TLC sang about waterfalls metaphorically; they warned of the dangers of doing certain things that can lead us to go over a waterfall. And waterfalls can be dangerous, but gosh, they’re so beautiful. In my opinion they’re worth the chase, the hike, the long drives. They’re so powerful. I dare you not to come alive when near one. Every fall, Hildon and I go leaf peeping. This year we decided to head to Niagara Falls and made a couple stops along the way.

Have you ever been on Instagram, scrolling or trolling, and come across something so spectacular that makes you say “I wish I was there.” Of course you have. Who hasn’t? Well, that was me when I saw a photo taken at Watkins Glen State Park. I had never heard of this place so I had to Google it. Turns out it is only four and a half hours from the Bronx. That was our first stop.

We got there minutes to 9am and the main parking lot was almost full. All day parking is $3. That day was unusually warm, so the park had a lot of people. Even Amish families were there. I struggled to get out of bed but was glad we got there early, because when we were leaving around noon the crowds really started coming in.

But take a look.

Letchworth State Park is an hour and a half from Watkins Glen, so we decided to try our luck and see if we could get in that day. That was a no. We got there around 2pm and tried to get in from numerous entrances will long lines, but were told they could not let anyone else in due to COVID measures. So we had lunch and checked into our hotel so we could get a decent night’s sleep to wake up at 6.

We stayed at the Inn At Houghton Creek, about 14 miles from Letchworth. When we arrived at the inn a woman was sitting on the floor of the front porch. She stated that guests can check themselves in simply by signing in at the desk and grabbing the envelope containing keys with their names on it, but since she was still there she checked us in. The first thing you see upon entrance is a table with a giant bottle of hand sanitizer, which we used immediately.

The woman screened us for COVID symptoms and informed us of breakfast options during the COVID era, which included granola bars. We opted out. We settled in for the night after falling into food comas from eating way too much sesame chicken from the China Star restaurant nearby.

That Sunday morning we were sure to wake up by 6 to get ready so we could beat everyone else to Letchworth. We weren’t the only ones with that idea as others started emerging from the inn while we were putting our things in the car. We headed for the Portageville entrance. The parking lot is right under the Genesee Arch Bridge. We got there around 7am. The lot is small so I recommend getting there early if you want to take this route, which I recommend. It starts at the upper falls and then you make your way down to the middle falls and finally the lower falls, which we did not make it to, because we had to leave around midday to drive to Niagara. We intend to go back, possibly next year. When we do we will be sure to dedicate a whole day to explore this amazing park in its entirety. But we spent a great 5 or more hours there and got some great pics and footage. With 17 miles of the Genesee River snaking through its gorges, it’s no wonder this park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East.

Check out Hildon’s video of the beautiful fall foliage and a train crossing the Genesee Arch Bridge below.

We then headed to the Giamoco, our hotel in downtown Niagara. We arrived a couple hours before check-in. Again, a giant bottle of hand sanitizer is at the front desk. Expect to see sanitizer at hotel desks everywhere you stay. If a hotel does not have sanitizer I would question staying there. The nice front desk clerk informed us that he could not check us in early but if any rooms became available before 4pm he would text. He gave us our parking pass for the lot across the street. We parked the car and took off to find something to eat. The Hard Rock Cafe had a wait of 45 minutes and I did not feel safe eating there by that wait alone. Too many people were coming in and out.

Near the falls are quite a few food trucks with everything from Mexican to Indian food. I wanted something simple, so we had burgers, fries and cokes out in the sun. It was a bit windy that day but it was enjoyable. There were not that many people on the streets due to the pandemic. Near the falls was a different story. It seemed like most people just came for the falls, like we did, and weren’t too interested in doing much else. This was Hildon’s first time to the falls. I had to tell him that the Canadian side has far more attractions and better views of the falls. This would have to do for now, but we plan to go to the Canadian side in the near future…..whenever they let us hard-headed Americans across the border again. We could have gone on a Maid of the Mist tour, but it was too chilly to get soaked. For this same reason we chose not to go to the  Cave of the Winds. That is one attraction the American side has that the Canadian side does not, as the Bridal Veil Falls is on our side. I made a mental note to come back during the warmer months so we can take pics right under the falls. Still, it was fun exploring Goat Island and hanging out near Horseshoe Falls. After taking so many pics that my phone died, we returned to the Giamoco and checked in.

I made sure to use the hand sanitizer at the desk before and after signing in. While Hildon grabbed the bags from the car I wandered into the bar. There was a lovely lounge area with suede seating in rich jewel tones. I asked the bartender if she gets a lot of customers during the pandemic. She stated that people come in but do not stay long. She also stated that she cannot serve just alcohol and guests have to get appetizers with their drinks. I debated on whether to go back that night and wondered if anyone ordered drinks without appetizers pre-COVID, because I never did.

The hotel has an art deco feel to it, which I love. The room was toasty. We undressed, put on the robes hanging in the bathroom and took a nap. The pillows were so soft, my head sank right in. I imagined that is what it feels like to sleep on a cloud. I woke up refreshed.

We dined at Chill 443 that night. They were operating at 50%. There was hardly anyone in there but we still had to wait for a table to clear so we would not be too crowded. I liked that. We eventually had the margaritas, that I had been craving for months, with mozzarella sticks. The chicken and waffles were okay. Whenever I go into a restaurant and that is on the menu I have to try it. Our waiter stated it was good, but then followed that by telling us if we want the best chicken and waffles in Niagara to go to Dirty Bird Chicken N’ Waffles, a food truck. But alas, we were leaving the next day. I added that to my mental checklist for our return.

After dinner we walked through the ghost town of downtown, back to the falls and tried to guess which color they would be lit up in next.

We then returned to the hotel and went up to the 18th floor for panoramic views of the area. There was a family having a party there and we did not want to intrude so we did not stay long.

We decided to forgo breakfast here as well, although it sounded amazing and is delivered to the room to limit physical contact with other guests. We opted to get something to eat at a diner on the way home.

I love getting away and spending time in nature. It re-energizes me. So please, don’t stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to. Get out there and explore. Just wear your mask.