frommer's niagara 3e first chapter

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C O N T E N T S

LIST OF MAPS vii

1 THE BEST OF THE NIAGARA REGION 1

1 The Most Unforgettable NiagaraRegion Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

2 The Best Splurge Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . .2

3 Best Moderately Priced Hotels. . . . . .3

4 The Most UnforgettableDining Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

5 The Most RomanticNiagara Moments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

6 The Best Things to Do for Free(or Almost). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

7 Best Activities for Families . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 NIAGARA IN DEPTH 8

1 Niagara Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

The VQA Appellation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2 Looking Back at Niagara. . . . . . . . . . .12

History of Niagara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3 The Lay of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

The Niagara Escarpment. . . . . . . . . . . . 18

4 Niagara in Popular Culture:Books, Film & Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

5 Eating & Drinking in Niagara . . . . . .21

Cooler Souvenirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

An Olympic Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO NIAGARA 24

1 When to Go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Niagara Region Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2 Entry Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Passport Cards: The New Way to

Enter Canada for U.S. Citizens . . . . . . 29

3 Getting There & Getting Around . . . .30

4 Money & Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

5 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

What Things Cost in Niagara . . . . . . . 37

6 Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

7 Specialized Travel Resources . . . . . .38

8 Sustainable Tourism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

General Resources for Green Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

9 Special Interest Trips and EscortedGeneral Interest Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . .43

10 Staying Connected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44



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4 SUGGESTED ITINERARIES FOR THE

NIAGARA REGION 47

1 The Region in Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

2 The Best of Niagara in 1 Day . . . . . .49

3 The Best of the NiagaraRegion in 2 Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

4 The Best of the Niagara

Region in 3 Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

5 WHERE TO STAY 58

1 Niagara Falls, Ontario &New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Family-Friendly Sleepovers . . . . . . . . . . 652 Niagara-on-the-Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Just for Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

3 Wine Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

4 Welland Canal Corridor. . . . . . . . . . . .79

6 WHERE TO DINE 81

1 Restaurants by Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . .82

2 Niagara Falls, Ontario &New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Fallsview Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

3 Niagara-on-the-Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

High Tea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Cooking Up a Storm in Niagara. . . . . 98

4 Wine Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

A Private Dining Experience . . . . . . . .103

5 Welland Canal Corridor. . . . . . . . . . 105

Where to Stock Up for a Picnic— And Where to Enjoy It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

6 Fonthill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

7 WHAT TO SEE & DO IN THE NIAGARA REGION 108

1 The Top Attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Niagara Trivia—Facts and

Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Niagara’s Fury: The Creationof the Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Best-Value CanadianNiagara Falls Experiences . . . . . . . . . .112

2 Museums & Historical

Landmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

The Story of Laura Secord:It’s Not Just About Chocolate . . . . . .121

The Welland Canal Corridor. . . . . . . .123

Niagara Freedom Trail (Underground Railroad) . . . . . . . . . . .125

3 Galleries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1264 Niagara Falls for Thrill Seekers . . . 128

The Brave and the Foolhardy—Niagara’s Daredevils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

5 Especially for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

The Mystery of the Whirlpool—Solved! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

6 Parks & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Farm Living Is the Thing for Me . . . .138

7 Outdoor Pursuits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

8 Organized Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

9 City Strolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149



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Cycling Tour: Historical Niagara-on-the-Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Walking Tour 1: Niagara-on-the-Lake Shopping District. . . . . . . . .151

Walking Tour 2: Historic Downtown St. Catharines . . . . . . . . .152

8 THE WINE-COUNTRY EXPERIENCE 154

1 Introducing theNiagara Wine Region. . . . . . . . . . . . 154

2 Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

What Is an Appellation?. . . . . . . . . . . .157

Niagara Wineries in the U.S.. . . . . . . .159

Dine Among the Vines . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Never Drink & Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

3 Niagara Region’s Wineries . . . . . . . 165

Niagara’s Jewel—Icewine . . . . . . . . . .166

Affordable Icewine? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Serve Your Wine at ItsIdeal Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

Celebrity Wineries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

The Ins & Outs of Shipping

Wine Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

What Wines Should YouBring Home? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Microbreweries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

9 SHOPPING 185

1 The Shopping Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . 1852 Great Shopping Areas. . . . . . . . . . . 185

3 Malls & Shopping Centers. . . . . . . 188

Duty-Free Shopping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1904 Shopping A to Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

10 NIAGARA REGION AFTER DARK 202

1 The Performing Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

The Falls by Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206

2 The Club, Live Music &Bar Scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

3 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

4 Gaming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

11 SIDE TRIPS FROM NIAGARA 213

1 Port Colborne & theWelland Canal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

2 Hamilton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

3 The Artists’ Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

4 Niagara’s Culinary Trail. . . . . . . . . . . 225

12 FAST FACTS 227

1 Fast Facts: Niagara Region. . . . . . . 227 2 Airline, Hotel & Car RentalWebsites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232



