Doing the falls by wheelchair
by Jeff Dremann, PA, U.S.A.
June 21, 2004

Jeff (back), Barb, Max (left) and Zack (right)

We are back. We had a wonderful time. We didn't get everything in we wanted to but we did most of it. We had a few hitches with the accommodations but we managed okay (more details below). We are good at adapting. The weather was great although maybe a bit too warm and humid at times.

Just to reiterate, Barb, my wife, has a spinal cord disease and is full time in a power wheelchair. It is a Jazzy 1122 with seat riser and tilt. We use a Hoyer type lift to transfer her. Sliding transfers are possible but very hard (especially on me and my back). We also have a handicap modified big blue Chevy full-size van with a wheelchair lift to get us around. Because of my wife's condition we don't travel light. In addition to luggage for four we had a ramp, shower chair, handicap supplies (pads, cleaning items, etc.), Barb's pillows/positioning wedges, a cooler, foot braces for sleeping, leg circulating pump, snacks, travel games for the kids, and plenty more. The wheelchair with Barb locks down in the middle of the van. I had a fully packed van.

We also brought along a class-mate of my son's, Max, so we were four a instead of three. Booking suites rather than standard rooms was great so the kids could have one room while my wife and I the other. That way when I had to help my wife get dressed, use the bathroom, get cleaned up, etc we could close off our section with the boys in the other part where they had plenty of room and a TV, etc.

This was only the second time I have been to the falls (the first time was about 25 years ago). My wife and son have never been there. My company's recreation committee was arranging a trip up there and it sounded interesting so I tried to research what was accessible and what wasn't. That is when I came across the Accessible Niagara website which clued me in on what was and wasn't accessible. That was a tremendous help. As I progressed with further research, I determined that I could arrange a better trip for us. Some of the company's trip was questionable on the accessibility. For roughly the same amount of money, we stayed at nicer hotels (including one with a view of the falls), stayed an extra night, saw the key accessible attractions at our pace, etc. It turned out to be a wonderful trip.

Here we go...

Sunday June 6
It was a cool wet morning at our house in southeast Pennsylvania (it had rained all day on Saturday). My son's friend, Max, arrived right about 8 a.m. and we talked to his family a bit. Max hasn't been away from home much and this will be his longest time. Max is 11 and my son, Zach, will be 11 in a few weeks. We were on the road just before 9 which is about an hour late start. The weather cleared as we drove (mostly overcast but dry which is perfect for driving. One gas fill-up stop while still in PA (1.889/gal which translates to .680Cdn/L). Other than that a straight shot. Drove around Niagara Falls, NY a little bit extra but found my way and crossing the border was a breeze. Had to show some of Max's documentation since he wasn't related. Drove down the parkway by the falls and went up to the Embassy Suites from the Marineland side of Portage Road. The weather in Niagara Falls was a beautiful, partly sunny day.

We arrived at the Embassy Suites at about 3:45. The driveway entrance was quite crowded and we take a long time to unload with all our gear but the valet people were very helpful in getting us to a good spot to take our time and unload. We used an available cart rather than the bellhop which worked out fine for us. Between the two kids and myself we got unloaded easily. I'm not a fan of valet parking because I always forget something. Twice during our stay I had to walk over to the vehicle to get something. Our oversize vehicle was parked off-site in a lot about a block away. It was easier going over to the lot rather than waiting for them to get it just for an item or two. Because we had handicap tags, the valet parking was free which is a big help. We still tipped though.

Checking in took awhile. They didn't have the Oh Canada Dinner Eh show tickets straightened out since I previously called and added the extra child. Our vacation timing was good as the kids got a promotional Spiderman 2 Web Pack (some neat toys and gadgets) that kept them occupied as we settled into the room. We got room 2001, the highest handicap room. The room was beautiful and the view was spectacular. We look directly down the incline railway to Table Rock. I like that we had views out 3 sides being the end room. Not everything was perfect though. The bed wasn't on legs yet so we had to call down for that. Someone was up right away but the guys weren't familiar with the frame they were putting in so it took them a while. I had them push the two queen beds all the way to the bathroom wall so we had more room on the window side to get the lift in and also have a better view. I'm glad I had that done because it opens the room up all the more. The chairs by the windows were on wheels and rolled easily out of the way. We pushed one chair and the little round table into the nook by the TV. We used part of the bed in the corner for luggage so we didn't need to use that nook for luggage. A suggestion to the Embassy Suites: since there are 10 handicap rooms, some should have a king rather than two queens. I know having more options make booking more of a pain but for handicapped the ability to adapt the room better to what is needed would be real nice.

