Niagara Falls

When we last visited Niagara Falls in 2012 we were staying on the American side, mainly explored that area, and actually walked over the Rainbow Bridge into Canada.  That actually made for an easier experience than our experience in 2018.

This time we were staying in Canada, but quite a distance from the Falls, so we had to find a place to park before we could walk to the Falls and had to pay for the parking space.

Regardless of how you arrive, it is always awe-inspiring to see Niagara Falls and this time we got to let the kids experience the wonder as well.  We started out in the middle of the road actually when we finally managed to find parking.

Before too long we caught a glimpse of the American Falls.  Back in 2012 we took the Cave of the Winds tour (which we really enjoyed) and even took time to stand on the Hurricane Deck beneath the falls.

The kids were quite fascinated as this is definitely the largest waterfall they'd ever seen.  They're used to much smaller ones that we have hiked to in National Parks.

New this time were zip lines, which seem to be sprouting up everywhere.

We also spotted some of the tour boats down in the water.  Someday we might take a ride on one of those.

Here is a better view of the American Falls, which are wholly inside the United States.

This video gives you some sense of what it is like to be across the river from the falls.  FYI you can view it in fairly high quality as it was filmed on my iPhone 6 in 4K.

You can see a 360° view of the path to the falls here in Google Photos.  As we kept walking we got our first good glimpse of Horseshoe Falls.

For a while you can see both of the falls at the same time.

As you get closer you can see more and more detail, though there is definitely so much spray shooting into the air.

I find standing next to the edge especially awe-inspiring as you get just a bit of an understanding of how much water is pouring over every second.

I'll leave you with a video of Horseshoe Falls, over which pours 681,750 gallons of water per second, which means if you watch the whole video you've seen about 51 million gallons of water rush down.

You can view even more photos of our visit in this album.  Sadly this was our last major stop in Canada as we left the next day to head towards home.

~Matt

Niagara Butterfly Conservatory

The day after we strolled around Niagara-on-the-Lake we started out by visiting a maple sugar farm.  Not too much was happening, but the kids did get to try some maple samples and we picked up some containers of genuine Canadian maple syrup to enjoy later.  Our next stop was the Butterfly Conservatory and we had a great time there.

Located on the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, visitors to the Butterfly Conservatory are transported to a tropical paradise full of lush vegetation, trickling waterfalls and thousands of vibrantly coloured butterflies. Over 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species, call this beautiful space home. The self-guided walking tour of the Butterfly Conservatory begins with a short, informative video presentation.
--from Niagara Parks website

We parked in the nearest parking lot and walked towards the conservatory through the gardens.

That seem to have quite extensive botanical gardens as part of the local parks.

You can tell the conservatory building from a ways off due to the green-house like structure.

Admission wasn't too bad due to the exchange rate and the fact that all three kids were under six, so they were all free.

We spotted butterflies fairly quickly once the video was done and we were ready to begin our tour.

The foliage is quite lush, and I imagine it stays so year-round since the conservatory doesn't close over the winter.

Keep an eye out for insects in some places that you might not expect.

I liked the contrast of this butterfly against the red of the plants.

Plates of food were located at many different places and were usually hotspots of butterfly activity.

This one almost blended in to the background.

On the other hand this one definitely did not.

The plants were even growing up quite close to the ceiling.

Be careful where you put your hands.

The emergence chamber gave you a close-up view of the process of metamorphosis.

I spotted this bright orange one inside the chamber.

Here was another one almost blending in.

Amy didn't notice that there was one clinging to her back.

Waterfalls provided another great location for spotting multiple varieties.

While there were some stairs there were also plenty of ramps throughout the building.

And so many places there were beautiful contrasts of colors.

I especially enjoyed these flowers.

Again more contrast with the red plant material.

Palm trees are likely not very common in Canada.

I found this black and white butterfly quite fetching.

I was also pleased that I was able to take a number of very close shots (all of these photos were taken on my iPhone 8).

I really enjoy the effect of a time lapse photo of falling water.

These red flowers were very enjoyable.

I'm not sure how we found the exit, but somehow we managed.

Another one that refused to camouflage.

 One last photo before we left.

The gift shop included quite a number of gifts, especially those that were butterfly themed.

You can view more photos from our visit in this album.

~Matt

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Amy let me know before our trip that she had always wanted to go to Niagara-on-the-Lake as it looked like a wonderful town to walk through and visit.  Therefore when we decided to add Canada to our trip I made sure that we'd have time to stroll through the town.

Nestled in the corner of the Niagara Region just beyond Niagara Falls, the picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake epitomizes old town charm.

Known by the locals as NOTL, this must visit village is bordered on both sides by waterfront with arbour-framed streets among lush boulevard gardens.  Wander through the Heritage District as you discover whimsical boutiques, enthralling antique shops and delightful bistros - maybe even a horse drawn carriage or two.
--from Niagara Falls Tourism site

One of the first sights we saw while walking around the streets was this church that dates from 1835

After passing the church we walked past Simcoe Park, named for John Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.

As we crossed into the main tourist area we passed the Prince of Wales Hotel across the street.

The first building we walked into was a historic apothecary.  According to the historic plaque out front it is almost 200 years old.

Acquired by the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1969, the Niagara Apothecary is a fine example of a Confederation era commercial establishment and pharmacy.  Although the building probably dates to the 1820s, it was extensively renovated in 1866 when it was taken over by an apothecary.  At this time the Italianate windows were installed and the interior fitted up as a drug store.  Until it closed in 1964 it was one of the oldest and one of the longest continuously operating pharmaceutical practices in Canada.
--from Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada sign

The space with historic decorations intact is operated as a one-room museum from May to September each year.

This is a perfume dispensing machine from 1892 would give you a "Scent for a cent."

There are many displays under the counter glass all around the room that you can read as you wander through the space.

This is the earliest historic photograph of the building's interior.

In the road in front of the Old Court House is a clock tower, which I couldn't get a great picture of at first due to the sun.

The town's visitor center is located in the basement of the old court house.

After leaving I was able to get a much better picture of the clock tower.

We next visited a place called Cheese Secrets where we picked up some local cheese to try later.

Next we discovered an ice cream shop named Cows, which reportedly has Canada's best ice cream.

They also sold raspberry cordial from Prince Edward Island that we almost bought.

We next found a local gelato shop since we wanted to get a treat for the one kid that has dairy allergies.

I really liked their ingredients sign, very fun to read and clear in its presentation of information.

On our way back to our parking spot near Fort George we revisited Simcoe Park so that the kids could play.  Inside the park we discovered a statue of the before-mentioned John Simcoe.

I've never seen a parallel parking spacer quite like these markings before.

Finally we enjoyed these beautiful flowers shortly before we got back to our car.

If you're in the area during warm weather and enjoy walking around old towns definitely take a stroll around Niagara-on-the-Lake.

~Matt