Today we leave the NYC / NJ area and head upstate, stopping midday for lunch and sightseeing at Watkins Glen State Park (summer) or the Corning Glass Center (winter). In the late afternoon we explore Buffalo with a local guide, including the Buffalo Naval Park, a recent guest favorite.

As evening falls, we reach Niagara Falls for the night's highlight: the Cave of the Winds boardwalk, the falls glowing under colored lights at the nightly illumination, and in season fireworks over the water before we return to the hotel.

We start the morning at Whirlpool State Park, looking down into the gorge where the river spins into a giant whirlpool. Next, the Niagara Power Vista shows how the falls generate power, with hands-on exhibits the whole family enjoys.

Then the moment everyone comes for: the Maid of the Mist boat carries you right up to the foot of the Horseshoe Falls — the mist, the roar, the rainbow, and the photo you'll want (seasonal, runs roughly May–Oct). After lunch, we begin the drive back, with a rest stop along the way, returning to New York in the evening.