On our road trip back from Green Lake, Wisconsin, we decided to take a spontaneous detour to visit Niagara Falls. Although the waterfalls are pretty spectacular, we learned a few things that I’d like to share with my site visitors:

1. There is a U.S. side and a Canadian side to the Falls, so book your hotel accordingly. If you don’t have your passport on you, you won’t be able to take the shortcut through Canada (if you’re coming from the Midwest, as we were), and you won’t be able to stay in a hotel in Canada, either. It seems like common sense (and it is), but it bears repeating, since even seasoned travelers can suffer from mush-brain sometimes.
2. Research. Hotel locations, areas, etc. In our opinion, the U.S. side of things was not particularly nice once you got away from the main attraction, but we’ve heard the Canadian side is better. We stayed at the Best Western Summit Inn, which was pretty inexpensive and decent, but rather far from the Falls.
3. Wear comfortable shoes. There is plenty of walking to do!
4. Check out the fireworks schedule online… watching fireworks explode at almost eye-level over the waterfalls is spectacular. 
5. Worthwhile sights: Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds.
6. The food was surprisingly good at Top of the Falls restaurant.