October 5-11, 2016 Niagara Falls Trip
October 5, Day 1, On our way to Ohio
This was the first day of our Niagara Falls Trip. Originally Mike and I planned a three week trip out east to visit Niagara Falls and visits to my brothers, Mike in Maine, and Joe in Virginia. Unfortunately, after my heart attack in August we decided that the smart thing was to take a shorter trip this year. Our beginning odometer reading is 87,540.
We left at 7am as we're usually early risers, driving on Highway 36 to 72 that would take us through Hannibal, MO. Our first stop was gas at Kearney, Mo at $1.89/gal. We stopped at Twin Oaks in Brookfield, MO and got sandwiches intending to eat lunch at a rest area on the way. Unfortunately, there aren't any rest areas on 36 so we ate lunch in the car on the side of the road. I was disappointed as I always look forward to lunch outdoors and today would have been a perfect day, sunny and 79 degrees! Next gast stop was Springfield, IL at $2.25/gal. I don't know why but we always keep track of the cost of gas.
There wasn't much to see as we drove through Illinois and Indiana, all highway. The time changed as we drove through Indiana so we lost an hour. We got gas at Anderson, Indiana at $2.39/gal and ate at Panera Bread for dinner.
We arrived at Brad and Jane's at Celina, OH at their lake house on Grand Lake around 7:15pm.
It is a modest but very nice 2nd home. The evening views at their lake house were wonderful. We had a
great night's sleep getting ready for the next day, the second leg of our journey with Brad and Jane,
Day 1 Photos
October 6, Day 2, On our way to Harbour House at Niagara on the Lake
The second day Brad cooked breakfast for all of us and then we packed and were ready to go by 9am. I think our car was packed full! We stopped for a rest inside the Michigan Border near Detroit. Again not much to see on our way but it was nice to be entertained by Brad and Jane! Right across the Canadian border we stopped for lunch at Tim Horton Restaurant, we guess it was supposed to be something great but we felt like it was just so so and seemed like a typical fast food restaurant. At 5:30 pm we arrived at Harbour House, our destination. Harbour House is a hotel but reminds me more of a bed and breakfast. It's a very nice hotel at Niagara on the Lake with lots of little, nearby quaint shops and restaurants. Once we settled in we walked to dinner at Hobnob Restaurant, about 6 blocks from the hotel. It's nice everything is so close to the hotel. The food was really good but the service was slow. If we ever come back I would try it again to see if maybe the service might be better. We decided we needed some dessert so ate gelato at Gelato di Carlotta. Great gelato and I would come back here just for the gelato. We were back to the room by 9pm as it had been a long couple of driving days to get here.
Day 2 Photos
Day 2 Photos
October 7, Day 3, Niagara Falls, Oakes Garden, Wineries, and the Theatre
This was a whirlwind of a day. We started the day with the breakfast buffet provided by the hotel and it was scrumptious! The buffet included eggs, bacon, homemade french toast, granola, croissants, salmon and cold cuts, cheeses, and various breakfast rolls. It was quite a spread and varied from day to day, although this morning ended up being our favorite. We decided to drive to Niagara Falls and do the tourist thing from the Canadian side. It was amazing to see and we took way too many photos. We would have liked to see the falls from the American side also but Brad and Jane had been here before and they weren't really into doing the touristy stuff. If we ever come back we will definitely do the tourist stuff. Mike and I had a list of things we had wanted to do but since we were with other people we tried to be accommodating.
We decided to ride on the Hornblower, a Niagara Falls boat tour of the American, Bridal Veil, and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. We had bought ear buds so we could hear a little history of the falls but the noise of the boat crowds, and falls make it hard to hear so next time we will save our money and forget the earbuds. We were delayed a little bit from boarding the boat as Jane was having problems with her ear buds and had to go back and get a replacement for her original ones. Because of that we were late boarding and didn't have a great viewing area on the upper level of the boat. If we ever do this again we will get there early so we can a place on the upper level next to the rails. It was still a fun experience even though we stood behind quite a crowd of people. They had handed out pink rain ponchos to keep us somewhat dry on the tour so most of my pictures have a sea of red ponchos in them. We did get wet but that just made the whole experience that much more fun. Leaving the tour we walked through a nice big gift shop where everything is sold, t-shirts, sweatshirts, magnets, and lots of miscellaneous. Of course I couldn't leave without getting a Niagara Falls shirt, magnet, and sticker.
