Absolutely one of the best 18 hole miniature golf course I’ve ever played. It was one of those hot and humid days where you just didn’t want to leave the refreshing cool air inside the car to venture out, however our visit to Adventure Village was put off the last two times we planned a visit, due to poor weather conditions and nothing was going to stop us having a great time today. I just wished I had on shorts instead of the jeans I was wearing. Our girls were a bit smarter and dressed cool and with a good dose of sunscreen on, we were off to challenge the 18 hole mini putt golf course, climb the 24 foot rock wall, hit some balls at the batting cages, toss and twirl on the bungee trampoline and finish off with a crash derby on the Krazy Kars bumper cars.

It was around noon when we arrived and the miniature golf area was just starting to get a bit busy, so we opted to start off our day at the batting cages. With the long winters we have, this heat wasn’t going to keep people from enjoying the summer. I had never played baseball nor have I ever hit balls in a batting cage before, so Andrew was going to be our guinea pig. I was allowed behind the machine that delivered the balls, so you can see a few action shots in the picture gallery below. Basically you grab a bat and helmet and go into the designated enclosed area to start hitting the balls. The system is fully automated and delivery of the ball makes for an excellent opportunity to really pound away at the balls. Great for fine tuning your technique and hitting power, but controlled enough that anyone can safely hit some balls.

* There are 4 slow softball, 1 medium softball, 1 fast softball, 1 medium baseball, 1 fast baseball, 1 very fast baseball batting cages. Safe for everyone over 4 years old and a great way to get that extra practice.

We then headed over to the Bungee Trampoline which seems to be fairly new as I don’t recall this being here when we visited a couple years back. Tehya being a former provincial level gymnast and current competitive cheerleader, she was eager to give this a try. After being weighed in (yes you have to get on a scale – there may be weight and height restrictions) you’re securely harnessed in and then elevated a bit via the bungee cords and off you go. With the help of the assistant (he adds extra weight as you bounce to really propel you up) , you really start going high and you’re free to do tricks you’re comfortable with. If I were to guess I’d say Tehya reached heights over 25 ft in the air and from the pics you can see all the flips etc she was doing. As we looked on, we could tell that it was fun and something you must try when you visit Adventure Village.

With the heat and humidity (felt like 44 C) we had to take a break to get hydrated a bit, after which we headed over to the rock climbing area. Both Andrew and Kieana got strapped in and after a quick “how to” by the attendant, they began their climb. The route starts off easy and the more you move around the wall in a clockwise direction the hard the route got. Again, a fun event with just as much excitement for us on the ground as onlookers. You could see them struggle as they tried to navigate their way up and as the beads of sweat trickled down their faces, you could see the true determination to reach the top. This attraction is safe for all ages, as you’re secured via ropes and a harness system and the attendant is there with you every step of the way. On coming back down you could tell that Kieana was tired as her legs jiggled under her and she landed up on the ground on her bum. Laughter broke out from us in the peanut gallery and it was all in good fun.

Break two not only included cool drinks, but this time we were attracted by the scent of grilling and deep frying from Big Al’s Cookhouse , so we took a longer break than the last and enjoyed some burgers and poutine. There’s a fairly good menu to choose from and the food to my amazement was much better than I expected. There”s a a huge outdoor seating area where you can kick back and relax while enjoying any of the meals they have on sale. The food is reasonably priced and quite tasty as I mentioned. (good buy are the combos and monthly specials)

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It was now time for the real challenge. 18 holes to prove who’s the best mini putt golfer in the family and we all had our game faces on. We can be very competitive family, but by the time we hit hole 13 the heat had taken it’s toll on us. If you’re looking for a course that attractive, well maintained and challenging, but well suited for any age  or skill level, this one is for you. Without a doubt, this course is the best I’ve played in Southern Ontario.

“An elaborate multi-level 18 hole miniature golf course built over two acres of rapids, waterfalls, shipwrecks, and a train trestle. Every hole provides you with a little history of Southern Ontario and a different challenge.”