The bathroom didn't really work out right for us. It was a high toilet (which is really good) but the one side rail was just not positioned well at all. It was angled and so far forward that it was not reachable when trying to lower from the lift. Also all the big doors kept getting in the way so it was tough finding a spot to park the wheelchair and then navigate the lift to the toilet. We basically gave up on using the bathroom and just used our shower/potty chair in the bedroom area exclusively. We also brought a twofoot ramp thinking we could use it to get up the lip into the shower but the bathroom layout prohibited that. I probably could have tilted the chair without a ramp to get my wife in the shower but the molded seat part of the shower just took up too much room to even get the shower chair into the shower. I considered trying to do it with the feet hanging out but that probably would have gotten the bathroom very wet and I didn't see floor drains. So we also gave up on the shower and just did extra cleaning steps. My suggestion for Embassy Suites is to take some of the handicap rooms (maybe every other floor) and re-layout the bathrooms without the Jacuzzi, without the extra bathroom door, with better toilet railing, and with a true roll-in shower. The sink area was almost perfect - a straight shot in but could stand to be just a bit taller so my wife could get her legs in underneath farther and therefore be closer to the sink. Don't get me wrong, we were well prepared and were able to adapt fine. The hall sink was wonderful for the rest of us when my wife was in getting ready. When I helped my wife go to the bathroom in the bedroom area, we just sent the boys to the parlor room, closed the sliding door between the rooms, and closed the curtains. With the beds pushed over, we had enough room.

Once we were finally settled in, we didn't have time for anything prior to our Oh Canada Eh?!, show so we headed out there and arrived plenty early. The parking lot was nearly empty but the one good van spot was already taken so we took a regular spot that was on an end so that the lift lowered into the aisle - no problem. It was a fun show. There was a medium size crowd. We were in the front spots of a table in the second row of tables a little bit to the right of the stage. Our server and actress was Melissa. We had one other couple at our table with us. One of the early crowd interaction was with one of the actors coming over to my wife. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera ready then. I did have the camera ready for later when the Mounties arrested my son's friend, Max. The food was good, too. I especially liked the haddock. After the show, we returned to our room just in time to see the 10 p.m. fireworks over the falls. It was cool sitting watching the fireworks and seeing the coloured falls from the room. Note that the Oakes hotel right next door slightly blocked the fireworks view so we all hugged the right side of the room to get a reasonable view. The fireworks appear to originate from the Canadian side across from the American falls.

Monday June 7
I originally intended to take the boys to the power plant tour first thing the next morning but we didn't make it to that as we slept in a bit. We still made it down for the included breakfast though. Note that during busy times like breakfast, it will take a while waiting for an elevator. Once on, the elevators are fast and smooth. The Embassy Suites has a wonderful breakfast. My wife and son both had the made-to-order omelets and loved them. The breakfast selection was great. I went for the French toast, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. One thing to note is that the yogurt definitely has a different taste (a good one) compared to around home. After breakfast we took an elevator ride up to the 42nd floor and looked out the window across town. No rooms were open to see out towards the falls. I don't think I would want to be up that high anyway because you end up so much further from the falls and everything looks smaller. So where our room was on the 20th floor was just fine.

Once we finally got our act together, we got in the van and drove down to table rock area and parked in the lot directly across the street form table rock (cost $12 Cdn). We got there about noon. I hadn't found where the police station handicapped parking was so I went for the paid parking. Very convenient though. I bought the parks pass for all four of us in the Table Rock Complex. I tried to see if I could get a handicap discount since we couldn't use the People Mover and had to pay for parking instead but no discount (they do have a cheaper pass for groups that don't include the People Mover so I was hoping that they would let us get that). The one lady there tried to tell me that my wife wouldn't be able to go on the Maid of The Mist without transferring out of the chair. I told her that we had been told we could (from you) so I got my wife the pass against her suggestion. I wish I was able to make it back in to see that lady after we were on the Maid of the Mist to clearly indicate that it is okay to do.

