UPDATED EVERY WEEK OF SUMMER 2020 - Covid 19 area report

I will try to keep the stuff y'all are coming for as updated as possible.

There is a quarantine in New York State. Incoming travelers from, well, most states have to quarantine for 14 days when arriving in New York State. They are taking this very seriously, and you can face large fines, thousands of dollars, if you are caught violating quarantine...

That being said...

The weather is amazing. Sunny and 30 degrees celcius for the last week.

The parks are OPEN, you can see the waterfalls. The attractions inside the parks are OPEN. https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/covid-19-updates

The border between the US and Canada at Niagara is CLOSED.

The hostel is OPEN. I will skip the fan-fare and tell you this is a great place for travelers. $35 a night, 5 minute walk from the falls, read about it more about it below. If you need a place, they are currently also open.
http://gorgeview.net/ +1 716 286 0707

Hotels are OPEN, restaurants for take out, and patio, but the weather is already 28 degrees celsius, so thats kinda nice. Bars and night life.....kind of disobediently. Not supposed to be, but some with patios are.

Covid-Culture. This might be important, as it appears to vary based on location. You will need a mask. Does not have to be medical, but it must cover your mouth and nose. People will stop you and say something if you dont. People ARE social distancing, and they WILL remind you of that too if you get to close. That's the prepared and safe way to pack for here...

That being said, some people still ignore that. I have to tell you, MANY restaurants are NOT wearing masks. We are well on the other sdie of the first curve, and risk is lowered, but i should share that information for those concerned.

Stores and shopping are still OPEN. movies, museums, stuff like that are CLOSED.

If youre into camping, not a bad time to come. If you JUST want the nature and less culture.

New York has entered stage 4 out of 4 of our reopening. Get the details on our stages of re-opening here:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/05/when-will-new-york-reopen-phases-and-full-plan-explained.html

I will keep everyone updated on my area as best as I can. Stay safe, plan ahead.

---------------------------The pre-covid profile---------------------------------------
I love my city deeply, and I think you will find the citizens here all feel the same way. This is why...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT11IdWPvfc

I have been hosting here in Buffalo for 8 years, and have hosted couch surfing events in a dozen different countries. I have learned a lot from these experiences about what travelers are hoping for when they travel to a place. I want everyone to get the most out of their time here, including those that do not stay with me, so I have attempted to include as much helpful information here as possible, from bus schedules to local wi-fi passwords to hostel recommendations. Beginning with what i feel is most important for all travelers to know, I will end with the least important information, me, lol.

I have separated this information into 12 sections to make skimming over unnecessary information easier. The local area events are listed at the end in position 12. "About Me" is after that.

1. I AM NOT IN NEW YORK CITY

Buffalo Niagara is 7 hours from New York City. If you are looking for New York City you should include "city", or you will get results from the entire state (11 hour drive wide).

2. FREE PARKING, FREE FOOD, FREE ALCOHOL

My most used Niagara Falls secret for travelers is the Seneca Niagara Casino. No, not to gamble, or even spend a dollar, here you can park and eat for free. You can even drink all the alcohol you want for $1. Here's how...

PARKING: The casino parking lot is free. I have parked here, walked to Canada, and left my car for days with no issues, many times. The casino is only a 5 minute walk to the waterfalls, so it's a great place to park on a budget. You do not need to get a ticket, and there is no gate to get out. It is simply free parking, no need to check in or do anything. Anywhere else is $20 minimum.

EATING: On the gambling floor, those that are over 21 years of age can sign up for a players club card. It is meaningless, not a credit card, or anything valuable, and you can throw it away right after getting it if you want, BUT, when you first sign up you are gifted $10 of free casino play OR a free buffet. TAKE THE BUFFET. It's good, with hundreds of options and dozens of live cooks preparing specialties just to your liking. I take all of my surfers here for a free great meal. (The Buffet usually costs $20 - $35, Buffet is all age)

DRINKING: Drink for free, or near enough. When gambling, your drinks are free. Cocktail servers come around every 15 minutes and ask if you want a drink. Things like beer, wine, gin and tonics, are free, so help yourself. They have "penny slot" machines, which you can sit at for hours and chat up your friends while getting free drinks (just play slowly) Remember just to take it easy on the pulls, lol, slow down and you only have to lose a few dollars for a few hours.

