Phantom falls

A 2 day tour of New York
from our Northeastern issue,
Fall 2012.

	Photo: Niagara USA
	Niagara Falls by night offer a mysterious aura.

Legend has it that many interesting spirits often make their presence known in Niagara, and many experts have come to the area to prove it.

You may have seen the haunts of greater Niagara Falls on The Learning Channel or the Travel Channel.

Groups can follow a spirited trail where they might even meet a character or two from the past.

Day One

Start your tour in the oldest state park in the nation, Niagara Falls State Park.

While at the park, don’t miss Niagara: Legends of Adventure, an IMAX-style movie telling the history of Niagara Falls’ daredevils.

Be sure to get up close and personal with the falls and their 165-foot vertical drop — American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls  and Horseshoe Falls, American Falls — with the state park’s Cave of the Winds tour  or while riding the Maid of the Mist boat tour in Niagara Gorge.

For lunch, dine in the Quality Hotel & Suites ballroom. Hear from a local ghost hunter what he found in the hotel. 

After, it’s time for a visit with Annie Edson Taylor, the 63-year-old retired schoolteacher who was the first known person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. Listen to her story and that of various other Niagara daredevils at her resting place in Oakwood Cemetery.

Start the evening with cocktails, appetizers or dinner at the Rapids Theatre. See and hear what the television series Ghost Hunters discovered when it visited therestored 1920s theatre.

Then, travel north to Old Fort Niagara, an 18th-century fortress dating to 1726 on Lake Ontario. The National Historic Landmark welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually.

During the French & Indian War, American Revolution and War of 1812, many lived, fought and died here. 

It is believed, however, that others have never left. Grab a lantern for a guided tour of the French Castle after dark. Hear the stories of the spirits that still haunt the castle and have been seen, heard and felt by workers at the fort. Sample refreshments similar to those eaten in the 18th and 19th centuries.

	Photo: Niagara USA
	Meet spirits while tasting wine at Marjim Manor Winery.

Day Two

Start the day with a hearty breakfast at the Barton Hill Hotel and Spa.

Next, take a stroll down Center Street in Lewiston, perusing its shops and boutiques.

Step back in time as you are met by characters from Lewiston’s colorful past. Take a walk on the dark side to explore the grim and ghastly deeds of Lewiston’s best and worst on the Marble Orchard Tour.

Do you know the difference between a wine and a spirit? 

At the Winery at Marjim Manor, wine is what you taste and spirits are who you meet. 

Marjim Manor dates to 1854, having been built by Shubal Merritt. It housed various families for its first eight decades. The home was purchased in 1933 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, who operated it as a girls’ camp, farm school for deaf boys and a summer retreat for the Roman Catholic Church-affiliated order until 1993. 

At Marjim Manor, taste wines with names honoring the manor’s rich history and dine for lunch while hearing the legends of its residents — past and present. The ghosts reportedly include Duke, the Sisters of St. Joseph’s dog.

GO
Niagara Falls

SEE
Niagara Falls State Park
(716) 278-0337
www.niagarafallsstatepark.com

Old Fort Niagara
(716) 745-7611
http://oldfortniagara.org

Winery at Marjim Manor
(716) 778-7001
http://marjimmanor.com

DO
Maid of the Mist
(716) 284-8897
www.maidofthemist.com/en

EAT
Barton Hill Hotel and Spa
(800) 718.1812
www.bartonhillhotel.com

Quality Hotel and Suites
(716) 282-1212
www.qualityniagarafalls.com

ASK
Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation
(716) 282-8992
www.niagara-usa.com

Tell us what you think or offer your culinary group travel itineraries to the editor.
Mail: 2465 112th Ave.
Holland, MI 49424
Fax: (616) 393-0085
Phone: 1-800-767-3489 between 8am - 5pm, EST.