Niagara Falls for Family

There are so many awesome ways to fill the days in the summer when the kids are home from school. But this year, for sure one of our adventures will lead us back to Niagara Falls. The Falls are remarkable entirely on their own and I still have vivid memories of visiting this well known tourist attraction and natural wonder from when I was a school-aged child. Many years in a row we would drive to the falls from Guelph and stay over at a family-friendly cheap motel then on to Marineland - one of the other best things about this place. When my oldest daughter turned six we drove for the first time as a family of four to the falls and stayed for the weekend at Americana WaterPark, a spot I adored for its lovely rooms and its excellent prices. The cost was quite affordable and our weekend was a blast as we played much of the day and night at the indoor waterslides inside the very exciting Waves Waterpark, with retractable roof, and then enjoyed dinner on the premises at Jack Tanner's. It was memorable for a couple of reasons. We had a great birthday celebration for my six-year-old and she ate so much she threw up later that evening. Televisions at each table and a make your own Sundae bar were incredible and a really great treat. Thankfully she awakened ready to rock and roll the next morning and we spent a fantastic day at Marineland riding rides. My kids loved the whales, especially the Belugas. While Marineland's prices have increased considerably from the time I was a child, there are ways to save money at the park. Bring your own water and snacks. Even if you have to leave a cooler full of them in the car you will still be able to get back into the park with a stamp or some other proof you've been there. Also Attractions Ontario every year produces a great booklet filled with coupons. We always clip these coupons and I think we saved close to $20 off our admissions with that. I would eagerly return to Americana. Rooms were clean and affordable and the driving from London was not bad. This year we will be able to stay at Great Wolf Lodge thanks to Lay's Chip Trips and Mom Central Canada. With 50 points from chip trips we were able to get a voucher for 50 % off our second night stay at Great Wolf. We have a free child pass for Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum ( which our children were too little for last time around, but will be reallykeen on this time.) The free pass also came courtesy of the Chip Trips promo from Lay's. Other options are: Marriott motel stays in the area at a greatly reduced price and Americana Waterpark vouchers.  I can't wait to create lasting memories again with our family. For more information on Lay's Chip trips or to sign up see here: http://tiny.cc/7hudo  For more information about Great Wolf Lodge see here http://www.greatwolf.com/
and for more on Americana Conference Resort and Spa with Waves indoor waterpark see here http://www.americananiagara.com/. If you go to Niagara Falls for the Canada Day weekend as we did one year make sure to pack some lawn chairs or blankets and head down to the falls for the amazing fireworks display. It is the best display I've ever seen and something to witness at least once.

I am participating in the Lay's Chip Trips promotion on behalf of Frito-Lay and Mom Central Canada. I received points to redeem for the trips I blog about and a gift card to offset costs. The opinions on the blog show nere are all my own.