Niagara Falls Road Trip Great Lakes Seaway Trail

I finished the Pennsylvania section of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail quickly and was in New York within the hour for my Niagara Falls road trip.

Immediately the landscape started to change with wine vineyards on both sides of the road. Looking to the north, my left, I could see Lake Erie in the backdrop of the rows of grapes in the vineyards.

Little did I know the treat I was in for soon.

Lunch in Barcelona Harbor

Barcelona Harbor in Westfield, New York, right off of the Great Lakes Seaway trail on Route 5, was my little surprise marina.

Lake Erie looked like an ocean with blue-green water, sailboats docked in the harbor, kayakers, and waves pushing against the beaches and cliff side.

I could have sat there all day and soaked up the warm sun and the cool breeze while gazing out and day dreaming of a sail on the water. It was just a lovely little piece of paradise.

As I set back out on my Niagara Falls road trip, still on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, to Niagara, New York, I passed through more fields of vineyards, farm land, and picturesque little towns.

There's something about the east coast that draws me to its charm. Maybe it's the rich history, the traditions, the cottage homes, the countryside farms, and the water.

Whatever it is, it makes me feel good to be exploring its history and lands.

This is my first experience with Lake Erie and I'm in love. Her charm reaches wide.

I might be singing a different tune though if I were here in the winter. I'm not real keen on snow these days.

I guess I've had my fill from living in Columbus, Ohio for three years and some of the snow that fell while I lived in the Seattle, Washington area for 15 years.

Niagara Falls Road Trip

Soon, I was in Buffalo, New York traversing this rather large overpass.

I white knuckled it across as the wind kept whipping me from Lake Erie to my west – my left side – against the RV. When the wind kicks up like that, I just take it slower and try to relax.

In order to get to the Niagara Falls area, you either can go around Grand Island and forego the toll or pay the toll and cut across saving an hour of time.

The toll was only $1.00 – so I thought – until I pulled up to the toll booth and it was double that at $2.00.

So the $2.00 was still worth it, but where are the signs for double the price of RVs? This is the second time this has happened.

Oh well. It's cheaper than the gas to go around for an hour so I'll gladly pay and then had to white knuckle it again over more high bridges to get on to Grand Island and then off.

RV Parking and Overnighting Near Niagara Falls

My first overnight destination pick was the Niagara Aquarium, just 4 miles from Niagara Falls State Park with bike trails nearby.

On the website it stated that RVs could park overnight for $20, which I thought was pretty good, and then I would just ride my bike over in the morning to visit the park.

As I pulled up to the attendant station, I asked if many RVers parked overnight and he said that it was rare and I would probably be the only one.

I then asked if it was relatively safe and he responded that most RVers park at Walmart. So I guess I had my answer. The neighborhood is a bit rundown, which was surprising giving its close proximity to a major tourist destination.

The Walmart was only about 5 miles away and in a safe neighborhood with other RVs and semi trucks. There's also restaurants, Sam's Club, and an outlet mall nearby if you wanted to do some shopping or dining out.

If you're planning your own Niagara Falls road trip, then Walmart is free to stay at in a short distance from Niagara Falls. The only other options are RV parks that are quite expensive and farther away on Grand Island.

So off I went to overnight at Walmart and get a good nights sleep before my second day of the Niagara Falls road trip.

As I pulled into Walmart, I came across the interesting RV. Or is a semi truck? Or is it a hybrid Semi RV truck. I'm not sure, but it had quite the interesting layout with the body looking like a class C RV, the front truck looks like a semi, and then it's pulling a huge trailer like a semi.

I did the usual and opted in for my home cooked meal.

I supposed that's the one thing about traveling full-time as a vegan – it's difficult to find vegan friendly restaurants with quality food. Most of my food is organic and vegan and it's just sometimes easier and cheaper if I just cook my own meal.

It doesn't bother me, but every once and awhile, I'd love to go out for a good meal.

RV Parking on a Niagara Falls Road Trip

I headed over to Lot 3 at Niagara Falls State Park early in the morning so I could really explore and then start my work day at noon EST/9 am PST.

Lot 3 is the designated parking for RVs and unfortunately you cannot overnight there like the other lots designated for personal vehicles. I even called to double-check, but it’s not allowed.

