Niagara Falls in a Day

There’s a goofy song that led me to go to Canada.

The promise of higher beer ABVs up north got me thinking I needed to go to Canada. I was super excited just to be able to say I had traveled outside of the US, that I sang a made up song about going to Canada for weeks before we went. The Niagara Falls & Toronto (read about our Toronto visit here) area was close enough that we could drive from Virginia. That really meant Mr. PC drove while I navigated and tuned the radio. On that back roads of western Pennsylvania and New York we discovered a glorious thing – Tim Horton’s. We don’t have those in Virginia. I didn’t know pretzel bagels even existed. Over the next several days I had at least one a day.

Logistics

Crossing into Canada was no big deal, and neither was driving there. The only difference is, that instead of miles, everything is in kilometers. Most cars have a kilometer scale on their speedometers. When we got into Niagara Falls we stopped off a the Fallsview Casino to exchange our money. We got a better rate there than we would have at the bank. We dropped a few loonies in the slots and headed out to view the water. With another pretzel bagel in hand, of course.

The Main Attraction

The falls were absolutely beautiful. The mist and breeze coupled with the roar of the falls to remind you how incredibly powerful water can be. There were several walkways that we meandered up and down, soaking it all in. Hotels surround the falls with many boasting rooms and restaurants with aerial views of the water.

It was chilly at night, even though it was summer. Take a hoodie to snuggle up in. Once the sun sets the falls are colorfully lit, which you don’t want to miss. It’s the perfect ambiance for a romantic evening stroll. The couple that rocks college hoodies together, stays together.

The falls were cool, I’m glad I’ve seen them, but the wine is what I want to go back for. The nearby town of Niagara-on-the-Lake wasn’t even on our radar or part of the plan, but our hotel included tastings for 3 wineries there. Pass up free wine? Nope. Never. Not this couple. Plus it was on the way to Toronto.

Other Area Stops

There are tons of wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Along every road was a vineyard. We stopped at Peller Estates, Trius Winery, and Joseph’s Estate Wines. Icewine was big here, made with grapes left to freeze on the vine before fermentation. It’s deliciously sweet and viscous, but also quite pricey. We enjoyed all of the non-icewine too!

The falls were tremendous, but the touristy jungle surrounding it wasn’t our style. I wish we had stayed at a cute Airbnb in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a few days and drank more wine. It’s definitely on my list of places I want to revisit.

Do you have a favorite winery in the area?

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