3. CANADA

GET A CANADIAN VISA. If your passport requires a Canadian visa to enter Canada, i STRONGLY recommend you do that before taking an epic trip to the USA. You're going to want to see both. The largest city, and my favorite large city, Toronto is only about a 1 hour train ride from Niagara Falls, and there is lots along the way that is amazing too. Niagara Falls Ontario boasts some amazing views of Niagara Falls, and dozens and dozens of cool things to do any day of the week. Even if its 10% of your trip budget, I would pay that for that Canadian Visa. You will use it in Detroit and on the West Coast too.

Many Couchsurfers of mine cross over from Canada to the US, or reverse, here in Niagara Falls. Local area transport is available to take you from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, and even Niagara Falls to Toronto, which is about an hour drive north. I have provided stateside maps in my picture section. If you're planning on coming from, or continuing to Toronto, write me and I will help you out with your best options.

4. ATTRACTIONS:

The really cool FREE attraction are the lights at night. Each evening, about an hour after the sun goes down, bight lights shine colors onto the waterfalls from Canada, causing the waters to dance and shimmer under alternating colors. It is a pretty cool thing to see, though it is best seen from Canada.

There is also a fireworks display many nights during the summer. The 2019 Falls Fireworks series will begin with May 17 and continue with fireworks Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until June 16th. Beginning June 17th, Niagara Falls fireworks will be going off EVERY night at 10:00 pm until September 2nd.

If you BUY only 1 "Niagara Falls attraction", make it the USA side "Maid of the Mist". I have done them all, a dozen times each, and the US Maid of the Mist is easily the best. The boat ride itself is the same as the Canadian version, but on the US side you also get access to an observation deck with stunning views. Also, after the boat trip, at the bottom when you exit the boat, there is a cool little walkway up to the falling wasters edge, similar to "cave of the winds". All for the same price.

YouTube videos of each:

Maid of the mist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTIkB4NKy0U

Cave of the winds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND_KT55j1rQ

There is a trolley available on the US side for about $2. It’s a good buy if you don’t feel like walking and will take you to the different locations of the Falls. You can board at any location and buy the pass when it reaches the next point. It's marked in yellow on my map. It's final stop is across the street from the hostel (at the aquarium).

5. HOW LONG SHOULD A TRIP BE?

Depends on if you have access to Canada, and if you are staying with me. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is really so much fun. It's filled with wax museums and fun houses and cool little bars with live music. It is a lot of fun to go out at night, best in the area. Niagara Falls USA is NOT fun to go out at night. Just do not plan on any nightlife in Niagara Falls US. (Buffalo is good and 20 minutes away)

So, if you can NOT go to Canada, and you are not staying with me, then you may be able to see everything you can in one day. Spending the daytime at Niagara Falls, then heading to Buffalo after the fireworks (bars and clubs are open until 4, you can get a fair taste of the area in a single day.

If you can go to Canada, 2 days, a day and a night in each place would be the ideal Buffalo / Niagara visit.

If you can go to Canada, and you are staying with me, I prefer 3 days. One for Niagara Falls, one for Buffalo, and a day and night for ATV rides, exploring by bicycle (I have 4 ) plus the bonfires and beach bars my little neighborhood is famous for. Most surfers have the most fun the night we stay in my neighborhood. I find less that 3 days to be "rushing it".

6. TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM BUFFALO:

In short, if you take mass transportation you will probably arrive at the Buffalo airport or the Buffalo bus station. The Buffalo train station is far less common, but it is located a 5 minute walk from the bus station.

We have a mid-size airport offering about 100 flights a day.

Trains are not cheap in the US, they often can cost as much as an airline ticket, depending on the distance. They don't run often either, I generally recommend against it.

Greyhound is the most regular bus line, but only use it as a last resort because it is the most expensive as well.

https://www.greyhound.com/north

Megabus is a pretty cheap option, but they have far fewer routes. However, there are routes from Buffalo to New York City, Toronto, Washington DC, Boston, and most other major regional cities, so this is a great option to check first.

https://us.megabus.com/route-guides/new-york-to-buffalo-bus

7. WIFI NETWORKS & PASSWORDS:

I have no password on the house wifi, because why lock something up if you have an unlimited amount of it?

Downtown Buffalo also has free wifi, BUFFALO CONNECT, but its not a very large coverage area. It mostly covers the recreational area, Canalside, and immediately by the rail-line, but its worth a search if you're in the area.

(This section is still being updated - 11/3/19)

Buffalo Airport - 1 hour Free through BOINGO (simple free sign up)
Buffalo Bus Station - BUFFALO CONNECT - no password
Buffalo Train Station - BUFFALO CONNECT - no password
Niagara Falls Airport - Coming soon
Niagara Falls Train Station - No public wi-fi, but I'm trying to get the private password, lol
Seneca Niagara Casino - Many options
Waterfalls - NIAGARA FREE WIFI (range is from Casino to Waterfalls)

8. COMMONLY USED BUS ROUTES:

Cost is $2 for single fare, or $5 USD for an all-day pass, purchase ticket from bus driver when boarding the bus. Have cash, single dollars, change is given in coins. NO credit cards. Its best to have singles or a $5 dollar bill if getting a day pass.