We did the Behind the Falls first. They gave us each a yellow cover (poncho) and took us down the elevator from the store. As soon as we got to the bottom, a few very nice people on the way back out offered us additional yellow covers. We gladly accepted and used those extra ones to cover all around Barb's power chair (I sometimes like to tease and call it her "electric" chair when in wet areas like this). We did the portals first then went out onto the platform. All those extra ponchos came in handy here as it was misty here.

Afterwards, we shopped a bit for souvenirs and I was able to take them right across the street to the van. One thing we noticed in the Table Rock complex that we didn't need but was nice to know was there was a handicap family restroom. Did you mention that in your information? I must have overlooked it because I don't remember it. I always have to go in with my wife when she needs to go so it is great to see companion restrooms. Even though we didn't need it this time, I still should have checked it out to see if it was setup okay.

Barb all bundled up on the Maid of the Mist

Next, we just hung around the falls a bit and worked our way down to the Maid of The Mist. A bit of a hike but overall not too bad. The weather was wonderful - shorts weather. We were all lathered up with sunscreen. There was a little bit of a line at The Maid of the Mist but not too bad. We were able to easily roll right right up the ramp onto the boat (a little scary coming off because it was a tad steep coming down the ramp - any steeper and we would probably have to back off the boat instead of going forward). This boat ride was the highlight of the trip - a must do. We used all the extra ponchos from the behind the falls attraction plus the new Maid of the Mist ones to cover the chair as completely as possible. The two boys got right up front on the lower level as everyone tended to run for the upstairs. Barb parked right along the dock side of the boat just in front of the ramp and behind the rope that held the boat at dock. There was a lot of open space on the lower level so I floated between my wife and the other side of the boat. With all the mist and water I had to move Barb's ponchos around a bit to let the water drain off instead of ponding. In the end the only overly wet area was her side pouch that held some makeup, comb, pen, etc.

Max and Zach in front of the waterfall in the aviary

Since we were almost to the Rainbow bridge, we pushed on a little farther and went to the Niagara Falls Aviary next. Not too far after Clifton Hill we realized that we would need to cross the street and we couldn't find a cutout to get the chair across the street until just past the aviary. There was also a couple splits in the sidewalk near the Rainbow bridge and we had to backtrack at one spot because it only led to steps. Luckily there was cutouts at the street just past the aviary otherwise it would have been a long way back to the Clifton Hill crossing. At the aviary, it was nice to get out of the sun for a bit. There are some really beautiful birds and other animals (dart frogs, etc). Even though we were parked elsewhere, I checked on parking because they do have free parking if going to the Aviary and they allow you to park there until closing on the same day if visiting other attractions in the area (like Clifton Hill etc). They also allow re-entry for those who want to come back later. The staff was very helpful and talked to us quite a bit about some of the birds. Very informative and interesting. Afterwards, stopped at Reg's under the bridge just to get some slushies and a soft serve. Then we worked our way back to the falls getting a few pictures of rainbows, etc. I finally saw where the police lot was that had the free handicap spots (between Clifton Hill and Murray Hill, I believe).

We made it back to the van and drove up to the hotel, unwound a bit and prepped for dinner. We debated between The Keg and TGIF with our $40 dinner voucher and went for The Keg. Note that the advertised $45 dinner voucher ended up being $40 but I wasn't in a complaining mood so I didn't fight for it. When we got to The Keg, I did push for a lower level table right at a window. They only had upper level available but after checking things out there was an available table on the lower level. Another wonderful view of the falls. And the dinner here was the best one on our trip. I had a Teriyaki steak, my wife had the filet and both boys went for chicken fajitas. Everything was outstanding. Our server was Adam and he took good care of us. He even let us sample the fresh squeezed tart lemonade to be sure we really wanted it before we chose it. Three out of four of us went for the lemonade. A couple minor differences I notice between the US and Canada; one my wife ordered ice tea and it came sweetened while in the US, it almost always is unsweetened - my wife found this one out with a surprise swallow; another is no free refills on drinks while in the US many places have free refills on standard drinks (pop, tea, lemonade, etc). When I asked Adam about free refills, he mistaken said yes which he honored but he did let us know later that he wasn't supposed to say yes.

