I went to Niagara Falls for the first time. Here are 5 highlights of my trip that made me certain I’ll be planning a trip back.

Niagara Falls is an iconic landmark known for massive waterfalls located on the border of the US and Canada. It’s also America’s oldest state park . Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls : the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), the American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

I visited Niagara Falls for the first time recently as part of a train trip through Eastern Canada . I had never previously visited or even seen large waterfalls of this scale, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But since the falls are so famous for being such an epic scene, I was excited to see them for myself.

Seeing Niagara Falls up close was a major unexpected highlight of my trip. And while I’ve seen many pictures of them, I wasn’t expecting to be quite so entranced. But once I saw them for myself, I was able to realize how amazing they are.

I felt completely in awe of the falls’ massive size, and found them to be beautiful and surprisingly loud. To me, it was like witnessing a powerful force of nature commanding everyone’s attention. The boardwalk lining the falls also reminded me of Times Square on New Year’s Eve for the high level of excitement it drew.

Like many tourist attractions, I experienced a lot of crowds, however unlike other tourist hot spots, Niagara Falls was so captivating to me that when it was time to leave, I started thinking about when I could return. These five highlights of Niagara Falls made me certain I’ll be coming back. The Sheraton Fallsview is a popular hotel that faces Niagara Falls on the Canadian site, making it an exceptional place to stay if you want to enjoy prime views at every turn.

However, not every guest room faces the falls, so I decided to upgrade to a premium room with a direct view during my two-night stay. For $500 a night, I had a front-row seat to Niagara Falls from the moment I woke up through bedtime, making it worth the price to me as a first-time visitor. My room came with floor-to-ceiling windows and a door — though there was no actual balcony to go out on — for a better glimpse of Niagara Falls.

When I opened the door, I could hear the water crashing down. Each morning, I hopped out of bed and opened the door so I could get ready to the sounds of the falls. I thought it was a peaceful way to start the day.

And after the sun went down, I was lulled to sleep by the beautiful scenery. When the sun goes down, the falls glow with changing colors that are projected onto the water courtesy of the Niagara Falls Illumination board, according to Niaga ra Parks . The falls light up every night of the year, and the changing colors represent sunrises, the aurora borealis, rainbows, and sunsets, according to Niaga ra Falls T ourism .

From late May to early October, the lights are coupled with a fireworks display every night at 10 p. m. according to Niagara Falls Live , which is when I visited.

Rather than watching TV like I normally might before bed, I put a chair in front of the window and watched the light and fireworks show. I thought it felt magical. Seeing the fireworks from my bed was a happy surprise, and I thought it made the $500 room even more worth it.

Read more: Stunning photos show how Niagara Falls transforms at night with light shows and fireworks Every time the sun shines, rainbows appear in front of Niagara Falls, according to Niagara Falls Tourism . This is because the sun shines through drops of water, “reflecting light into the colors of the spectrum,” according to the same source. I saw my first rainbow at Niagara Falls while taking the Maid of the Mist boat tour.

At first, I thought I had just gotten lucky that my trip was timed with a sighting. But as the days went on, I realized that rainbows are plentiful in Niagara Falls. I saw three more the next day.

Since I rarely spot rainbows in my home city of New York, I always found it exciting to spot one. Of all the viewpoints I visited in Niagara Falls , I was most impressed by those observed from the Maid of the Mist Boat tour on the US side. I first saw the Maid of the Mist boat tour in an episode of “The Office,” back in high school.

From the TV screen, it seemed like a flashy tourist trap, but still something I’d want to do once in my life. Now that I’ve been, I definitely want to go back. For $25, the boat tour took us up close to all three falls.

And it wasn’t the tourist trap I was expecting. The boat wasn’t crowded at 6 p. m.

when I boarded, and the lack of crowds made finding a spot on the edge easy. I even had enough room to walk around the deck of the boat and take in the most spectacular views unobstructed by human heads. At one point, I looked up and found myself engulfed by views of the U-shaped falls at Niagara Falls, known as Horseshoe Falls.

Seeing the water crashing down right in front of me gave me a sense of thrill that I wasn’t expecting from the boat ride. It made me want to go back with my loved ones to watch them see it for the first time. Fallsview Trail is a boardwalk lining the falls on the Canadian side.

The paved trail runs parallel to the Niagara River on the north side. Facing Niagara Falls directly, the trail provided one of the clearest views I could find because it positioned me in front of them and was free to explore. Compared to other viewpoints I visited, I thought Fallsview Trail was one of the closest and most accessible spots available.

I thought the best view was at the very end of the trail next to Horseshoe Falls. Seeing the falls from just above the drop was one of the coolest parts of my trip because it was where the mist was thickest, which I thought made it look like the falls could go on forever. I felt a similar thrill standing over Horseshoe Falls as I did during the boat ride.

I experienced a lot of crowds when I visited Niagara Falls over the summer, which at times made it tough to get the best views. According to The Points Guy , Niagara Falls tends to be less busy in early spring and late fall when the weather cools, which restricts some of the attractions that get visitors up close to the falls. Next time, I’ll take the cooler temperatures in exchange for a quieter, less crowded experience.

I think I’ll get more peaceful moments, like enjoying mornings in my hotel room with fewer people around. But more than anything, I want to go back with someone who has never been to Niagara Falls before so I can see how amazed they are, as well. .