Exploring Niagara Falls: A winter wonderland travel adventure

Frigid temperatures send many of us scrambling for a good book, a cuddly blanket and a mug of cocoa. But more adventurous travelers know all too well the joy of winter escapes, and little is more spectacular than the icy majesty of Niagara Falls in the winter.

Niagara Falls is about a seven-hour drive from Long Island. American travelers need a valid U.S. passport or an Enhanced Driver’s License to cross the border.

The falls rarely freeze over completely — there’s just too much rushing water. Nonetheless, they are magnificent in the winter, when frozen landscapes and an almost constant mist make visitors feel like they’ve discovered another world. Travelers who’ve only come in the summer will find a very different experience, says Adam Stiles, interim president of Niagara Falls Tourism in Canada. "Niagara Falls is definitely a four-season destination," says Stiles, but in the colder months "it becomes a winter wonderland. It’s stunning ... the mist freezes on the sides of the falls and you get this veiled, frosty effect."

The falls straddle the United States-Canada border and can be seen from either side, though the Canadian side is thought to offer more panoramic views. The falls are illuminated nightly, but one of the things that's so great over the winter,  says Stiles, is the annual Winter Festival of Lights, Canada's longest-running light festival, which runs this season through Jan. 4. The free festival will feature about 75 light displays — more than 3 million twinkling lights, says Stiles — telling the story of northern winters, from gentle snowfalls to harsh blizzards. On Friday and Saturday nights, there will be fireworks and a laser spectacular that will send beams of light dancing across the sky.

THINGS TO DO 

Many Niagara Falls attractions run through the winter. Boats that take you right up to the falls are suspended, but two tours that get you really close to the falls are open year-round. Journey Behind the Falls (in Canada) takes you down 125 feet, where you can actually feel the vibration of Horseshoe Falls. On the American side, Cave of the Winds on Goat Island lets visitors go under the Bridal Veil Falls (warning: the deck gets very icy in winter and you are probably going to get wet).

Not everything is outdoors. There are multiple indoor options, says Stiles. Stay dry and gain a better understanding of how electricity is generated at the Niagara Parks Power Station, where visitors go 180 feet underground, then walk through a 2,200-foot-long tunnel, where a self-audio tour and a range of interactive exhibits explain hydropower. A guided tour takes visitors to the generator floor, where a demonstration of the Tesla Coil concludes with a dramatic display of electrical arcs.

To get a view from above, ride the towering Niagara SkyWheel — good news, the glass-enclosed gondolas are heated. But to really warm up, visit the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, where temperatures are always a balmy 78 degrees, or Bird Kingdom, one of the world's largest free-flying indoor aviaries.

Travelers will also find an impressive culinary scene, says Stiles. Visitors should definitely try ice wine, he says, explaining that it’s made by harvesting grapes after they’ve been allowed to freeze, making for a "concentrated, delicious, rich wine." And he notes that one of two Michelin-starred restaurants in Canada is Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station, about 30 minutes from the falls.. Niagara Falls is on many traveler’s bucket lists, says Stiles, who encourages a winter visit when things might be a little quieter and more serene. But whenever you come, he says, Niagara Falls "is always a great escape."

MORE ICY FUN IN UPSTATE NEW YORK 

Here are a few more places where you can delight in the cold.

Ice palace in Saranac Lake

Blocks of ice at least 12 inches thick are painstakingly cut from Flower Lake to construct the massive ice palace that highlights the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, a celebration first held in 1897 (22 River St., saranaclakewintercarnival.com). Apparently, this has never been a problem because Saranac Lake, high in the Adirondacks, is considered one of the coldest places in the nation. Festival planners note the structure is called a palace rather than a castle, the distinction being that a castle is a house of war, while a palace is a welcoming residence.

The palace, hand-built by volunteers, has multiple rooms, and is illuminated nightly, with fireworks on some evenings. The theme of this year’s festival, running Feb. 6-15, is "Cartoonival," so expect to see some of your favorite characters.

Ice climbing in the Catskills

Climbing a frozen waterfall or mountain side can be extremely peaceful, says Marty Molitoris, of Alpine Endeavors (alpineendeavors.com), a New Paltz business that offers instruction and guided trips. Molitoris stresses that you don’t have to be an expert to engage in the sport. "It’s like skiing," he says, nothing that some climbs are comparable to a bunny slope, others a black diamond. "It’s a unique challenge," says Molitoris, plus there’s "just the beauty of being out in nature."

The company runs ice climbing trips in the Catskills (mostly in the Hunter/Tannersville area) and Adirondacks (Lake Placid, Keene Valley) and provides all the necessary equipment, such as helmets, harnesses, boots and more. Prices vary according to number of people; for four people with one guide, the cost would be around $200 a person for a full day. They’ll also offer several clinics (basic movement, rescue skills, $195 per event) at the company’s Catskill Ice Climbing Festival, running Jan. 30-Feb 2 in the Hunter/Tannersville area.

Ice bar in the Adirondack Mountains

For two weekends you can truly chill at the Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing (110 Sagamore Rd., 518-644-9400, thesagamore.com). The hotel’s annual Glacier Ice Bar runs Fridays and Saturdays, Jan. 23-24, 30-31. The bar will be set up under an open tent on the east side of the building (to protect from rain and, even more damaging, the sun). This will be the Ice Bar’s 13th year, says Tom Guay, the resort’s general manager, explaining that 90% of everything — bar stools, tables, shot glasses — is made of ice.

This year’s theme is the Ice Age, so expect some dinosaur sculptures. The drink of the year, says Guay, will be a variation on an espresso martini. Faux fur blankets drape the lounges (yes, also made of ice), and guests can warm up by retreating to the chili and chowder restaurant in the hotel. The Ice Bar is open to overnight guests (rooms start at $429), but others can buy a ticket, $35 on Fridays and $55 on Saturdays. The Ice Bar has been a hit from the beginning, says Guay. "If you’re going to be cold anyway, you might as well get out and enjoy it."