15 Things to Do in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

September 7, 2011

Niagara-on-the-Lake, located on Lake Ontario near the US border is very popular with tourists and for good reason.

It’s accessible – being only 90 minutes by car from Toronto or 45 minutes from Buffalo if the border isn’t backed up. And it’s very pretty – almost surreal really with its storybook looking main street.

But there’s much more than meets the eye – and as a former resident of the town, I feel qualified to opine on all the great things to do in and around Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Fall is a particularly lovely time to visit – especially with the grape harvest underway.

Here is my list of 15 things to do in and around Niagara-0n-the-Lake.

IMG 0535 15 Things to Do in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario

Niagara Falls - the American side

  • Pack a picnic (you can pick up fixings on the town’s main street or at Kurtz Orchards or Walkers Farm Market, located along the Niagara Parkway) and find yourself a picnic table along the Niagara River. Enjoy the views over to the United States.
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Local fruit stand - perfect for picking up picnic supplies

  • There are fifty plus wineries stretching from Grimsby to Niagara-on-the-Lake covering the whole gamut from small, very personalized operations to those whose lifeblood are the tour buses. There are 18 wineries in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area alone so biking and visiting wineries can easily consume a few days’ time. If you are a serious oenophile then you might want to visit as many as you can and make it the real focus of your trip. Others might be happy just to tour a few of them, enjoy a meal and time a visit to coincide with music in the vineyard. Don’t miss the local specialty – ice wine, made from pressing frozen grapes.
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Grape vines growing beside Lake Ontario

  • Take in a play at the Shaw Festival Theater. The season lasts until the end of October. You can still catch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, My Fair Lady, Heartbreak House, Drama at Inish – A Comedy and several others.
  • Visit Fort George National Historic Site. During the War of 1812 it served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army. There are special events at the Fort throughout the summer including musket and military music demonstrations.
  • Head to nearby Queenston along the Niagara Parkway and take a guided tour of the Laura Secord Homestead. Laura Secord is famous for having had the courage and fortitude to walk 32 kilometers to warn the British of a surprise American attack during the war of 1812.
  • Check out the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum in the restored home of publisher William Lyon Mackenzie. It features exhibits representing 500 years of printing technology.
  • Wander through Niagara-on-the-Lake and admire the beautifully restored houses.
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Niagara-on-the-Lake main street

  • Head for the main street and join the throngs of tourists who head from store to store with mostly a glazed look in their eye. Try not to be like that. Engage the owners – as a previous store owner I looked forward to real conversations with visitors.
  • Interested in attending a winery cooking school? Strewn Winery, just minutes from town, offers a large selection of courses including culinary weekends from January until the end of November.
  • If you like the thrill of big water and fast boats then a ride on the Niagara River Jet Boat might be the perfect outing for you. Boats with 1500 horsepower engines take you for a 45-60 minute ride, depending on where you boarded, up the Niagara River to the gorge where the walls on either side of you reach 200 feet high. The trips go to about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) short of Niagara Falls, just before a section of Class 6 (huge, scary) water that is not navigable.
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Niagara River jet boat

  • Visit one of the spas at any of the signature Niagara-on-the-Lake hotels – like the Oban Inn, The Pillar and Post or the Queen’s Landing.
  • Go apple picking in the fall – a fun family activity. You’ll see plenty of U-Pick signs along the side roads.
  • And there’s always golf at the local 9 hole course with scenic views over Lake Ontario.
  • Excellent local dining is available at many of the wineries and all the major hotels; as well there are some good restaurants along the main street.
If you need more information on Niagara-on-the-Lake, the local Chamber of Commerce is a great resource. As well, I have a free downloadable biking guide of the area with everything you need to know to book your own trip.
Leigh McAdam
HikeBikeTravel
Photo credit: Jetboat, Main street

 

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Canada, Wine Tours and Tips | 4 Comments 

The Lamest Bike Tour I’ve Ever Taken

May 10, 2011

The lamest bike tour I’ve ever taken was in Mendoza, Argentina. Lame but very fun, though biking ended up playing a much smaller role than I anticipated.

We had three days to fill in Mendoza and we (two couples) all wanted to visit some of the world famous wineries. What better way than biking from winery to winery or so we thought.

Here’s how we started our day.

Chile Agentina 2011 Pentax 401 The Lamest Bike Tour Ive Ever Taken

Horse drawn carriage ride through the vineyards of Tapiz Winery

The plan was to start at the Tapiz Winery, ride two miles – yes, all of two miles – to the next winery – for another tour in 90 minutes time and then finish with a whopping 8 mile run on a flat bikeway to arrive at Bodega Norton - in time for lunch. You can imagine our stress levels.

The bike tour

You can’t just head out on a bike tour – even a 10 mile bike tour on flat roads lacking even a whiff of wind – without testing the bikes and choosing the right bike helmet. So we did that, got water bottles filled and then hopped in a horse drawn buggy for a tour of the vineyards. None of us had ever done this before so we all sported big grins and couldn’t believe our good luck that this was included in the price. It was all great fun – even if it was a tad hot – until the Bolivians wrecked it for us. They had the nerve to be out under a hot mid morning sun doing back breaking work, forcing us to think about how miserable their lives were. Especially when we saw their young kids too – though they were too young to be working. They probably consider themselves lucky to get a job that pays reasonably well by Bolivian standards but all we could think of was how much we took our lifestyle for granted.

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Bolivian grape pickers at the Tapiz Vineyards

After our horse and buggy tour it was time for a winery tour.