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13 WINE 101 234

1 Introduction to Winemaking . . . . 234 Grape Varietals in Niagara’sWine Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

INDEX 239

General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Accommodations Index . . . . . . . . . . 244

Restaurant Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245



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• Visiting the F alls: It’s the je wel in thecrown and the unmistakable center of attention for visitors. You haven’t donethe Falls justice if you’ve only seen themonce. To see them in bright sunshine, with a “sunbow” in the mist, is one kindof thrill, but seeing the Falls illuminatedat night is a differ ent kind of beauty .My favorite views are the winter ones,

when nearby tr ees turn into ice sculp-tures fr om the spray , and, in par ticu-larly cold winters, an ice bridge forms. You can walk behind the F alls, gaze atthem fr om below on the Maid of the Mist, or fly over them by helicopter. Seechapter 7.

• Dining in Wine Country: With morethan 80 differ ent wineries, Niagara has

an embarrassment of gr eat wines. Thearea also offers some of the best diningin the countr y. A casual lunch on apatio terrace, with vie ws of the vine-yards and the lake—perhaps accompa-nied b y a chilled glass of the Rieslingthat Niagara does so w ell—is an ideal way to spend a summer afternoon. S eechapter 8.

• Walking Through the S pring B los-soms: B lossom Sunday is traditionally celebrated on the Sunday before Moth-er’s D ay, when the or chards ar e aliv e with color—iv ory, white, and pink from apple, cherr y, pear , apricot, andpeach blossoms. F ormal gar dens, likeQueen Victoria Park near the Falls, are

ablaze with tulips, daffodils, fo xglove,and muscari in the spring, and continue with vibrant colors right thr ough tofirst frost. See chapter 7.

• Immersing Yourself in H istory: Fo rtNiagara, F ort G eorge, O ld F ort E rie,and Fort Mississauga are testaments tothe War of 1812. A visit to one of theseforts will take you back in time. Lundy’s

Lane Historical Museum, like the Niag-ara F alls M useum, contains ar tifactsfrom that period, as well as a significantcollection of items fr om the early daysof the Falls. See chapter 7.

• Immersing Yourself in C ulture: Inaddition to the celebrated Shaw TheatreFestival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a vari-ety of niche museums abound, ranging

from a dollhouse collection to a print-ing museum, as well as artists’ galleries,like the Angie S trauss Gallery in Niag-ara-on-the-Lake. See chapter 7.

• Niagara Wine F estival and the H ar- vest Experience: There are more than100 ev ents including tastings, tours,concerts, ar tisan sho ws, and family entertainment as the area celebrates thegrape harvest in late S eptember. Many of the wineries are eager to welcome thereal aficionado to par ticipate in theharvest—especially some of the smaller wineries wher e much of the wor k of harvesting and sor ting the grapes isdone by hand. See chapter 7.

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• Harbour House Hotel (85 Melville St.,Niagara-on-the-Lake; & 905/468-4683; www.ontariosfinestinns.com): With its large, light-filled rooms in softcolors, H arbour H ouse pr ovides a

homey respite for the visitor . Breakfastis ser ved in the conser vatory, with thehotel’s famous homemade granola, anda complimentary tasting of local winesis ser ved at 4pm in the librar y lobb y.

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of the type of accommodations y ou canexpect to find in the town. It has a primelocation close to the theater , shops, andrestaurants, yet it’s on a quiet str eet stepsaway fr om S imcoe P ark and LakeOntario. Rooms are furnished in perioddecor, and a spacious v eranda runs alongthe fr ont of the house. The pr operty’shistorical secret is that it was the site of thefirst branch of the B ank of Canada—theoriginal vault (now restored) is still in thehouse. See p. 72.

• American Lo yalist P eter S ecord I nn

(215 C reek Rd., S t. D avids;&

905/262-1030): For an affor dable yet his-toric stay, book one of the two bed-rooms in this authentic stone housethat dates back to 1782, the oldest

home in O ntario. The spar kling-cleaninn comes with co verlets on the four-poster beds so white they almost hur tyour eyes, not to mention the polishedoriginal wide-planked floors. The inn isa short drive from both Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls. See p. 78.

• Three Forty G ate Bed and B reakfast (340 G ate S t., N iagara-on-the-Lake;

& 905/468-4319; www.threefortygate.com): You certainly don’t feel like you’resleeping in A unt M artha’s back bed-room when you stay her e. Three Forty

Gate is sleek and attractiv e, and within walking distance of the hear t of to wn. As a bonus, ther e’s a personal gr eetingfrom Trigger, the resident yellow Labra-dor retriever. See p. 73.

