Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Niagara Falls

We are back again. Have you looked at the date? Today is 09/30/2024. This means we have already been in the USA for 4 months. 1/3 of Julian's working time in the USA has already passed. Wow, how time flies!

It's also been two weeks since our last blog, and as mentioned last time, we had a visit from my mom. In the first few days, we explored Pittsburgh and its surroundings. Among other places, we went to Falling Water, a house built into a mountain over several floors. A waterfall flows right next to the house. This house is very well-known here for its high architectural standards, which attracts architects from all over the country to visit.
After the first days in Pittsburgh, we set off on our first little road trip for three days. We started on Monday. While Julian worked diligently, we grabbed the car and drove about two hours to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We spent the day there, checking out some caves, walking through the national park, watching turtles, and making a stop at a waterfall.

In the afternoon, we headed to Cleveland to our accommodation, where we spent the rest of the day exploring Cleveland. The next day, we went straight to Niagara Falls. On the way, we made a few stops along the shore of Lake Erie, for example at Presque Isle State Park. After arriving at the hotel, we immediately headed out and spent the afternoon and evening viewing Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. On Wednesday, we then visited the falls from the American side. Of course, a boat tour to Niagara Falls was a must. Truly a highlight, even if it is a wet experience! After viewing the falls from every angle and from both countries, we were already heading back to Pittsburgh. Just before we arrived in Pittsburgh, we of course made a shopping stop at the Grove City Outlet. Because who leaves the USA without having visited a proper shopping outlet???

So now we were back 'home' in Pittsburgh. On Thursday, it was time for us to repack and pack our bags for New York. Because Friday we were heading out again. This time, however, with Julian in tow...

Small recommendation for Niagara Falls:
It's definitely worth visiting Niagara Falls from both the Canadian and American sides. You can just walk over the Rainbow Bridge from either side. You don't need a visa for the other country. However, for the return trip, you need some small change ($1) in coins to pass through the barrier. And very importantly! Make sure to read up on which documents you need for re-entry into your country for the overnight stay. For returning to America, you only need your passport. To return to the Canadian side, it's significantly more.
On the Canadian side, it's worth visiting the falls in the afternoon and into the evening. In the evenings, the falls are illuminated in different colors, which is better seen from the Canadian side. Also, depending on the season, there is a fireworks display every evening at 10 PM. If you enjoy watching fireworks, you can also catch that.
The boat tours are the same from both countries. One small difference: we were there on a day when it wasn't very busy. On the American side, the boats left on time without being fully loaded with people, while on the Canadian side, the boat only left when it was full. Therefore, I would recommend the boat tour (Maid of the Mist) from the American side. That way, you won't be crammed in like sardines on the boat (at least not during holidays) and have a more relaxing boat tour.