Not long after I arrived in Niagara Falls I posted a picture of myself, and my aunt who lives in Connecticut sent me a text highly recommending that if I had the time to make my way to a town nearby called Niagara-On-The-Lake. Since I had the time I decided to make a day of it and head up there. I am so glad that I did!
As it turns out Uber is a great option to make your way there from Niagara Falls. It only cost me about $21 US each way and I had my own personal tour guide for the ride! On the way up the driver took a route along the Niagara River and pointed out some of the local attractions along the way. One the return journey the driver took me through the wine country, and it was a perfectly lovely ride. If you are wine drinker then you will love the Niagara-On-The-Lake area!
Once in town I set out exploring the many shops with unique items and searching out a location for lunch! A good meal is always the highlight of the day for me! There is one long main street through town with a couple of smaller streets that run parallel with a few more boutique hotels and shops.
Just off the center of town you will find residential areas with B&B’s and lovely vintage homes. I highly recommend strolling along the lovely tree lined streets.
A few short blocks from the center of town is Lake Ontario. I found Queen’s Royal Park with a gazebo to stroll through. On the other side of the lake you can see Old Fort Niagara on the US side. It was such a perfect time to visit with tulips everywhere you looked.
As I was wondering back into town I found a small restaurant set away from everything else called Zee’s Grill, so I decided to join them for lunch . The service was wonderful and the food was perfect. I tried the Lobster Mac ‘N Cheese Fritters and the Truffle Parmesan fries! Such a treat! And no I did not finish all the fries!
While chatting with my server at the end of lunch she asked me if I would be visiting the fort? I told her I had seen a sign for it on the ride in however didn’t really consider it. She advised me it was just at the end of the block and that she thought I might find it interesting. So off I went! A five minute walk away and I was standing in front of Fort George, a historic landmark from the War of 1812. The only original building left on the site is the Powder Magazine, which as it turns out was the only building not burned to the ground during an American attack! There are docents all around dressed in period clothes who can answer questions and tell you stories about the fort. This very nice young gentleman spent quite a bit of time with me in the Officers Quarters showing me the historical pieces and filling me in on a lot of the history. He pointed out the British officers uniforms which a local resident found going through old family possessions from the 1812 time period!
The Powder Magazine c. 1796
Original British Officers Uniforms c. 1812
On my return to the center of town I discovered the Prince of Wales Hotel. The hotel was built in 1864 and is still in operation today. Now, as a huge Disney fan you can imagine what seeing the building was like for me. I have often wondered if original examples the Victorian architecture used for Main Street USA in the Disney parks actually existed. I had never before run across the style in person and I was utterly delighted! My first thought was, “Walt Disney must have been here!”
So on the suggestion of my aunt I had a perfectly lovely day exploring this quaint little town. If you are in the Niagara Falls area do make Niagara-On-The-Lake part of your plans. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Billy's Travel Adventures 