• De Luca’s Wine Countr y Restaurant (Niagara S tone Rd., N iagara-on-the-Lake; & 905/468-7900; www.tonydeluca.ca): This cozy little bistr o, with itslong windows looking out to the vine-yards, ser ves r egional cuisine full of honest flav ors. And each course is

enhanced with a suggested N iagara wine pairing. See p. 91.• AG (5195 Magdalen St., Niagara Falls,

ON; & 289/292-0000; www.sterlingniagara.com): Tucked inside the only boutique hotel in Niagara Falls is argu-ably the city ’s best r estaurant. Chef Cory Linkson creates traditional Frenchcuisine by harnessing the myriad flavors

of local ingr edients. An all-V QA winelist carries some ex ceptional offeringsfrom regional vineyards. See p. 84.

• Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine (61Lakeport Rd., Port Dalhousie; & 905/934-9797; www.treadwellcuisine.com):Voted one of the 10 best ne w r estau-rants in Canada the y ear it opened,

Stephen Treadwell’s Farm to Table Cui-sine is an homage to locality . His ele-gant cooking style is married beautifully to his commitment to using the freshestlocal ingredients. See p. 94.

• Elements on the F alls (6650 N iagaraPkwy., Niagara Falls, ON;& 905/354-

3631; www .niagaraparks.com): Chef Paul Pennock prepares inventive cuisinein a comfor table and r elaxing diningroom. But it’s the view here that counts,as you won’t find a better place to dinein style this close to the edge of theFalls. Even if you don’t have dinner, sitat the bar for a mar tini and tapas atsunset and watch the colors change on

the water. See p. 84.• Terroir La C achette (1339 Lakeshor e

Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake;& 905/468-1222): Although Terroir La Cachette ’scuisine focuses on r egional wines andingredients, the F rench Provençal stylethat Quebecois chef Alain Levesque hasperfected r emains at the hear t of the

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restaurant’s dishes. It’s a perfect partner-ship—French sensibilities and the bestlocal ingr edients. The dining r oomoverlooks the vineyards. See p. 102.

• Vineland Estates Winery R estaurant (3620 M oyer Rd., Vineland; & 888/846-3526): This was at one time theflagship winer y dining r oom, the one

that set the pace and style for many of the other wineries to follo w. I t is stillone of the prettiest places to dine in thePeninsula, especially outside on thepatio on a fine day . The menu is sea-sonal and local, and the vie ws of thevineyards, especially at sunset, ar eenchanting. See p. 102.

• Awakening to a P erfect View of the

Falls fr om Your Bed: The high-risehotels on F allsview Avenue in N iagaraFalls, Ontario, have spectacular views of the Falls from many of their rooms. Try the K onica-Minolta Tower Centr e, which has an angled floor-to-ceiling wall of windows and king-size beds, orthe Sheraton Fallsview Hotel & Confer-ence Centr e, which has stunning loft

suites with a two-story wall of windows.Order breakfast in bed, throw open thecurtains, and luxuriate in the spectacu-lar views. See p. 65 and p. 61.

• A H orse-Drawn C arriage Ride inNiagara-on-the-Lake: The historicalstreets are a picture-perfect setting for aromantic carriage ride in summer, whenthe gar dens and hanging baskets ar e

filled to o verflowing with color fulblooms, or on a crisp, sunny winter day,bundled up under a blanket. The guidesare kno wledgeable and enter taining.See p. 54.

• A Leisurely Meal on a Winery Patio,Overlooking the Vineyards: There is

no better way to dine than outdoors in

the fresh air. A summer br eeze, a glassof fine wine at your fingertips, and youramore—they all add up to a memorableexperience. Try Peller Estates on a sum-mer evening, where there are rosebushesat the end of each r ow of vines and theterrace twinkles with candlelight, orVineland Estates on a warm June after-noon, with the rolling vineyards spread

out before you. Some of the hotels andrestaurants in wine country will provideyou with a picnic lunch that y ou canenjoy in one of the many par ks. S ee“Dine Among the Vines” in chapter 6.

• A Concert Under the Stars in the Vine- yards at J ackson-Triggs: Each y ear thelineup of per formers gets better . S it inthe amphitheater , sip a glass of wine,

dine al fr esco at the casual mar ket grill,or just nibble some tapas and enjo y themusic of Canada’s best—Chantal Krevi-azuk, R ufus Wainright, B ruce Cock-burn, the Canadian Tenors, Colin James,and Jesse Cook to name a fe w who haveperformed here. See p. 208.

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• View the Falls from Both Sides of theBorder: The best views of the Falls areenjoyed in N iagara Falls, Ontario, butyou are free to str oll up and do wn thesidewalks along the N iagara Gorge on

both sides of the N iagara River to view both sets of falls. O n F riday, S unday,and holiday ev enings at 10pm fr omMay to S eptember, spectacular fir e- works light up the Falls. See p. 206.