We originally planned to go to the IMAX after dinner but it took too long at The Keg. Instead, Barb stayed in the room and got ready for bed while I took the boys over to Clifton Hill. We took the free shuttle bus over, did a couple things and then walked back via the lit-up falls. Real pretty at night.

Tuesday June 8
The next morning we packed up, went for another great breakfast and then checked out. We are going to miss the Embassy Suites. First stop today is the White Water Walk. We parked in the diagonal parking on the river side of the street with an open space next to us for the lift. There is also parking across the street with a couple designated handicap spots but I didn't notice that until after I was parked. Parking was free. The tunnel at the bottom of the elevator is refreshingly cool. Barb could do the main walkway but obviously couldn't get down to the lower levels right by the water. Watching the rapids was really intriguing wondering how much more powerful they would be if the water wasn't diverted for the power plants. When we took the elevator back up they took us to the main level (normally they drop off at the level below and everyone goes through the lower level of the shop and then go up stairs to the main level). This attraction didn't take a lot of time but it was worth checking out.

Next was the Butterfly Conservatory (we glanced at the aerocar (not accessible) and floral clock on the way by). Parking was free. Do they sometimes charge here? (Yes, it is now $5.00 per car - Linda) They have a booth but were not charging. The handicap spots were awkwardly setup right next to the one booth. I thought the butterfly conservatory would be cool and my wife had her reservations but once we were in there with all those butterflies, wow - much more interesting than we imagined. They landed on wife from the start - I guess they liked her flower dress. It was a bit before they started landing on the rest of us but they did.

At this point we are really wearing down due to the heat and humidity of the day. Also it is becoming a little more obvious that Max is starting to become homesick. We were going to stop at the Welland Canal next and visit that museumthere and maybe see a ship go through a lock but everyone else wanted to just get to the other hotel so we did. On the way I did make sure I drove by locks three to six but in the process, I also ended up driving around Thorold a bit more than I planned. Unfortunately no activity at the locks during our quick drive by.

We finally made it to the Four Points Sheraton Suites in St Catharines/Thorold area. I used my Starwood points for a free stay and check in was a breeze. We didn't need to bring as much stuff in for just the one night so unloading was easy. I'm a very good packer - I can efficiently get a lot of stuff loaded into the van and be able to easily get to it. I liked the self-parking here better than valet parking. It made it much more comfortable getting in and out. Your comment, Linda, about the handicap rooms being far from the elevator was right on. It was a hike and those without power chairs might have a tough time with that distance. We were in room 2124. It was a real nice room. It had a much better fridge than the Embassy's microscopic one. I liked the living room layout with the big corner desk and plenty of light from the windows. The kids liked the better TV channel selection here compared to the Embassy Suites. The bedroom was a little small but with the bed pushed over almost to the wall it made it more manageable.

Barb could get into the bathroom with her power chair but I couldn't get the lift or the shower chair to make the turn so we used the shower chair in the bedroom again. This also wasn't the room with the roll-in shower. I can see this bathroom being a real problem for those with larger (longer) wheelchairs or scooters. They should really re-do the bathrooms so that the entrance is across from the main entry door since that part of the hall is wider for turns. Another drawback was the low toilet but using the shower chair made this irrelevant for us.

Another big problem we encountered when we first arrived is that the bed was no longer on legs as in your report. I called the front desk immediately and they said they just finished converting all the rooms about a month ago and sold off the leg frames. After talking to two front desk ladies who said there wasn't anything that could be done, I kept pushing for something to be done and I asked to talk to someone in the maintenance department. They finally said they would send someone up to see if something could be done. A couple guys came up a few minutes later and said no problem and had the bed swapped out in about 10 minutes (so they did have some legs after all!).(Linda here - all the beds in accessible rooms have been changed back to legs now.) I was scared for a little bit there but it worked out and once that was settled, it was a very nice room. As a side note in terms of the hotel renovations the hallways were not quite done yet but otherwise the place was in real good shape. Also the hallway was pretty stuffy as it was not air-conditioned on the hot day we were there.