The winner this day will remain anonymous as the heat forced us to call it a draw! We’ll be back for another round next week to finally prove who’s the champ!

Our day ended at the Krazy Kars bumper cars area where the cars can actually go 360 degrees and there are no poles attached, so you can really enforce a good pounding on others. With all the harnesses etc we’ve seen in use at Adventure Village we could clearly see that personal safety is one of their main concerns and they work very hard to maintain a safe and enjoyable park for visitors. That said… you’re once again harnessed (strapped) into the cars, then when it’s safe you’re given the green light to start using levers to control your direction and speed. As with everything at adventure Village, the Krazy Kars can be maneuvered by just about anyone. So kids (and big kids) can have the same amount of fun and not worry about anything being complicated to use.

Overall we had an excellent time and if not for the blistering heat we would have tried the out door laser tag and the arcade room as both areas also seemed like tons of fun. For the younger kids, there’s Big Al’s Mining Camp, where kids can experience the excitement of panning for semi-precious gemstones in a sluiceway of rushing waters similar to the Alaska gold rush days.

Adventure Village
580 Van Wagners Beach Road
Hamilton, Ontario L8E 3L8

Toll Free: 1.800.387.8727
Telephone: 905.549.9444

What a great place to come with all your friends and family. Adventure Village is a great place to go for a great school trip, church picnic, camp outing, or let the whole office unwind at the end of a busy day! they cater to:

* Company Outings
* Camp Day Trips
* Team Parties
* School Trips
* Church Picnics
* Senior Outings

For up to date info on pricing and time of operation, check out the links below:

Hours: http://www.adventure-village.com/hours.html
Price List: http://www.adventure-village.com/price_list.html

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NOTE: Special thanks to Denise Ralph and her team at Adventure Village for extending this invitation and for making us feel so welcome.

Don’t forget to leave us your question or comments in the area provided below for commenting. We’d love to get your feedback on Adventure Village. Additionally, we’d love for you to join us on facebook as we’re building one of the largest groups dedicated to all things “Ontario” Click on the image below to be part of this select group on face book.

If you’d like to feature your business or service on Ontarioalive.com or if you’d like to be a reviewer, please contact us today. We’d be happy to accommodate you at our earliest convenience. If you have videos of things that were done in Ontario, we’d love to feature them on the site. Do contact us.

It’s like exploring an enchanted forest with streaks of light forcing it’s way through the lush canopy of trees and spring wild flowers stretching out of the ground in an attempt to catch every second of these rays of sun from above. On our way back from St Jacobs we decided to explore the trails at Hilton Falls, as we had not done anything outdoor related for the season and we all know how fast this wonderful warm weather can be transformed into bitter wintery conditions.

Marko and Toni are very active and have been doing walks, mountain biking and other trails in the area, so I assumed they were better prepared for the hike. However Caron and I have been couch potatoes the past few months and though we consider ourselves outdoor people, in reality the closest we’ve come to doing something like this would be watching an episode of Survivorman on tv. Hey, but at least if we got lost I’d put my fire starting skills that I learned from Les Shroud to good use.

Trail Guides For Ontario Trails.

The conservation area at Hilton Falls is about 1592 acres and is a hub of activity all year for outdoor enthusiast who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, skiing and snowshoeing on it’s 33.5 kilometers of overlapping trails. The trails are all colour coded and very easy to identify with the colour tags that are posted along each route. Here’s a list of the trails that can be explored:

Hilton Falls Trail (Yellow Marking) - 4 km – Takes about 1.5 hrs Hiking or 1 hour skiing (This is the trail we did – more on that later)

Red Oak Trail (Red Marking) – 3 km – Takes about 45 minutes hiking or 30 mins skiing.

Beaver Dam Trail (Orange Marking) – 9 km – takes about 2.5 hours hiking or 2 hours skiing.

