Niagara Falls in the fall of 2018

Niagara Falls

Driving from Toronto to Niagara Falls was an enjoyable ride, the sun was out, and we left at a decent time when there was no traffic. On the way to Niagara Falls, you’ll see companies advertising on the side of the highway. The ads are intermingled with nature and very catchy. I am not sure if this is unique to Toronto, but it was pretty cool. There are several ways to get to Niagara Falls from Toronto downtown. You can take the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) or you can take a more scenic route through Hwy 81 and go through St. Catherine’s. I believe you can also go through Burlington which will eventually take you to QEW Niagara. I chose the scenic route because I wanted to stop at some wineries on my way to Niagara. This is a wine country and if you are into ice wine, then you want to visit this side of Canada. They make the best ice wine in the nation. I visited a few wineries and tasted about 3 to 4 white wines, 3 to 4 samples of red wines, 3 to 4 samples of white ice wine and 3 to 4 samples of red ice wine. It was a great day.

Sampling the different wines

Honestly, if I had the time I would have taken my time and not rush to Niagara. There is so much to see on your way to Niagara Falls from Toronto, but if you are like me and do not have the time, then you have no choice but to drive through and stop at those little wineries and sample taste what they have. There is much to see and do in the Niagara Peninsula, one of the richest areas in Ontario. Typically, the locals will tell you to plan for a few hours for the drive and that’s because they know driving two hours or less is not worth it when there is so much to see and do on your way to the falls. Spend some time and enjoy that drive, especially if you are taking the scenic route through wine country.  

Don’t forget to stop and spend some time in a little town called Niagara on the lake.

Niagara on the Lake

It is one of the oldest towns in Canada. It sits on the shores of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Niagara River, and it's known for its wineries and the summer Shaw Festival. It has so many shops, bars, and restaurants. You will find British type stores, soap stores, beer and liquor stores, gift stores, a Christmas store that is open all year round but only sells Christmas ornaments, a tea store, etc. There is so much to do in this little town and the people are so nice and friendly.

If history is your thing, then spend some time in Fort George national historic site in Niagara on the Lake. You can also drive to the other side of the falls and into the United States to visit Fort Niagara. These two forts have a lot of history. Too bad this is not a history blog, so I will keep it short. All I can say is, if you are visiting Niagara Falls, then these two forts are worth stopping by to visit.

You will find very many old and expensive houses, especially at Fort George, which has lots of old English-type houses.

What would you do when it is cold? Have you some tea in the McFarland house, a very interesting pre-1812-war building, now a museum and tea room.

This is one house where you want to stop to eat and have a drink. The McFarland House offers a wonderful environment in which to enjoy an excellent variety of teas. The glass-enclosed patio offers beautiful views of the Niagara River Parkway Trail, which is part of the Trans Canada Trail.

Next stop was Queenston Heights. Queenston Heights Park combines leisure and history in one scenic location. Just a short drive from Queenston Heights and along the Niagara Parkway towards Niagara-on-the-Lake you will see the famous Floral Clock, located north of the Botanical Gardens. The intricate designs on the face of the Floral Clock consist of up to 16,000 carpet bedding plants and are changed twice each year.

The planted face of the Floral Clock is maintained by Niagara Park’s horticulture staff, while the mechanism inside is maintained by Ontario Hydro. I am not too sure if it is meant to keep the right time, but it was not working when I was there.

A short drive from Floral clock you will get to the Whirlpool Golf Course, one of Canada’s most highly rated and renowned public golf courses. It is located in a spectacular setting against the backdrop of the Niagara River Whirlpool and Gorge. The Whirlpool Gold Course was my final stop before driving into Niagara Falls. It has been several years since I was in Niagara Falls. It has changed so much from the last time I was there; so many new restaurants and things to do.

There are lots of popular restaurants, bars, breweries, casinos, and entertainments for kids and adults.

The Fall itself is magical, you really need to enjoy every part of it.

The squirrels here are so used to humans that they would come up to you or pose for photos. It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen, but it was cute.

If you are visiting Niagara Falls in the fall like I did, then the festival of lights in the botanical garden is something you should go check out and enjoy.

If you are in Niagara Falls for a week or a few days and you want to venture out and see other cool towns, then I recommend Chippawa, about five minutes away from Niagara Falls. It is a very small village with 8 churches and about 8 bars. My friend said it is known as the town of partying and repentance.

Driving to Buffalo, NY from the Niagara Falls area was a really cool ride. We took a more scenic route and went through Niagara Parkway. There were lots of big and expensive houses along this area.

Conclusion

This blog is not meant to be a blog about what to do in Niagara Falls, but it was just my own experience visiting this part of Canada during the cold month of November in 2018. If you are visiting Toronto and Niagara Falls and will be traveling back to the United States after your visit, I will recommend you do Niagara Falls last and then take a taxi from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, NY and catch your flight from Buffalo. It is so much cheaper than flying from Toronto and the airport is closer than driving back to Toronto. There are many taxi services that will take you to the airport for about $50.00 to $70.00 USD. You can even get an Uber. If you have time, then you can get a greyhound or mega bus for as low as $12.00.