I still had the valet tags from the Embassy and managers reception tickets so we decided to go back there to get something to eat and then head to the IMAX that we missed the night before. I stopped at the IMAX on the way in and got 8 p.m. tickets. I didn't want to chance it selling out and I wanted to make sure how the handicap process worked. The place was empty and I was easily able to get tickets and the info I needed. Then we went back to the Embassy Suites. We went by the new casino that was having its gala opening (the public opening was set for the 10th). The past two days while we were staying at the Embassy we saw the work crews feverishly doing last minute touches to the casino area like putting up signs, etc. At the Embassy, I had previously asked the head valet person if we would be allowed to return later in the day after checkout and still use the valet on the current tags and he had said okay. The managers reception is nothing like what it used to be at an Embassy Suites. All it was was chips, popcorn and drinks. No hot hor'dourves or anything like that. Since it wasn't as we thought, we bagged that and went to the TGI Friday's. My wife had a fish plate and the rest of us had specialty burgers. It was good but nothing like the Keg or Oh Canada.

After dinner, I drove back to the IMAX complex. The parking lot was crowded when we arrived with cars and a handful of busses. The handicap parking is right where the busses turn around so it was scary after we got out and a full size bus squeezed between my van and the next vehicle using the stripped area between handicap spots. Inside the building it was a madhouse with people everywhere. I'm so glad I already had my tickets and I knew in general that I needed to go in the theater exit via the store. We fought our way through the lines and crowds to get into the store and then exhibit area (that area wasn't very crowded but never found an employee to confirm where we were to go). I knocked on the exit and then finally I opened the door and went in. They must have been short-staffed that night because we never saw an employee anywhere around that area. Once inside it was obvious where the wheelchair area was. No one else was there yet so I moved some of the extra chairs over so Barb could have the best possible spot and I sat next to her. The boys went together more towards the center for an even better spot in the regular seats. The place was fairly close to capacity when all were in. The movie was good. My wife has gotten very intrigued by the daredevils and we stayed in the exhibit area reading most of the stories afterwards. Most people just zipped on out after the movie so it wasn't crowded at all in the exhibit.

It was much more obvious that Max was getting homesick so when we went out into the parking lot, we were able to get a U.S.cell phone signal. He called home but no one answered so he was all upset. His parents had been by a phone at all times but had just stepped out to get the mail and missed his call. We had one not so happy boy right about now.

I was pretty sure I had enough gas to make it back to N.Y. the next day but not 100% sure so earlier I had checked gas prices on the way into the Niagara Falls area. Just about all were .893/L (youch) and I picked one on the way back to the hotel. Only got $10. worth to tide me over.

Back at Four Points, with our upset friend, we tried a calling card his parents sent along and it did not work (it was supposed to be able to work from Canada). So we tried the cell phone again and it went through (I'm expecting a big bill because it wasn't a U.S. signal from St Catharines). He calmed down and we were able to get a good nights sleep.

Wednesday June 9
Our last day. We packed up and then went down to try the breakfast at the hotel. It was a pretty good meal. My wife went for an omelet, my son did the buffet, I had French toast, and Max had the Belgian waffle. We had a great server and we talked quite a bit with her about our trip and some history of the hotel. This Four Points used to be an Embassy Suites and she has worked through the transition. She was real intrigued by our stay at the Embassy Suites at the falls. She seems to miss the "good old days" as an Embassy Suites employee. We also talked about some of the Canadian/American differences and about where we were from. Real good service. too.

We completed our packing, checked out and got on the road. We were out by 11 a.m.. We didn't add anymore sight-seeing as we wanted to get Max home. I had wanted to do the Welland Canal Museum and locks but didn't. On the way to the Rainbow Bridge, many gas prices had fallen to .853/L after being higher late the evening before when I got gas. If only I had waited. At the Rainbow Bridge, we did stop in the duty free shop and got the tax rebate (on the Embassy Hotel bill and one souvenir purchase that was enough to qualify). Only got a couple small things there since the prices didn't give that good a deal on most things. We crossed the bridge, I was asked a few simple questions, and I had to show my drivers' license to get back in the U.S. Another easy crossing.