Bent Rim Trail (Green Marking) – Biking -  5 km – takes about 1.5 – 2 hrs.

Single Track Mountain Bike Trail (Blue Marking) – Biking 7 km - takes about 1.0 -1.5 hrs

Wandering Lynx Backcountry Trail System (Brown Marking) – 6.5 km for biking and takes about 1-1.5 hours.

Then there’s part of the famous Bruce Trail (725 km) which follows the Niagara escarpment from Georgian Bay to the Niagara river and is marked with white painted blazes on the trees.

As you enter the conservation area you’ll be required to pay an entry fee (see link below for current prices) which goes directly to the upkeep of the conservation area. However in my humble opinion – it’s priced too high. With all we see, hear and read about being fit and enjoying the outdoors etc, and the fact that we pay so much taxes in Canada, this should be cheaper. Marko gets the yearly membership for all the conservations in the area, so we didn’t have to pay this day. After you check through the gates you’re given (be sure to ask) a map of all the trails and then head over to the designated parking area, which is free.

Not only did Marko (our trail leader for the expedition) choose what turned out to be the shortest and easiest trail for us, it was the most scenic. It gave us an introduction into the trails at Hilton Falls, without having to worry too much about our physical capabilities as confessed couch potatoes. The trails does have old logging roads through them, so in the event of an emergency I assume it would be fairly easy for rescue to get to you. The mixed forest would have seen better days prior to the forestry that occurred here years ago, but it’s still teeming with life, both flora and fauna.There’s wooded swamps, beaver ponds, stream, wetland pools and brush. As an avid gardener I was amazed at the wide assortment of wild ferns and the moss covered rocks were absolutely stunning.

The prize view this day had to have been the  intrinsic beauty of the 10 metre waterfall that cascades over the Niagara Escarpment like a sheet of water glistening with the rays of the midday sun and the mysterious mill ruins that can be seen to the left side of the pool that formed at the bottom of the falls. Kids will be kids, which would probably explain the teenage girls (in dresses) that were allured to take a dip in the cool water, this warm and humid day. Quite honestly, I wished I had packed my swimming shorts as well. That water looked absolutely refreshing as well as the rush of water pouring off the top tempted me to come stand below it’s flow.

Here are some of the pictures I took along the way. Pay attention to the rock formation (hole carved in the rock-bed) that was formed during the ice age I believe and you’ll also see a couple pics of the dam that was built back in the 1970′s to help control flooding in the area.

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The trail itself is fairly easy to navigate and I would recommend this one is you’re just starting off hiking or if you’re doing this as a family with younger children. Iit’s short, not too demanding physically, marked, there are benches along the way if you need to take a breather and depending on the time of the year you go, you’ll even come across raspberries in fruit! I did notice a sort of outhouse bathroom setup and at the top of the falls, there a picnic area where I did see a campfire lit. Do pack water, sun block and your camera.

Hours of Operation

Park entrance gates open daily at 8:30 a.m. all year round.

Park entrance gate closing times vary by season and are as follows:

June/July/August – 9 p.m.
September/October – 7:30 p.m.
November/December/January – 5 p.m.
February / March – 6:30 p.m.
April/May – 7:30 p.m.

Please note facilities and activities begin at varying times during these hours.

For Current Pricing: http://www.hrca.on.ca/ShowCategory.cfm?subCatID=1292

Hilton Falls Contact Information
Tel: 905.854.0262
Fax: 905.854.2303

Address: 4985 Campbellville Sideroad Milton, ON

Mailing Address: 2596 Britannia Road West Burlington, ON L7P 0G3

Email: Hilton@hrca.on.ca

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Don’t forget to leave us your questions or comments in the area provided below for commenting. We’d love to get your feedback on the Trails at Hilton Falls. Additionally, we’d love for you to join us on facebook as we’re building one of the largest groups dedicated to all things “Ontario” Click on the image below to be part of this select group on face book.

