Spotlight on Niagara

By Lin Jenkins
Owner, GoldAllianceTravel.com

My husband and I celebrated our first year of marriage in early September 2008, and decided to take a car trip up to Niagara Falls, ON and Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL). When we originally planned this weekend getaway, I was a bit apprehensive about the Nigara region as I had previously only experienced rather seedy portions of the US-side. To my surprise, we stayed at the Sheraton Falls View in a very nicely appointed suite on the 17th floor directly overlooking the falls. Although the Ontario side also has a seedy section (don't miss the criminal wax museum!), it also caters to those looking for a more upscale experience, and has beautiful parkways and well-landscaped outdoor areas for viewing the falls. The first night we dined at the Falls View restaurant in the hotel, and had a very tasty meal at a candlelit table with panoramic views of the falls. The next day we did the obligatory souvenir shopping on Falls Ave. and then ventured out to NOTL, a charming town in Ontario wine country which is only a one-half hour drive by car from Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada.

The drive to NOTL is breath-taking, with lovely vineyards and beautiful bed and breakfasts along the way. We made a mental note on our next trip up to stay at the Riverbend Inn, a secluded country inn nestled in its own vineyards along the Niagara River Parkway. Stops at the Butterfly Conservatory and Niagara Parks floral clock are nice diversions from the winding drive.

We reached NOTL mid-morning and were stunned by all the charming shops lining Queen Street. NOTL is truly a shopper's paradise! Find finely crafted clothing, jewelry, art and culinary treats. One of our favorite shops was "Irish Design", where you will find a beautiful array of Irish woolens for both men and women. A close second was "Greaves Jams & Marmalades" which has been making yummy all natural jams since 1927.

After a morning of shopping, we stopped at "Ristorante Giardino" for a fabulously fresh taste of northern Italian cooking to refuel before making the drive back to Niagara Falls. Overall, this was a nice weekend getaway and a highly recommended destination for your next trip.