niagara Falls Iconic Attractions

September 20, 2025September 20, 2025 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

We finally made it to one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Niagara Falls has been on our list and now it has a ✔️ next to it. We left Traverse City after a wonderful summer and crossed into Canada at Port Huron. From there we ventured across southern Ontario and camped at a KOA on the Canadian side of the falls.

Map showing the route from Traverse City, Michigan, to Niagara Falls, Ontario, with marked locations. — Our route

A man stands in front of the Niagara Falls KOA sign, accompanied by two small dogs. The backdrop features a landscaped area with a rock formation and a small waterfall. — Our route

They say you have to see the falls from both sides, so we did. Early on our first day we crossed back into the USA and set out to explore Niagara Falls State Park, the country’s oldest state park. From the park we were able to access our top priorities: Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds.

A person stands beside a stone monument for Niagara Falls State Park, featuring an emblem with a depiction of a waterfall and the text 'EST. 1885'. — Oldest State Park

Maid of the Mist

The iconic Maid of the Mist first launched in 1846 to operate as ferry across the Niagara River for stagecoaches and carriages.

A person stands on a walkway near Niagara Falls, wearing a green vest and holding a blue rain slicker, with trees and the falls in the background. — Maid of the Mist

Now the all-electric vessels shuttles over 1.5 million visitors each year to the base of Horseshoe Falls. We donned the signature blue rain slicker and still got pretty damp. The mist from the falls is no joke.

Panoramic view of Niagara Falls, showcasing the cascading water and mist rising from the Falls, with a rocky shoreline in the foreground. — American Falls

A man and a woman wearing blue ponchos stand in front of Niagara Falls, with mist and cascading water visible in the background. — American Falls

Cave of the Winds

After our experience on the water, we walked across the park and onto Goat Island. Here we found the next attraction: Cave of the Winds.

A man standing beside a railing along a path, with vibrant fall foliage in the background and a 'Please Stop' sign nearby. — Goat Island in the Fall

A man standing next to a yellow sign for Cave of the Winds, with a stone wall in the background. — Goat Island in the Fall

The original cave behind Bridal Veil Falls was discovered in 1834 but was destroyed in a 1954 rockfall. Now you go through a tunnel and elevator and walk on a boardwalk that takes you right up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls.

A person wearing a yellow rain poncho stands smiling on a wooden walkway near Niagara Falls, with mist and greenery in the background. — Ready!

Two individuals wearing yellow rain ponchos stand in front of the rushing waters of Niagara Falls, with mist and rocky terrain visible in the background. — Ready!

Honestly we were not prepared for how wet you get on this attraction and the flimsy yellow slickers didn’t help much. Still, we loved climbing the wooden stairs up to the Hurricane Deck which is the closest you can get to any of Niagara’s three waterfalls, with powerful winds and water crashing around you. Our shoes were sopping when we finished but the exhilaration was worth it!

Visitors wearing yellow ponchos on the Hurricane Deck at Niagara Falls, surrounded by mist and water from the falls. — Steve on the Hurricane Deck

Video from the Hurricane Deck

Skylon Tower

On the Canadian side you get a direct view of the falls as opposed to a side view from the US. We opted to view the natural wonder from above.

Skylon Tower was built in 1965 and shows its age. Still, the revolving restaurant at the top provides some of the best views as well as a great deal on an early bird fixed-price dinner.

Aerial view of Niagara Falls showcasing the cascading water and surrounding greenery, with urban buildings in the background. — American Falls from above

A woman with blonde hair poses thoughtfully while gazing out from inside Skylon Tower, with a view of Niagara Falls and a cityscape in the background. — American Falls from above

While enjoying a three course meal featuring prime rib for Steve and salmon for me, we slowly rotated roughly 52 stories above the falls. As you can see we got some great photos! We highly recommend seeing the falls from Skylon whether you have dinner (make reservations early) or just head up to the observation deck.

A man enjoying a glass of red wine while sitting at a table inside Skylon Tower, overlooking Niagara Falls with a scenic view of the waterfalls and surrounding landscape. — Dinner and wine above the falls

Aerial view of Niagara Falls, showcasing the powerful flow of water cascading over the edge and a boat navigating through the mist at the base of the falls. — Dinner and wine above the falls

There’s a ton more to do in this area including wine tasting around Niagara-on-the-Lake. But we have a few more stops to make before Steve’s next race.

A1a Marathon and Colorful Little Havana

February 22, 2022 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

This weekend we made a stop in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area so that Steve could rack up his Florida marathon. While camping at one of the worst KOAs on earth, we did a little exploration, a little shopping, and enjoyed the nice warm weather that south Florida offers up in February.

First, the KOA. We regularly stay at KOA campgrounds when another option isn’t available. In the Miami area there are very few options for RVs, so we jumped on booking this one so that we could easily get to the race. Unfortunately the place was a dump.