A couple weeks ago we took our yearly drive down the 403 to the Hershey Center for the Cheer Alliance Nationals (cheerleading competition) and this time I brought along my camera and note pad. I figured that I would do a review on the Hershey Center while I took a break from the non-stop techno music and hundreds of screaming cheerleaders.

Basically the Heshey Center is a multi event facility in Mississauga Ontario that can hold about 5,000 (my guess) patrons in the stands very comfortably, with great sight lines due to it’s intimate feel from it’s average size and rather comfortable seats (for an arena). However if you’re taller than 5 ‘ 10″ you’ll find that the seats can be a bit cramped. Like other such facilities there’s fully stocked concessions with a good selection of fast/street food (see pics below).

The location is perfect since it can be accessed from 3 main highways; the 403, 401 and QEW depending where you’re coming from. Parking is not a problem, since there’s free ample parking surrounding the venue.

There are several hotels that are quite conveniently located near the Hershey Center. They include:

Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West/ Mississauga
1870 Matheson Boulevard
Mississauga, ON L5W 0B3
Phone: 905-361-6300  Fax: 905-361-6305

Best Western Toronto Airport West
5825 Dixie Road Mississauga, ON L4W 4V7
Phone: 905-670-8180 Fax: 905-670-8083

Monte Carlo Inn- Airport Suites
7035 Edwards Boulevard Mississauga, ON L5T 2H8
Phone: 905-564-8400  Fax: 905-564-8400
Courtyard by Marriott Mississauga Meadowvale
7015 Century Ave Mississauga, ON L5N 4K2

Residence Inn by Marriott Mississauga Meadowvale
7005 Century Avenue Mississauga, ON L5N 7K2

Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre
6750 Mississauga Road Mississauga, ON L5N 2L3

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If you’re planning a trip to the Hershey center, here’s the info you’ll need to get there:

HERSHEY CENTRE
5500 Rose Cherry Place
Mississauga, Ontario
L4Z 4B6

For more information call:
Phone: 905-502-9100
Fax: 905-615-3302

Final Thoughts. A wonderful venue that’s very easy to get to, there’s ample parking and it’s well maintained. The concessions does offer some variety, but a bit expensive but that’s the norm when visiting these sort of multi-purpose venues.

If you’ve been to the Hershey Center or planning a visit  we’d love to get your feedback. Please leave us your comments below, in the area provided.

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There’s nothing better than the joy and taste you get from vegetables that you grow yourself. However if you live in an apartment building, townhouse, condo or maybe your backyard just does not have the room, having a garden of your own can be a challenge. Many people do resort to container gardening from their limited spaces, but you’re still limited to the few containers you may have space for.

From a boy I’d always love to garden (I guess this stems from seeing my parents busy at work in our little kitchen garden), but living in rental units and town houses I never had the space to do so. About 8 years ago I found out that the City of Hamilton rented gardening plots to residents and I grabbed the opportunity to get one every spring since then.

This year I opted for a plot at the Churchill Park Community Gardens which I started to work a few days ago.

If you live the City Of Hamilton and you’d like to grow some fresh vegetables, you’re in luck. But as I learned this year, you must act fast to secure a plot. I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that we’re in a recession and people are trying to save (by growing their own vegetables) or if people are just looking for a way to spend time with the family and grow their own organic produce, but these plots sell out FAST! In previous years, there were always plots left back that you could grab at the last minute.

Churchill Park Community Gardens 85 Oak Knoll Drive

The Community Gardens are an exciting approach to gardening without pesticides. If you are interested in growing your own vegetables and herbs, want to discover an excellent source of exercise and meet new friends that share the same passion for gardening – join us in the community gardens! It is managed by the Public Works Department, Forestry & Horticulture Section for the City of Hamilton.

The garden plots are available from May to late September, but you must reserve the plot as early as you can, since as I mentioned above they get taken fast. In late Winter or early Spring complete the application form and send it in with your payment. Then a 4×5 meter plot will be assigned to you. If you have an idea of which plot you’d like to reserve, do mention so in the application form.