Chile Agentina 2011 Pentax 431 The Lamest Bike Tour Ive Ever Taken

Our amazing, fun loving & knowledgeable wine tour guide

I actually was a little uptight by the time we got inside the winery – because we were running behind schedule – and I hate to keep people waiting. Yet our guide was so enthusiastic and so much fun that we all decided we’d go with the flow, skip the second winery - thereby saving a few miles of cycling too – and aim to make it just in time to Norton’s for lunch. With that in mind, we got thoroughly into the wine tasting experience – tasting from big stainless steel vats, oak barrels and finally from the bottle.

Chile Argentina Jos 237 The Lamest Bike Tour Ive Ever Taken

John - smelling a Malbec - probably (Photo credit: Jo Beyers)

By now it’s almost noon and we haven’t even been on the bikes yet except to make sure the pedals turned. It was time to hit the road and head for Nortons. And what a lovely 40 minute bike ride it was – under a canopy of trees on a flat bike path with vineyards in the foreground and the Andes Mountains serving up an incredible background. And that folks was our bike tour. I think we might have cycled off enough calories to cover one of the wine tastings.

Chile Agentina 2011 Pentax 433 The Lamest Bike Tour Ive Ever Taken

A view of the Andes from the Tapiz vineyard

I couldn’t even tell you who the bike tour operator was but if this is the sort of bike touring that appeals to you – then I bet the place you’re staying in Mendoza can arrange it. I would have liked more miles – but therein lies the problem when a third party does the booking for you, and you don’t have a firm grasp of the language. Nonetheless, it was a super day, even if I find myself thinking of what a privileged life we travelers lead.

Other post from this trip you might enjoy:

Leigh McAdam

HikeBikeTravel

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Biking, South America, Wine Tours and Tips | 3 Comments 

Get Around Australian Wineries on Two Wheels

February 18, 2011

Get around Australian wineries on two wheels

If you fancy yourself a wine connoisseur, then you’ll already be familiar with all the delights to discover on a wine tour. With the perfect temperate climate, Australia is the world’s 4th largest producer of wine and is known for its delectable drops of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Shiraz – just to name a few. No visit to Australia is truly complete without a tour of one of its many wine regions – or all of them as a matter of fact!

While a wine tour offers plenty of fun, sampling a wide variety of wine poses one very important challenge – and that’s getting around. It’s not much fun to have a designated driver on your wine tour so many groups opt for tour operated charter buses to take them from cellar door to cellar door. However, others are discovering a more intimate way to travel – and that’s by bicycle.

From the breathtaking Yarra Valley of Victoria to the picture perfect vineyards of South Australia – there’s no better way to conduct your wine tour than on two wheels.

Barossa Valley, South Australia

Northeast of Adelaide is the beautiful terrain of the Barossa Valley – one of Australia’s most important wine production regions. The area is known for its unique varieties of reds, particularly Shiraz. You can also try the Riesling, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignons to round out your wine sampling experience. The best known producer of the region is Penfolds Grange – by far Australia’s most popular wine label; there are a number of private independent labels to try as well.

australia2 Get Around Australian Wineries on Two Wheels
Winery in Barossa Valley

Cycling is one of the best ways to get around Barossa with its winding country roads weaving through vineyards and villages. It also offers the perfect opportunity to pedal off your wine buzz before you arrive at your next destination.

The Barossa Valley is situated 60km from downtown Adelaide. Hire a bike from a local operator and spend a few nights in the area or book a day trip from your cheap accommodation. Adelaide also serves as a departure for daily bus tours for those that are less cycling inclined.

australia3 Get Around Australian Wineries on Two Wheels

Old underground cellar in Barossa Valley

Bike tours:

Visitors can book guided tours through Barossa Classic Cycle Tours for great all inclusive packages starting at $220 per person per day, which includes picnic lunch and a support vehicle to carry your purchases. Or you can hire your own bike and map out your own journey – the Barossa Valley Visitor Centre can give you suggestions on some of the best trails for cycling and walking in the area.

Yarra Valley, Victoria

The Yarra Valley’s cool climate offers some of the most unique wine varieties in Australia. If you love sparkling, pinot noir and chardonnays then you’ll love touring through the many wineries and cellar doors sampling all that this region has to offer. And it’s not just the wine that makes the visit worthwhile, there are plenty of art galleries, food tours as well as markets and quaint shops that provide a unique cultural atmosphere.

australia1 Get Around Australian Wineries on Two Wheels
View of Wine Field from Porch

Visitors can arrive and then hire a bike from one of the local operators. A must do is the Warburton Rail Trail, set against the breathtaking mountain backdrop of the Yarra Range National Park – it starts at the northern end of the Lilydale Station car park and ends at the village of Warburton.

The Yarra Valley offers visitors plenty of cheap accommodation. Melbourne is just 45kms west, which makes the Yarra Valley a perfect addition to your trip itinerary.

Bike tours:

Vine Tours Victoria operates a number of unique cycle tours in the Victorian region, including the Yarra Valley. The $165 guided day tour includes lunch and takes you through some of the best boutique wineries as well as some of better known labels like Killara Estate.

Have you ever been on a winery bike tour? Is it hard to stay on the bike?
This is a sponsored post written by Paige Green. She writes for quickbeds.com,  providers of cheap accommodation and hotel deals Australia wide.

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Accommodation (Hotels, B&B's, Inns & Other), Australia & New Zealand, Biking, Wine Tours and Tips | 2 Comments 

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