Boulevard Mall
Exactly why there's an unused carousel in the Boulevard Mall food court is beyond me.
Walden Galleria Mall
This mall is the largest out of the three. The only highlight here for me was dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. The menu was the size of a book. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed their food.
Cheesecake Factory
Bang - Bang Chicken and Shrimp
Moroccan Chicken
Best Western Summit Inn
This was the hotel I stayed at for the night. It was quiet, comfortable and included breakfast. I would totally stay there again.
Niagara Falls State Park
After spending the entire Saturday shopping, it was a nice change of pace to head to Niagara Falls State Park and compare the US falls view to our Canadian side. I started the park at Goat Island. I was pleasantly surprised that parking was free and there was plenty of it. Goat Island has several points of interest: Terrapin Point, Top of the Falls Restaurant, Cave of the Winds, Three Sisters Island, Luna Island, and the Niagara Rapids. Due to construction, Three Sisters Island, Luna Island, and Cave of the Winds were inaccessible. Various viewpoints from the walk around the island were very scenic and picturesque. They even offer a trolley to service those who do not or cannot walk around the park. I believe the fee was $2/adult. From Terrapin Point you can get an up close and personal view of the Horseshoe Falls. For better views of the American Falls you need to face the Luna Island direction.
Niagara Scenic Trolley
Maid of the Mist
Horseshoe Falls
American Falls
After completing Goat Island, I drove over to the mainland part of the park which hosts many more attractions. First I went to Prospect Point. Prospect Point is a walkway that travels alongside the rapids to the top of the American Falls. Next, I went to the Observation Tower. The fee to enter the observation deck is a nominal $1. From the tower you get great views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls. There's also an elevator that takes you down to the bottom of the gorge for people to board the Maid of the Mist and check out the Crows Nest which overlooks the American Falls from beneath.
View from the Observation Tower
Crows Nest
All Aboard the Maid of the Mist
Seneca Casino
I finalized my New York stay with a stop at Seneca Casino which is about a 10 min. walk from the falls. I definitely would not say that I'm a gambler; I don't even buy lottery tickets. However, it's always interesting to check out various casinos just for curiosity's sake. I'm too intimidated to play any of the tables so on the odd occasion that I do gamble I tend to stick to the penny or nickel slots. Here's the "funny" thing about penny slots. These machines don't take coins. The minimum cash even a penny slot machine will accept is $5. Of course they'll also accept larger bills but nothing under $5. Wait, because there's more. You can't simply bet one penny each time you play either. The minimum bet per game is 20 cents. And that's just the penny slots! It's quite the business they're running. I decided to play one penny slot machine so I dropped the minimum five bucks and watched my money fly by in less than 5 minutes. Don't worry though. I did win a little. Check out my winnings on the cashout voucher in the photo below.
Overall, I had a great time in Niagara Falls, New York. I would totally recommend a night's escape out of the city for something a little different. Just think, you might even win some cash like I did!
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