The plots at Churchill Park comes  roto-tilled and you do have access to a tool shed where you have access to many of the tools necessary for gardening. The thing that I like best about the plots at Churchill park is that is fenced in (protect your produce from thieves and animals) and there’s a built-in sprinkler system. This means that even when you go away on that family trip during the summer, your garden will not go thirsty!

The Churchill Park Community Gardens are located on the Hamilton Aviary compound, so your kids will have a great time interacting with all the birds when they get bored with the chores of gardening. The entire compound is open from 8 am to 8 pm daily.

For more information about the Community Gardens Program, contact:
Beth Wheaton, Business Initiatives Coordinator
Phone: 905.546.2424 x 4819
Fax: 905.546.3972
Email: beth.wheaton@hamilton.ca

Note: These pictures were taken in early Spring when most people are just starting to put in their plants. I will try to update this post later in the season to show you what it looks like in full bloom.

To be a teen again! We had moved to Canada in the fall, so dealing with my first experience with a Canadian winter was quite an ordeal. I recall listening to my cousins speak about how nice it is in the warmer months and how excited they were to take me to the “wave pool”. Before that time came around, I remember one weekend they mentioned that we were going to the beach. Beach? I did pretty good in “Canadian geography” in school so I knew I had to be either on the east or west coast to see a beach. Ontario is packed with lakes and little did I know, they meant lake when they said ‘beach”. I still remember my legs going numb as I entered the water at their “beach”. Cruel joke!

But what fun did we had at the wave pool… they had to promise me it wasn’t just another lake they were taking me the first time we went that year.

Located in Confederation Park, just off Centennial Parkway in Hamilton, Wild Waterworks offers a perfect place to spend a summer day. Ride the four tube slides Night Rider, Blue Demon and Vertigo and Sidewinder, new in 2008. Go solo or with a friend!

The fun continues with the heart-pounding twists of the Corkscrew and the Kamikaze – the park’s six-storey body slides, also revamped in 2008.

Move on and surf the waves in Canada’s largest outdoor wave pool. Over a million gallons of heated water splash down every minute.

Toddlers will love Little Squirt Works, a fun wading pool with computer-controlled sprays, mists and fountains.

Please note the following height restrictions on the waterslides:

Night Rider, Blue Demon, Vertigo and Sidewinder Tube Slides: 47 inches (119.38 centimeters) or successful completion of a swim test.

Body Slides (Kamikaze and Corkscrew): 42 inches (106.68 centimeters).

Where?

Wild Waterworks in located in Confederation Park, To get there, take the QEW to Hamilton and exit at Centennial Parkway (Highway 20).  Turn North towards Lake Ontario and follow the signs to Confederation Park.

Wild Waterworks Main Number 905-547-6141 or 1-800-555-8775, ext. 5007

Costs?

General (ages 11 to 64) $23.10
Children (10 and under)/Disabled $15.10
Senior $19.10
Children 3 and under FREE FREE

Sun Down Rates:

General (ages 11 to 64) $12.00
Children (10 and under)/Disabled $10.75
Senior $12.00
Children 3 and under FREE

A parking fee of $9.50 per car also applies.

*Sundown Rate , Based on hours of operation. Sundown rate starts at 4:00 p.m. when the park closes at 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. when the park closes at 6:00 p.m.

Tube and Lifejacket Rental

Tube per day (includes $2.00 refundable deposit): $10.00

Tube (sunset special after 4:00 pm): $7.25

Lifejacket per day (includes $5.00 refundable deposit): $7.00

Lockers

Per opening $1.00

Daily rental (includes $3.00 refundable deposit): $7.00

Locker opening if key is lost: $5.00

For more information on Wild Waterworks in Confederation park, Hamilton including hours of operation : Wild Waterworks Hamilton Hours Of Operation 2009. Make it a great summer!