Our bus system is crap by European standards, though the buses themselves are nice enough and pretty safe. They often run late by 5 to 10 minutes, but are sometimes early too. Best to get there early and be willing to wait 10 to 20 minutes. If you must be someplace important, take an earlier bus to be sure.

The downtown Buffalo bus station (city centre) is the same place that long distance buses drop off passengers coming to, or departing Buffalo, making transferring very convenient.

Buffalo Airport to Downtown Buffalo

Take Bus #24 the entire way. This route begins at the downtown bus station and ends at the airport. Same for the way back. Image of the schedule is in my photo section.

http://metro.nfta.com/Routes/pdfs/24.pdf

Downtown Buffalo to Niagara Falls

Bus #40 will take you directly from the downtown Buffalo bus station (city centre) to Niagara Falls. However you will want to exit the bus in Niagara Falls at the "Seneca Niagara CASINO" stop. It is the second major stop before the end (sometimes buses stop in between stops to let out passengers). The casino is easily identifiable, it is by far the largest building in Niagara Falls. This trip should take about a an hour. Image of the schedule is in my photo section. (PRO TIP: If you sit on the left hand side of the bus, during the second large river crossing you can see the mist from the falls from the top of the bridge).

Taking this bus all the way will drop you off near the hostel.

https://metro.nfta.com/Routes/pdfs/40.pdf

9. THE SECRET PLACE IN NIAGARA; A hikers / photographers paradise.

Alright guys and girls, here is the secret of Niagara Falls, thanks for reading this far, lol. This is the secret that only those of us growing up here know of. This is a place that no tourists ever go, none of your friends will have pictures like this, but it is possibly the most magnificent site in all the area. The absolute best place in Niagara for pictures and selfies on hikes of all different difficulty levels. The best part is, it is less than a 10 minute drive from the waterfalls ($9 Uber fare), and completely free.

Where am I talking about? Whirlpool state park.

After you have seen the water churning violently before the waterfalls, you might think you saw the power of water, but you will think twice when seeing the water rage AFTER the waterfalls. Whirlpool state park begins with a 150 step stairway cut from the natural area rock down to the waters edge where footpaths spring off in every direction. Do not expect to see to many people down here. mostly fishermen and local area families out for a hike. Tourists are rarely told about this place, not sure why.

Paths intersect often to take hikers over 10 meter rocks, then down to the waters edge for a picture in front of a 8 meter wave, down by whirlpools, large and small, and if you decide, under shade of tree for a snack. It is really a special place for anyone seeking the natural beauties of Niagara.

The waters edge are like nothing you have ever seen. Giant, 5 meter tall waves, close enough to touch, can be found all along these paths. Small caves to explore, tiny water pools to examine, this place is truly unique. Truly,unique, it is a little known fact that the high humidity in the gorge has created a unique environment for the plants and animals living there.

Couple things though, there are NO BATHROOMS at the bottom. There are places you can go, but they are not bathrooms, so bring some tissues if you know what I mean. Do not worry, It is hard to get lost on the paths because they ba

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Even if you're not couchsurfing with me, hit me up with a message. Maybe we can get together for a few hours and I can show you around.

I participate with some beds in a spare room, I have also surfed around a bit. I have hosted events in about a dozen different countries, and even started a monthly meeting group in Tiraspol, Transinistria!

I love the experience, and do it every chance I get. I love hosting! I love the sharing of cultures, worldly perceptions, and how every time I do it I feel that everyone's just a lot less different than we tend to think we are.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have met some REALLY amazing people. I have been so very pleased with each experience I have had so far!

Interests

I like biking, in the city. I like history, which floods my area and I know well. I like grabbing a beer with friends and going 4x4, or walking to the beach, ect...

• many
• many more

Music, Movies, and Books

Classic rock to dub step.
Like anything creative, literature wise.
I also love really bad movies, I dont know why.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I've been around world, and lived on the other side for a year.

The most amazing thing I've ever seen, though, is my son.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to fix a computer,or how to create a website. How to ski, or how to sing. I can teach you how to do a doughnut in a snowy parking lot with your car.

I would like to learn ANYTHING about your home that only a native would know. I would also love to learn to whistle.

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Japan, United States