Hey Guys!
This post will conclude our time in Niagara Falls!
We woke up and couldn’t even see the falls because it was so foggy!
Our flight back home was departing at 4:30 pm so we had some time to kill before heading to the airport.
So, we started our morning with breakfast at a nearby Starbucks.
We ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee and sat outside to eat.
After breakfast, we walked back to the hotel and checked out.
We had thought about doing the Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruise but decided that we didn’t have enough time. It was a 45 min drive from the hotel.
So, we decided to head back over the US side of the falls.
We parked back at the Top of the Falls Restaurant …the drive from our hotel took about 25 mins.
The US side of the falls is a designated state park and is the oldest state park in the US. It was established in 1885.
After getting parked, we walked the short distance to Terrapin Point.
We then decided to walk the nearby path to an area that we had missed the first time we visited called Three Sisters Island.
As we were walking along the path, we spotted a clearing in the trees that led to the water so we walked over to take some pictures.
The water was very cold!
A pic of me, my mom and sisters
You would not want to fall in here! You would definitely be a goner!
After getting our pictures, we continued our walk towards Three Sisters Island.
Along the way, you will crossover three historic walking bridges that link Goat Island to the Three Sisters Islands.
After you arrive to Three Sisters Island, you will come to a viewpoint where you get a unique view of the upper rapids as the water races for the Falls.
We then headed back to the Top of the Falls restaurant to have lunch.
My sister and I decided to share a meal since they give you so much food!
We ordered the patty melt with the house chips for $18.49.
After lunch, we walked back down to Terrapin Point for a few more pics.
We then decided to drive a short distance to the Schoellkopf Power Plant Ruins.
The Schoellkopf Power Station was constructed in three sections between 1905 and 1924, and at the time of its completion was the largest hydroelectric power station in the world.
However, in 1956, the plant sustained a catastrophic collapse which destroyed two thirds of the plant after workers noticed water seeping into the plant from the back wall.
In 2013, the Maid of the Mist began construction on the site as a location to store their boats during the winter months.
As part of that project, the original elevator shaft was restored and elevator access to the Gorge and the Schoellkopf site was granted.
You can take a free elevator ride to the bottom of the gorge to view the Niagara Gorge, Niagara River, Rainbow Bridge and the remains of the power station.
There are also information plaques located at the bottom that tell you about the history and the collapse of the power station.
After leaving here, we headed to the airport.
Approx. 1.5 hrs after arriving to the airport, we noticed on a nearby monitor, that our flight had been cancelled by Delta due to weather!
There were no announcements about it!
That wasn’t the worst of it…the agent at the Delta counter told us it would be two days before they could get us home!
He was very unfriendly and just gave us a piece of paper with a phone number written on it and told us to call Delta and see what they could do!
After speaking to an agent on the phone and realizing we were not getting out of the airport anytime soon, we decided to rent a car and drive 10 hrs back home!
After the first car rental company told us they had no cars available, we walked over to Enterprise and practically begged for a car!
The place was packed with people trying to get rental cars because Delta had cancelled so many flights!
By some miracle, we were able to get a nice SUV that comfortably accommodated all five of us and our luggage!
After approx. 1+ hr at the car rental counter, we were on our way home!
We decided that we would stop and get a hotel room since we didn’t get on the road until almost 5:30-6 pm.
As we were driving, we passed into Pennsylvania.
Since we had never been to Pennsylvania, we decided to stop and have dinner and see Lake Erie!
We first tried to eat at the Bayfront Grill but they had an hour wait so they told us to check out The Cove which was very close by.
We snapped a few pics of Lake Erie before we left the restaurant.
After arriving to The Cove, we were seated within 10-15 mins.
While we were waiting on our food, I walked over to the lake and snapped a few pics.
I spotted these geese on the lake…there were hundreds of them!
We were seated at a table outside with views of the lake.
After looking over the menu, I decided on the chicken bacon ranch wrap with sweet potato fries for $13.99.
The food and service was pretty good.
Read reviews here
After eating, we walked over to the lake to take a pic as the sun was setting.
We then continued our drive to the hotel.
On the way, we passed these crazy looking storm clouds!
Around 10-11 pm, we checked into our hotel and called it a night!
The next day, we continued our drive home.
After having to drive to the Nashville airport to turn our rental car in, we didn’t get home until 5-6 pm.
We were out an additional $600+ for the rental car, gas, hotel, food and parking and to this day, I haven’t received any compensation from Delta!
Thanks for reading!
A special thanks to my mom who took us on this incredible, and definitely unforgettable, trip!!
Read Day 1 here, Day 2 here & Day 3 here
Click here for links to all of my blog posts
Stay tuned for my next posts on our 10 Day adventure through Oregon!