We decided to ride on the Hornblower, a Niagara Falls boat tour of the American, Bridal Veil, and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. We had bought ear buds so we could hear a little history of the falls but the noise of the boat crowds, and falls make it hard to hear so next time we will save our money and forget the earbuds. We were delayed a little bit from boarding the boat as Jane was having problems with her ear buds and had to go back and get a replacement for her original ones. Because of that we were late boarding and didn't have a great viewing area on the upper level of the boat. If we ever do this again we will get there early so we can a place on the upper level next to the rails. It was still a fun experience even though we stood behind quite a crowd of people. They had handed out pink rain ponchos to keep us somewhat dry on the tour so most of my pictures have a sea of red ponchos in them. We did get wet but that just made the whole experience that much more fun. Leaving the tour we walked through a nice big gift shop where everything is sold, t-shirts, sweatshirts, magnets, and lots of miscellaneous. Of course I couldn't leave without getting a Niagara Falls shirt, magnet, and sticker.
After our excursion on the boat tour we walked near the Niagara Falls area. It's a lot more touristy (Is that a real word? Oh well, I will continue to use it!) than I thought it would be and so am glad we are staying at Niagara on the Lake, which is a lot quieter area. We walked through the nearby Oakes Garden and it is a beautiful garden, a nice change from the crowds. |
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We were amazed there were so many wineries in this area until we heard the history of the vineyards. During the 1970s Canadian wineries began to successfully grow Vitis Vinifera (European grapes) and found that high quality wines could be produced if the vines were grown with reduced yields along with new trellising techniques. In the 1990s Canadian vintners successfully demonstrated that fine grape varieties grown in cooler growing conditions could possess more complex, delicate, and longer aging properties. And therefore, the climate here is ideal for growing grapes and producing fine wines. The Niagara region's temperatures are influenced by Lake Ontario, which acts as a hot water bottle in winter - raising winter temperatures on land from its summer-warmed waters. Vineyards benefit from the lake's offshore breezes, which are reflected back to the lake when they reach the escarpment, maintaining constant and active airflow. This circulating activity prevents cold air from settling in lower-lying areas during threatening periods of frost, and maximizes the moderating effect of the warm waters of the lake. In spring, breezes from its winter-cooled waters help to hold back the development of fruit buds until the danger of late spring frosts have passed. Lake Ontario also cools the summer air so that grapes do not ripen too quickly, and then keeps the fall air comparatively warm so that the first frost is delayed, thus extending the growing season. The length of the growing season varies. As in other temperate growing regions, each vintage varies depending on the season. Rain, humidity, cold, and drought can all limit the ripening period. The vine buds break open on average from late May to early June with harvest generally beginning in mid-August for French hybrids such as Baco Noir, and mid-September through October for varietals such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Franc.
We then stopped at Inniskillin Winery where we thought we would take a tour. However the tours were full and the wine was very expensive. We learned that the Inniskillin icewine is a very sweet, dessert wine. It is so expensive because the grapes are naturally frozen on the vine and picked when the temperature drops to -10 degrees C (14 degrees F). Only a few drops of the grape's nectar can be squeezed from each bunch which is then fermented to achieve the specialty wine known as icewine. We thought it was really good but most of it was out of our price range. Our next stop was at Peller Estates Winery. Their tour was sold out also so we made reservations for the next day.
Harbour House had complimentary wine tasting in their lobby each afternoon so we took advantage of that. The man serving the wine was from Peller Estates Winery. The wine was too dry for my tastes. We were given coupons for free wine tasting and 1/2 off of the tour price at Peller Estates. We always like a good bargain!
Tonight, we decided to go out to dinner and to see the play, Engaged, showing at the Royal George Theatre. Jane had already bought tickets for all of us for the theatre. We had quite a time deciding on the restaurant for dinner but finally settled on Grill on King Restaurant. I had a grilled chicken dish, Jane had a nice dinner salad and Mike and Brad had burgers. The guys said their burgers weren't so great but Jane and I enjoyed our meals. To make up for the guys meal we went to an ice cream shop and had dessert. We were disappointed with the play because it was hard to follow due to the strong Scottish accents of the actors. We walked back to the hotel misled by Jane. We decided not to follow Jane's directions any more. We weren't far from the hotel so just did some backtracking and we were back on track and back to our rooms for the night.
Day 3 Photos
Harbour House had complimentary wine tasting in their lobby each afternoon so we took advantage of that. The man serving the wine was from Peller Estates Winery. The wine was too dry for my tastes. We were given coupons for free wine tasting and 1/2 off of the tour price at Peller Estates. We always like a good bargain!
