You may or may not know that I recently went to Niagara Falls for a quick weekend escape. There are pros and cons to going to the natural wonder in the winter (as there are pros and cons going anywhere at any time). But, for the most part, I'd say it's a unique winter experience and makes a lot of financial sense.

If you are planning a last minute trip there, maybe for the holidays, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (yes, there is a commission for this....) announced today that there will be free admission on their bridges for Christmas. That means the Rainbow, NEXUS-only Whirlpool Rapids, Lewiston-Queenston bridges will be free from 11:30pm Christmas Eve until 11:30pm Christmas Day. This is at least the second year in a row that this has been done, which saves tourists at least a few bucks.

In relation to this, I also got a $96 Travelzoo deal emailed to me for a stay at the Sheraton Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel with $120 of dining and entertainment vouchers $80 Canadian for two area steakhouses and $40 for Dave and Busters. This includes Friday-Sunday stays through March or Saturdays including Dec. 24, Jan. 7, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, and Jan. 28. Rooms can be upgraded to a whirlpool cityview room for $10 more. The deal can be found here.

I'll warn you it's pretty cold in the western most parts of NY and border with Canada this time of year (which is why these deals are available to attract tourists). This means fewer tourists to deal with while also fewer attractions to choose from since many are seasonal.

Still, the icy falls' nightly light show is pretty awesome - especially from the Canadian side.