You're supposed to pay to park; however there was never an attendant in the lot when I got there, nor when I got back, so I couldn't actually pay. I looked all around the guard station, but couldn't find a place to pay an attendant. So thank you Niagara Falls State Park for the free RV parking.

After offloading my bicycle and hooking up Lily’s bike trailer to it, I packed up my back pack with snacks and water and set out for Niagara Falls. Even before you get to the actual falls, there is so much beauty in between.

The raging river, flowers in bloom, trees traversing the sidewalks and street. It was just breathtaking.

I’m still in awe that I get to live this beautiful dream and travel full-time in my RV. As long as I have an Internet connection I can work anywhere!

Many have you have asked what I use for a data plan, and as of now I'm using Verizon’s unlimited plan across the nation since it has the best coverage. I did purchase the cell signal booster, but haven’t installed it yet. So far I haven’t really needed it, but I imagine when I’m in more remote areas, it will come in handy.

Lily and I were quite the attraction from many comments of strangers who marveled at Lily's bicycle trailer.

She loves going on rides in the Solvit bicycle trailer for dogs. I've had this trailer for about 5 years now and did a ton of research prior to purchasing.

I was concerned about its safety and if I were to fall on the bike, I wanted to make sure the trailer wouldn't flip over. That has happened and the trailer stayed upright with no issues. Just as another safety precaution, it does have a row bar around the entire top portion of the trailer for safety and Lily is harnessed in.

So many people just wanted to pet her especially after seeing how well she rode in the bicycle trailer and then just hanging out and enjoying the park. She is such a sweet girl and loves this RV life!

Uh – oh.

Bicycle Trouble in Niagara Falls

My bike pedal fell off. What in the world!?!?

I was bicycling through the park when I felt the left pedal get wobbly, like it was bent, and then my foot slipped as the pedal came off the crank!

I had to walk the bike back to the RV and grab the pedal wrench and tighten it up. Just in case, I threw the wrench in my back pack just in case I needed it again and headed back to the falls.

Niagara Falls really puts on a show!

Her beauty is breathtaking and it’s like you can feel the energy from the rushing of the water, the mist touching your skin, and the excitement in the air from being so close to something so beautiful.

About 10 years ago, on my original Niagara Falls road trip, I went to the Canadian side of Niagara falls. Two very different experiences, but both extremely satisfying and awesome.

History of Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is known as the honeymoon destination and a geological wonder that’s one of the most popular tourist attractions.

There are three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls – Bridal Veil Falls, American Falls, and Horseshoe Falls which gets its water from the upper Great Lakes region.

Now the Canadian and American governments control the flow of water to combat erosion and to also harness its energy to provide power to the United States and Canada.

More Bicycle Trouble in Niagara Falls State Park

Lily and I bicycled around some more and also did some walking; however trouble happened again when I was cycling and darn if both pedals fell off now! What a hot mess!

No matter how much I tightened the pedals with the pedal wrench it kept falling off.

After walking, once again, back to the RV with the bicycle and Lily, I found a bicycle shop to get the pedals fixed.

Turns out there is a left and right pedal and you MUST thread the pedals on the correct side or you’ll strip the pedals – which is what I did.

So now I can’t just buy new pedals, I have to buy the entire bicycle crank. Well, there’s never a dull moment when traveling that isn't without challenges. I learn, always, along the way.

Despite my troubles and not being able to overnight at Niagara Falls, I still had a really amazing time and can't wait to go back and visit for a little longer – with bicycle pedals screwed on correctly!

Stay tuned as I have two more legs of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail coming up after finishing the Niagara Falls road trip.

Overnights & Places Visited

Overnights/Cost: Walmart in Niagara, New York – $0

Visited/Cost: Barcelona Harbor – $0 and Niagara Falls State Park– $0

RV Accessibility: Any length

Cell Phone Signal Strength: 4 bars strong signal

Park Pass: N/A

City/State: Westfield, NY and Niagara, NY

Video/Audio/Misc Equipment Used

Panasonic Lumix G85 Camera – For most still images and vlogging

Sony Action Cam FDRX3000 – For dash cam and walking/talking video

Joby Gorillapod – Used for holding the cameras as a tripod or mounting to just about anything to capture a shot.

Verizon Plan – Unlimited data plan that currently has the most coverage nationwide.

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