Tonight, we decided to go out to dinner and to see the play, Engaged, showing at the Royal George Theatre. Jane had already bought tickets for all of us for the theatre. We had quite a time deciding on the restaurant for dinner but finally settled on Grill on King Restaurant. I had a grilled chicken dish, Jane had a nice dinner salad and Mike and Brad had burgers. The guys said their burgers weren't so great but Jane and I enjoyed our meals. To make up for the guys meal we went to an ice cream shop and had dessert. We were disappointed with the play because it was hard to follow due to the strong Scottish accents of the actors. We walked back to the hotel misled by Jane. We decided not to follow Jane's directions any more. We weren't far from the hotel so just did some backtracking and we were back on track and back to our rooms for the night.
Day 3 Photos
October 8, Day 4, Fort George, Peller Estates Winery, and Games
We woke up to rain this morning so weren't in any rush to get outside. We took our time at breakfast a Harbour House, another good one, and by mid morning the sun was out. We drove to Fort George, the British fort that is across the river and upstream from the American Fort Niagara, that commemorates the War of 1812-a conflict between the United States and Great Britain and therefore Canada. The Niagara region saw some of the heaviest fighting during that war when Canada's very existence hung in the balance. The War of 1812 also marked the road towards peace and friendship that has lasted for over two centuries. We found Fort George very interesting and we were glad we had taken the time to visit here.
History: After turning over Fort Niagara to the Americans in 1796 in accordance with Jay's Treaty of 1794, the British began construction of a fortification on the west side of the Niagara River to secure their interests in Upper Canada. By 1802, the construction of Fort George was complete. The fort's outer defenses included six large bastions and a palisade wall encircled by a dry ditch. Log blockhouses, kitchens, a hospital, workshops, barracks, officers' quarters and a stone powder magazine were constructed inside the walls. During the War of 1812, the American campaign on the Niagara region focused on Fort George. On the morning of May 25, 1813, batteries at Fort Niagara and along the American side of the Niagara River unleashed a devastating artillery bombardment on Fort George. Almost every building within the fort was destroyed. Two days later, a large American invading force landed west of the mouth of the Niagara River. The town of Niagara was turned into a battlefield as the Americans pushed towards Fort George. British and militia forces put up stiff resistance, but were heavily outnumbered. Around noon, the order was given to retreat, and the British retired to Burlington Heights (located in present-day Hamilton, Ontario). The Americans held onto Fort George for nearly seven months, but failed to maintain a strategic foothold in Upper Canada following their defeats by the British at Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. By December 1813, the U.S. forces at Fort George had dwindled to a small handful of militia. After a scouting party encountered a large British reconnaissance force, the commanding officer at Fort George (Brigadier-General George McClure of the New York militia) feared an attack was imminent. On December 10, 1813, McClure ordered a retreat across the Niagara River. In addition, he ordered the destruction of the town of Niagara. When the British arrived, they were met by a horrifying sight, about 130 homes had been put to the torch and some 400 townspeople (mainly women, children and elderly men) were left without shelter. Fort George remained in British possession for the remainder of the War of 1812. The British Army eventually abandoned the fort. In the 1930's, Fort George was reconstructed to its pre-1812 appearance under the guidance of the Royal Engineers, and designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Today, visitors can tour the blockhouses where common soldiers and their families shared a cramped living space, or the officers' quarters where upper class English officers lived a much more elegant lifestyle. The stone powder magazine, which survived the Battle of Fort George, remains the oldest building in Niagara-on-the-Lake (and the oldest military building in Ontario). These buildings coupled with costumed interpreters and collections of historic artifacts help bring Fort George National Historic Site to life.
History: After turning over Fort Niagara to the Americans in 1796 in accordance with Jay's Treaty of 1794, the British began construction of a fortification on the west side of the Niagara River to secure their interests in Upper Canada. By 1802, the construction of Fort George was complete. The fort's outer defenses included six large bastions and a palisade wall encircled by a dry ditch. Log blockhouses, kitchens, a hospital, workshops, barracks, officers' quarters and a stone powder magazine were constructed inside the walls. During the War of 1812, the American campaign on the Niagara region focused on Fort George. On the morning of May 25, 1813, batteries at Fort Niagara and along the American side of the Niagara River unleashed a devastating artillery bombardment on Fort George. Almost every building within the fort was destroyed. Two days later, a large American invading force landed west of the mouth of the Niagara River. The town of Niagara was turned into a battlefield as the Americans pushed towards Fort George. British and militia forces put up stiff resistance, but were heavily outnumbered. Around noon, the order was given to retreat, and the British retired to Burlington Heights (located in present-day Hamilton, Ontario). The Americans held onto Fort George for nearly seven months, but failed to maintain a strategic foothold in Upper Canada following their defeats by the British at Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. By December 1813, the U.S. forces at Fort George had dwindled to a small handful of militia. After a scouting party encountered a large British reconnaissance force, the commanding officer at Fort George (Brigadier-General George McClure of the New York militia) feared an attack was imminent. On December 10, 1813, McClure ordered a retreat across the Niagara River. In addition, he ordered the destruction of the town of Niagara. When the British arrived, they were met by a horrifying sight, about 130 homes had been put to the torch and some 400 townspeople (mainly women, children and elderly men) were left without shelter. Fort George remained in British possession for the remainder of the War of 1812. The British Army eventually abandoned the fort. In the 1930's, Fort George was reconstructed to its pre-1812 appearance under the guidance of the Royal Engineers, and designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Today, visitors can tour the blockhouses where common soldiers and their families shared a cramped living space, or the officers' quarters where upper class English officers lived a much more elegant lifestyle. The stone powder magazine, which survived the Battle of Fort George, remains the oldest building in Niagara-on-the-Lake (and the oldest military building in Ontario). These buildings coupled with costumed interpreters and collections of historic artifacts help bring Fort George National Historic Site to life.