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• Watch a Ship Go Through the Lockson the Welland C anal: Lock 3 andLock 7 ar e the best vie wing locations.See p. 123.

• Hike or B ike the B ruce Trail on theNiagara Escarpment: The Bruce Trailis an 850km (528-mile) meanderingpath o verlooking the N iagara Riv er.The trail passes thr ough countlessorchards and wineries, yet feels secludedand wild. Hikers can experience fantas-tic views, waterfalls, steep inclines, andlush fauna and flora. The southern ter-

minus of the B ruce Trail is located inQueenston H eights P ark. F ollow the white blazes as the trail winds along theNiagara Escarpment, a prominent ridge

that cuts thr ough the N iagara r egionfrom east to west. See p. 145.

• Taste W ine at a W inery T asting Room: Some wineries charge a nominalfee for each sample but will wave the feeif you buy a bottle of wine, and a fe w ask for a donation to charity . M any,however, ar e fr ee. Several of the small wineries have patios wher e you can sitoutside to enjo y your wine. S ome alsohave walking paths or ar e adjacent tothe Bruce Trail. See p. 165.

• Stroll Through the N iagara P arks

Commission Botanical Gardens: Thesegardens are open all year. The displays of flowers, shrubs, and trees are an inspira-tion to gardeners and a delight to ev ery-one who enters. See p. 136.

• Maid of the Mist (www.maidofthemist.com): One of the oldest tourist attrac-tions in North America, this is still themost popular activity for visitors to theFalls. Aim for one of the first sailings, which star t at 9am in high season, toavoid long lines, or wait for a late day sailing after 7pm, when the light issofter. Find a place on the upper deck if

you want the best views and if you don’tmind getting a bit w et. This is wher eyou will r eally feel the po wer of theFalls. The big blue raincoats will keepyou relatively dry. The Maid of the Mist tours start on both sides of the bor der.See p. 110.

• Cave of the Winds: A wooden boar d- walk takes visitors to the base of the American Falls, where they get up close with the F alls. S ouvenir non-slip san-dals and lightw eight r ecyclable rainponchos are provided. Tour hours havebeen extended so visitors can see thefireworks displays fr om vantage pointson the boardwalk. See p. 115.

• Niagara’s F ury: ( Table R ock, 6450Niagara Pkwy ., N iagara F alls, ON; www.niagarasfury.com): V isit TableRock for this ne w experience—the r e-creation of the bir th of N iagara, com-plete with the sights, sounds, andmovements of glacial action, as glacierscalve and water r ushes to cr eate theFalls. You’ll have a whole new apprecia-

tion for the F alls after y ou experiencethis 3-D sensor y-surround experience.Don’t miss the handmade chocolates atPop & Lolly’s. See p. 111.

• Butterfly Conser vatory: The conser va-tory, on the Niagara Parkway in Ontario,is a bright and airy rainforest-like environ-ment, with a multilev el pathway (strollerand wheelchair accessible) that winds its way through the lush foliage. Two thou-sand tropical butter flies, r epresenting 50different species, live freely in the conser-vatory. The trick is to walk slo wly andpause often, because the most r ewardingsights ar e usually found thr ough quietobservation. E ven boister ous kids will

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enjoy the soothing atmospher e of thismagical jungle. See p. 113.

• Carousel at Lakeside Park: One of thelargest and best-preserved examples of aLooff menagerie car ousel, the car ouselat Lakeside P ark on Lake O ntario inOld Port Dalhousie is a fantastic sight.Built in 1898, ther e ar e 69 car ouselanimals, arranged in four rings; and itcosts only a nickel a ride! See p. 132.

• Sheep at Featherstone Estate Winery: If you are visiting wineries in J uly andearly August, don’t miss a visit to Feath-

erstone. The vintners found a solutionto thinning the grape vines. F or 6 weeks, they send in dozens of contentedsheep to munch on the lo wer grapeleaves. Come watch and interact withthe wooly wor kers, as w ell as tr y the

winery’s excellent Black Sheep Riesling.See p. 178.

• Niagara F reefall I ndoor S kydiving (www.niagarafreefall.com): F or anextreme adv enture, consider flying without a plane. I n this wind-tunnelexperience, you can experience fr eefall,do tumbling tricks, and float on a cur-rent of air. The staff will train y ou andsupply the helmets and equipment.There’s also Laz er Ball and a climbing wall. See p. 134.

• Take a Ride on the O rchard Express:

Puddicombe Estate Farm invites kids totake a ride on a miniatur e train thattours the orchards, while the grown-upstry out the winery. There’s also a pettingzoo. See p. 134.

frommer's niagara 3e first chapter

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