Best time to visit / climate:
Best time to visit would be during summer, which is from mid May to September. That’s when the water flow is at its peak, the sky is blue and clear and all the attractions are open. People also come to visit Niagara Falls during winter and fall (October to February) when everything is covered in ice, but the falls look very romantic and picturesque. Most of the attractions are closed during this period.
The climate is mostly bright and sunny during summer with temperatures ranging from highs of 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) to lows of 50 degrees F (9 degrees C). July is the hottest month. The only drawback of summer is that it can get very hot and humid. Winters are cold with temperatures ranging from highs of 60 degrees F (16 degrees C) to lows of -10 degrees F (-23 degrees C). February is the coldest month.

LOCATION ON GOOGLE MAPS:

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How to get there :
If you like to drive, it’s a 6.5 hour drive from New York City. Air travel takes 45 minutes, but going from terminal to terminal, checking in and out, and finally driving to the falls takes 3 to 4 hours. You can also take a train or a bus. Check with your local travel and tours provider to explore your options.

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Places to stay (Restaurant’s, Hotels (with website / contact numbers):
There are many options for tourists in staying and eating at Niagara Falls. There are camp grounds available for backpacker’s and many two or three star hotels for people looking for budget accommodation. Some of the area’s top rated hotels are mentioned below:
1. The Giacomo, 222 First Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Phone : 716-299-0200

2. Seneca Niagara Hotel, 310 Fourth Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303

3. Days Inn Niagara Falls Buffalo, 2821 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Niagara Falls, NY 14304

4. Comfort Inn The Pointe, 1 Prospect Pointe, Niagara Falls, NY 14303

Most popular Bed and Breakfast places:
1. Hillcrest Inn, Hillcrest St, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Contact number: +1 716-278-9676

2. Butler House Bed and Breakfast, 751 Park Place, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
+1 866-706-8199

Top rated restaurants:

1. Caffe Lola, 507 Third Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
2. Wine on Third, 501 Third Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Price range: $15 to $20
3. La Galera, 6621 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls, NY 14304

Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com

Apart from the names mentioned above there are a number of other eating joints like McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bells etc. for the junk food lovers and a number of other restaurant’s offering ethnic cuisines like Indian, Chinese, Italian etc.

Blogs / Sites about Niagara Falls (and small excerpts):

1. Formation of the Niagara Falls: (http://www.niagara-usa.com/)
Although the Falls at Niagara are about 12,000 years old, the story of their formation can be traced back hundreds of millions of years into the past. Five hundred million years ago the Earth was very different from the way it is today. Its climate was mostly tropical, and the land masses that would one day become North America and Eurasia were still in the process of separating from one another.
Most of the western and central portions of what was to become North America (including the Niagara region) lay underneath shallow tropical seas and brackish ponds. The eastern part of this future continent was dominated by the Taconic Mountains, a range that was taller than the still unformed Rockies would ever be.
The Taconic’s no longer exist in our world. Five hundred million years of erosion have reduced them to the Appalachian, Allegheny, and Catskill Mountains that we know today. The silt and minerals that were worn away from the Taconic’s, however, provided the materials that formed the Niagara region and (much later) the Niagara Falls.
Read more: http://www.niagara-usa.com/about_formation_of_the_falls.html

2. Sight-Seeing, attractions, what-to-do:
• “Niagara Falls will impress the nature lovers in the family and convert the ones who aren’t. Choose an adventure. You’re bound to get wet. Why Go? An up close and personal look at Niagara Falls. Who cares about getting wet even with the poncho on? Why…”
Read more: http://attractions.uptake.com/new_york/niagara_falls/961790070.html#ixzz0tg5Oz9S1

• “Niagara Falls State Park draws millions of visitors each year who want an opportunity to view the spectacular falls from one of the many outlooks. But there are many more Niagara Falls attractions to experience while you’re here. Get up close and personal with the Niagara Falls by taking a short walk to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls to feel the mist during the Cave of the Winds tour. Or take a Niagara Falls tour of a different sort with the Maid of the Mist® boat ride, which takes you right down to the base of the falls.”
Read more: http://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/Activities.aspx

• “Niagara Falls has many attractions from museums to the Maid of the Mist, to free concerts and events. Whether you want to absorb the beauty of the rushing waters of the falls or simply enjoy the historical sites, you will find and assortment of attractions and things to do in Niagara Falls. Visiting Niagara USA is an exciting adventure that can take you across many of Niagara’s regions. Niagara Falls attractions and museums like the Castellani Art Museum, the Native American Museum of Art, or the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum are sure to leave you with the culture of Niagara”.
Read more: http://www.niagara-usa.com/attractions.html

3. Map of Niagara Falls, NY.
(http://www.niagarafallslive.com/map_of_the_niagara_falls_region.htm)

4. A description along with many photo’s of the Niagara Fall’s.
• http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm
• http://mappery.com/Niagara-Falls-Map

5. Photo / Image Gallery:
• http://www.planetware.com/pictures-/niagara-falls-us-ny-nf.htm
• http://jboyd.net/Niagara.html

Video’s:

1. Video of Niagara Falls in action on youtube

2. Niagara Falls on the US side

Moving beyond that, soon we reached a beautiful stretch with a great view of the water (from a height) and some distance beyond the Golden Gate Bridge we reached a small township and a beach where there were a number of people surfing (when asked about how cold it was, the cab driver told us about the wet suit that the surfers were wearing which insulated them to some degree).

None of us knew anything about surfing, so we just sat and watched for some time; then we returned back to San Francisco for some more sight-seeing. We came to the Harbour, and could see Alcatraz from a distance; however, tickets for Alcatraz needed to be booked earlier and it took more time than we had. So, we settled for a cruise on the Bay (there are several cruise ships that take you for a 1 hour tour of the Bay). The cruise had a running commentary, and the ship took you under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz (was very pleasant).

1 hour over, I dragged my colleagues to the cable car station (wikipedia) of Fisherman’s Wharf. This is more of a tourist attraction, but it is fun travelling on an open tram that runs on the up and down roads of San Francisco. The best place was to sit on the outside plank, so that you had the most fun. This takes you to Union Square, and then back. On the way, people can many times get on and off when it is running, and on several streets, cars have to follow because there is not enough space to overtake.

Next, we went off to the Crooked Street (a portion of Lombard Street). This is a section of the street that is one-way and has many sharp turns (8 in all as you head downhill). From the top of the street, you get a great view of the downhill sections of San Francisco. It was fun going down this winding road, and wondering about the people who actually live there. And then, before you know it, our trip to San Francisco was over (we exhausted our allotted time and had to head back to our hotel in San Jose).