2015 - Niagara Falls, ON

Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights

- Spirit of Niagara Sound and Light Show:
A music, lights and images projection takes place on the city-facing side of the Oakes Hotel. The 15 minutes shows depicts Niagara's arts, culture and entertainment.

- Winter Wonderland Displays:

- Fireworks:

This is the 2nd time I watched fireworks in Niagara Falls. The first time was during a summer.

Hershey Store
5701 Falls Avenue

Always Refreshing Soda Shop
5685 Falls Avenue

Niagara SkyWheel @Clifton Hill
4950 Clifton Hill

Adult price: $10.99 CDN + tax (look out for coupons)
Duration: 8-12 min (3 revolutions, but I had 5 revolutions)
Height: 175 ft (53 m)

World famous Street of Fun by the Falls, Clifton Hill contains most popular attractions: Guinness Museum, Canadian Midway, haunted houses and more.

Fallsview Casino Resort
6380 Fallsview Blvd

Once stepped in, I felt like I was in Las Vegas. I really wanted to taste the Grand Buffet but the waiting line was too long. Therefore, I had dinner at Canyon Creek Chophouse overlooking the Falls.

The All New Oakes Hotel Overlooking the Falls
6546 Fallsview Blvd

This time I stayed in a room overlooking the Falls at the Oakes Hotel. Parking has an extra cost of $20 CDN + tax / day. The maintenance service is fast.

Don't forget to gas up at exit 716 on the 401!

Sources: Niaraga Falls Tourism

2015 - Niagara Falls, NY

Established in 1885, the Niagara Falls State Park is America's oldest State Park.

From the Observation Tower

The American Falls, the Horseshoe Falls and myself.

Myself and the American Falls.

Personally, the view is much more beautiful from the Canadian side.

Goat Island & Three Sisters Islands

The Three Sisters Islands were named after Parkhurst Whitney's daughters: Asenath, Angeline and Celinda Eliza.

Sources: Niagara USA, Niagara Falls State Park

2015 - Buffalo, NY

Sunday December 28
I crossed the Rainbow Bridge and drove on the I-190 to Downtown Buffalo. All shops were closed at the exception of a few restaurants. Empty town. Perfect day to take pictures. A few hours later, I took the Peace Bridge and QEW back to Niagara Falls in Canada.

Theatre District

Fountain Plaza

- Rotary Rink

The only outdoor free to public skating rink located in downtown Buffalo.

Buffalo Savings Bank
545 Main St / 1 Fountain Plaza

Architects: Green & Wicks
Style: Beaux-Arts Classical
Completion: 1901

Feature: With a dimension of 23 ft tall & 56 ft in diameter, the Dome was last restored in 1998 requiring 140,000 paper-thin sheets of 23.75 carat gold leaf, at a cost of $500,000.

Electric Tower
535 Washington St.

Architects: Esenwien & Johnson
Style: Beaux-Arts Neoclassical
Completion: 1912

JJ's Casa di Pizza
11 E. Mohawk

Lafayette Square
415 Main St

- Soldiers & Sailors Monument:
A nameless stone lady, "emblematic of Buffalo" is on the top of the 85-foot column. The eight-foot statues represent members of the infantry, cavalry, artillery, and navy surround the shaft, which itself is decorated with bronze symbols of the nation and state, the seal of Buffalo and a "drum" showing over thirty figures.

Buffalo City Hall
65 Niagara Square

Architects: George J. Dietel and John J. Wade
Style: Art Deco
Completion: 1931

- McKinley Monument:
Located in the center of Niagara Square, the 96 feet tall monument is made of Vermont marble. Completed in 1907, this memorial is dedicated to President William McKinley who was mortally shot at the Temple of Music on September 6, 1901.

Old County Hall
92 Franklin Street

Architect: Andrew J. Warner
Style: High Victorian Romanesque / Norman Romanesque
Completion: 1876

Liberty Building
424 Main St

Architect: Alfred Bossom
Style: Beaux-Arts / Second Renaissance Revival
Completion: 1925
Feature: There are 2 reduced in-scale replicas of Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty on the top of the building: one facing east and another west.

First Unitarian Church / Title Guarantee Building
a.k.a. Austin Building / Ticor Building
110 Franklin Street

Builder: Benjamin Rathbun
Style: Greek Revival (original 1830)
Completion: 1830
Conversion: 1880 by architect Franklin Wellington Caulkins

Sources: Visit Buffalo Niagara, Buffalo Architecture and History, Buffalo Place