After touring Fort George we drove to the Peller Estates Winery for our wine tasting tour. It was very interesting and a repeat of some of what we already knew about how vineyards got established in the Niagara area and how icewine is made. The tour provided 4 wine samples, a visit outside to the vineyard, a visit to the Andrew Peller Barrel Cellar, and a visit to the 10 below room. The tour was all about tasting the wine and ended with a tasting of icewine in a -10 degree C (14 degrees F) freezer. Before we walked into the freezer they provided us with gloves and coats. I hesitated to wear clothes that someone had previously worn, but it didn't take long in the freezer before I was glad to have them. We didn't like very many of the wines but we really enjoyed the icewines. Once the tour was over we went to the store, sampled some more wines, and bought a few bottles of icewine. We are going to give Brad and Jane a bottle as thanks for their hospitality.
We ate a late lunch at Pieza Pizzeria. It was supposed to be real Italian but it was just so so. The salad was really good though. Seems like we have a theme going on at Niagara on the Lake, expensive meals but not great quality. Maybe we're too picky! After lunch we did a bit of window shopping. As maple syrup is supposed to be really good here, we bought a few bottles to take home for ourselves and the kids. We walked back to the Harbour House and decided to walk to the nearby river and took a few photos of Fort Niagara across the river in the United States.
We decided to go back to our rooms and rest and then go back downtown to an Irish Music Hall for dinner and entertainment. Unfortunately once we got there we realized there was a long wait before the entertainment would start. Instead we just bought sandwiches from a shop and walked back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the evening with Brad and Jane teaching us a card game, Hand and Foot. Sounds like we're old folks but it was a fun evening and the hotel allowed us to play cards in their dining room as long as we promised to pick up after ourselves.
Day 4 Photos
October 9, Day 5, Bikeride on Niagara Parkway and Theatre
For dinner we went to Niagara's Finest Thai Restaurant and going with our theme the service was excellent, and the food good but not outstanding. After dinner we went to the Festival Theatre to see the play, Alice in Wonderland. I don't think Jane and Brad enjoyed it as much as Mike and I did but we thought it was great! I would go see it again; amazing costumes, sets, and acting but what stood out the most was all of the theatre technology that was used. Multiple see through curtains were used to give different effects from floating on a lake, to Alice flying and growing, and the changes of the Cheshire cat. It was all great and we loved it. After the play we went back to the hotel. Tomorrow we will be leaving and will have two long days of driving ahead of us.
Day 5 Photos
October 10, Day 6, Our return from Niagara on the Lake to Ohio
We got up and had a quick breakfast at the hotel. As much as we have enjoyed the breakfasts we have had here we are getting tired of them especially since we're not big breakfast people. We decided to cross the border through Buffalo, NY. We declared the few items we bought while in Canada and were waved on into the United States. We bought gas at Angola, NY @ $2.37/gal and again at St. Mary's, OH @ $2.16/gal. We at supper at a local restaurant near Brad and Jane's lake home in Celina, OH. We stayed the night at Brad and Jane's and gave them a gift of the icewine we had purchased at Peller Winery.
Day 6 Photos
Day 6 Photos
October 11, Day 7, Our drive from Ohio to Home
We left Jane and Brad's at 6:45 am. Mike and I always like to get an early start and we knew we had about a 12 hour drive that day. We made good time and got home at 6:00 pm, gaining an hour because of the time difference. We drove through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. We bought gas at Effingham, IL @ $1.93/gal and Boonville, MO @ $1.93/gal with a late lunch stop at Wentzville, MO at Bandanas. Ending mileage is 89,890, trip total is 2,350 miles. It's been a great trip but it's good to be home!