From there it was clear sailing to Max's home with the exception of gas fill-ups and a 50 minute bathroom break at a rest stop on I-390 in NY. This was the first time I took the Hoyer lift into a public restroom to help my wife (sliding would not have worked here the way the bathroom was setup). Luckily it wasn't too busy so the caretaker was able to have people take turns in the men's room while I helped my wife in the lady's room. We arrived at Max's just before 8 p.m.. The actual net drive time (excluding stops) from the Rainbow Bridge to Honey Brook, PA was 6 hours, 40 minutes and 365 miles.

All in all it was a great trip. Got to do most of the things we wanted to. And we hope to make it back someday and do some of things we missed. Its not really that far away and with advance planning, I was able to keep the costs in check. Again a special thanks to Linda for her information. Without it, I don't know if I would have chanced it - it made the trip possible. There were a few hitches but we were able to work through them and had a great time.

Some additional notes:
Room rates are a lot cheaper midweek (Sunday - Thurs) and earlier in the season. We booked the Embassy Suites about two months prior and soon after we booked, the rates went up so I'm glad I booked when I did. They seem to have great two night packages. The two night suite package we had at the Embassy includes a suite overlooking the falls, a good breakfast, a $40 dinner voucher, and we got the Oh Canada Eh?! dinner show for four for a total of $454 Cdn which I didn't think was too bad for what we got. We originally wanted to go a week earlier which would have been about $20 cheaper but school snow days delayed the end of school and our trip. Doing a Friday/Saturday would come close to doubling the rate. Waiting until late July or August also adds a significant amount. We decided late to add a third night and the Embassy didn't have a good deal for the third night (200+ Cdn for one additional night and I wasn't able to sweet talk them into anything cheaper than that) so we went to a cheaper Sheraton (still a suite though) to save a bundle. The Four Points would have been $119 Cdn but we used points to make it free. It was only about 20-25 minutes from the falls.

Don't be afraid to ask for room adjustments to adapt for handicap needs. In this case we had to have the bed up on a frame with legs rather than a platform. Make sure you talk to a representative from the maintenance crew if needed because the front desk does not always know what can easily be done. In a prior trip, we have had desks raised on blocks so the wheelchair will clear under and my wife could get up close and she used that area for cleaning up and doing makeup, etc. Don't be afraid to have furniture moved around to make better space. The bed headboards didn't move but the beds did. Desks, tables, chairs. etc.moved. We make it so it is as comfortable as possible for us.

The things I was most worried about while in Niagara was parking and making sure I could navigate my way to each place. I tried to mention each of the parking conditions above as I went. I'm generally very good with directions and can find my way around very easily. I did get off track a couple times up there but was able to keep my bearings so I could get myself back on the right road with out too much difficulty. I would have been better off with a good detailed road map (I only had a couple simple maps printed off the internet). Any suggestions on which is a good one to get and where to get it? (Any CAA or AAA office has excellent maps - Linda) The valet people at the Embassy were very helpful in making sure I got to where I needed to get and the hotel manager at the Four Points showed me the easy way (via 58 then 57 and then onto Stanley) to get to the falls.
Top attraction: Maid of The Mist - must do!
Top food: The Keg at the Embassy Suites
What we would have liked to do if we had more time: stop at some of the observation areas like at the whirlpool and also see the Welland Canal locks in operation. The kids would have liked more time at Clifton Hill.
Where next: This summer we are pretty much done other than to visit family and local places. We plan on returning to Disney World late this fall - one of the most handicap friendly vacation destinations there is
Now that we are back, I have taken my digital pictures, my video, some pictures from the internet, the Travel Channel Niagara Falls special, etc and made myself a DVD for a keepsake of our trip (also so I could give a copy to Max's family).

I hope I didn't bore you with this long report. I hope it is of help to someone else considering going to Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is worth visiting even when disabled.
Jeff Dremann, PA, U.S.A. (Barb, Zach & Max)
June 21/2004