Absolutely nothing beats the view and excitement you get from this bird’s eye take of the falls in Niagara. There’s the “Behind The Falls”, “Maid Of The Mist” and the various viewing areas where one can still be amazed with the splendor and beauty of the falls. And to be quite honest, I was very happy experiencing the falls from any one of those options mentioned above.. Until!

On our last day in Niagara Falls I had secretly booked a tour of the area on a helicopter as a surprise to everyone. Everyone thought we were heading home, until we drove pass the Great Wolf Lodge (in another post soon) and made a left turn into the compound of Niagara Helicopter Tours. Seems Caron and the girls thought that I was just hopping out to get some info from the information desk. Nope! We’re going on one of those helicopters you guys have been watching take off and land.

Before I continue I must let you know that it’s a bit pricey. I don’t recall how much we paid, but if you use the contact information mentioned below I’m sure you can get a price quote from their information desk. Plus, with prices changing everyday, I’m sure their prices would have changed.

You’re directed to a “holding” area for the next helicopter to arrive to take your party up. Since it was the five of us we had an entire helicopter to ourselves. The helicopters they use (Bell 407) can carry 7 people  inclusive of the pilot, so I believe they fly with a minimum of two passengers; however, they will fill the helicopters to capacity as long as they have the people waiting.

We were very lucky that it was not a very busy day, so we waited about 10 minutes before we were asked to board the aircraft. As you walk up the ramp, a group picture is taken..as a matter of fact even after you’re about to take off the pilot does a 360 sort of turn so the ground staff can take pics of you and your friends in the helicopter. Then you’re off! Takeoff and flying is like the rush you get on a roller coaster (less belly hurt) and as I’ve mentioned already.. WHAT A VIEW.

The flight itself is only about 12 minutes, but you do travel about  27 kilometers (17 miles) and it feels longer. The journey starts off up the Niagara gorge, then you do a bit of a pause over the entire falls area (great for taking pictures). The pilot then works his way over the hotel district so you get an aerial view of the hotel you’re checked into and as you work your way back to base you get a good overhead view of the entire city area, including Clifton Hill etc.

Some pictures we took  over the falls…

An overall great experience and something I’d recommend everyone try. I especially liked the landing. You’re coming in very fast and as you look down at the landing pad you start thinking “wow! we’re going pretty fast and that small marked off area is pretty small”… but it’s a gentle and relatively calm landing. YEA! And you get to wear those cool headphones to listen in on the “guide” talk from the pilot.

Tip! If you do take a video camera as I did, don’t focus too much on filming or you’d find you’re seeing the entire thing through the lens of a camera and not enjoy the fact that you paid to see this from the helicopter. Let the camera roll and you enjoy the sights!

Some safety concerns answered:

How many years/ hours experience do the pilots have?

Each of our pilots attended flight school where they received their Canadian Commercial Pilots License and a minimum of 100 flying hours. In addition to this, Niagara Helicopters requires all pilots to have a minimum of 1500 hours of flying experience, 500 with a turbine engine. All told, our pilots have a total of 90 years flying experience. If you’re flying with Niagara Helicopters, you’re in good hands!

Are the helicopters safe?

Our helicopters are among the safest and most well maintained helicopters in the world. Along with our accomplished pilots, the helicopter ride is one of the safest things you can do in Niagara Falls.

How often are the helicopters maintained?

Daily. Our team of four full time engineers and maintenance technicians is continuously working on and testing each helicopter in order to provide you with the safest ride. They were awarded the prestigious Roland Groome Award for exceedingly high standards of aircraft maintenance.

More about Niagara Helicopter Tours.

Niagara Helicopters Limited
3731 Victoria Ave.
P.O. Box 636
Niagara Falls, ON
L2E 6V5
Canada

Ph. 905-357-5672
Fx. 905-374-2856

Website: http://www.niagarahelicopters.com