What was once, a long time ago, maybe a decent place was decrepit and crowded, littered with ramshackle trailers and a dried up pond. Every time we took a walk we found more reasons why this park didn’t deserve to be under the KOA umbrella. We’ll be writing some reviews. Still, we met some nice people here, and it’s kind of par for the course when you travel via RV. Win some, lose some.

The real draw to this large metro area was the Publix A1a Marathon, which ran alongside the beach in Ft. Lauderdale.

Steve ran the 26.2 miles in just over four hours, and I completed the accompanying 6K (just under four miles) race. It was a beautiful morning punctuated by a sunrise over the Atlantic, a flat course, and relatively cool and breezy weather.

As you may recall, Steve’s goal is to complete a marathon (or more) in every state. This was state number 23 and his 33rd marathon overall. It was a great way to knock Florida off the list.

While in this area we also signed up for a tour of Little Havana, a distinct cultural neighborhood in Miami. Since we’d been to Cuba in 2019 we have an interest in the history, culture, and political evolution of this nearby island.

Roosters symbolize strength and power in Cuba.

Our tour guide Danny has lived in Little Havana most of his life and easily rattled off significant historical events that brought Cubans to the United States and to this region of south Florida. He told us about the political, economic, and social factors that have influenced US/Cuban relations and gave us a great history lesson on the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

In contrast to our visit to Cuba, where Fidel Castro’s picture is often displayed in restaurants and businesses, Little Havana is blatant about its hatred for the communist regime, even expressing that hatred in the name of an ice cream flavor (chocolate with cayenne pepper).

Communism is responsible for more than 100 million deaths.

The perspective in Little Havana, established by Cuban exiles who have suffered under the Castros, is clearly on the side of freedom.

After Danny showed us the serious part of the district, he introduced us to all that is great about Cuban food. On our walking tour we tried pressed sugar cane juice, Cuban coffee, churros, Cuban ice cream, and then enjoyed a traditional Cuban lunch. If you get to Miami and are looking for an activity where you learn while you eat, this colorful tour is for you!

Tribute to the Bay of Pigs regimen #2506 at the frutería

Since our time in the Ft Lauderdale area was short, there’s so much more we need to see and do. At least we know that the next time we visit we won’t be bored (and we won’t stay at the KOA!)

Happy New Year from the Florida Keys

January 15, 2022 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

Happy New Year! We’ve been continuing to bask in the warmth of the southern Florida winter weather. Here in the Keys we’ve enjoyed temperatures in the 70s and 80s while thinking about our friends and family in the Midwest and in Prescott who are enduring typical winter weather.

We know we are so lucky to be here, especially since finding an RV site is so difficult in the Keys. We had to work to piece together our reservations this time of year. Thus, we’ve jumped around a few times over the last few weeks.

We were able to book four nights at the newest KOA around. The Sugarloaf Key/Key West KOA was severely damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has been under renovation ever since. The newly opened, completely reconstructed campground features a beautiful pool, a pub, full service marina, and all new facilities.

We kayaked right from the resort, and Steve got in some good fishing in the channel next to camp. We also took advantage of the easy-to-access Overseas Heritage Trail to get in some good runs and bike rides along the water. The dogs enjoyed the sunshine too!

New Years Eve took us to nearby Mangrove Mama’s for a drink and then back to the KOA to enjoy a local band. As usual, we didn’t make it to midnight but it was still a fun evening with lots of festivities to enjoy.

After our time at the KOA we drove about 20 minutes north along the Overseas Highway to one of Florida’s premier state parks. Getting a campsite at Bahia Honda is like winning the lottery and we scored four nights. With some of the few beaches in the Keys and breathtaking views, this is the kind of place you never want to leave.

A highlight of the park is the broken bridge, a remnant of the park’s beginnings when Henry Flagler’s railway arrived on the key in 1908 en route to Key West. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane swept a train off the tracks, destroyed miles of rail lines, and seriously damaged the bridge. The railroad never ran again. The bridge found new life when they laid a concrete slab on top and opened it to cars. Now it’s a picturesque viewpoint from which to watch the sunset and a silhouette that makes for great photos.

Like at the KOA, we never left Bahia Honda while we were there, except to run the trail and to kayak the bay. Steve did some good fishing under the bridge pylons. If we can get reservations here again, we’ll jump on them!

We headed back towards Key West after this incredible stay and will report on that time in the next post. Spoiler alert: it includes appearances from our friends Tom and Nancy and a few more spectacular sunsets.

Marnie and Steve Travel

We're retired! Let's go!

KOA

Niagara Falls Iconic Attractions

A1a Marathon and Colorful Little Havana

Happy New Year from the Florida Keys