It’s been a few years since we first drove through Niagara on the Lake during our hunt for “pick your own” cherries and I always wanted to go back and take in the vibe of this hip little town. Flooded with tourists when we first drove through, today was no different. But it was nice hearing all the different accents and languages spoken as we browsed the many specialty stores.

Last summer was a bust for us and we didn’t do much with our girls, so this year it’s our intention to do as much as we can… the winter takes a toll on us so we MUST enjoy the few warm months we get. From Hamilton it’s a short 40 minute drive and as soon as you get off the QEW you find yourself driving through all the beautiful vineyards and fruit orchards. And do watch out for the many people you’ll pass on bicycles.

Parking! Is a bit on the premium side, as the place gets packed in the summer months. There are plenty metered parking spots, but who wants to have to go back to feed the metal beast every couple hours? WARNING – there are tons on parking “police” so be sure to watch all signs and ensure you’re parked where you’re supposed to or risk getting a ticket.

Dining! Niagara On the Lake is a bed and breakfast type town fueled by tourists, so we were prepared to pay “tourist” prices in the restaurants and other specialty food stores. Lunch for the 5 of us (no dessert or booze) cost us about $75 with tip, and well worth it. The atmosphere was great, service tops and food excellent. There are many patio type restaurants where you’ll find a wide assortment of menus to choose from. Bear in mind that as a tourist town, you may have to join a line to get a good seat… especially if you want a seat at a popular patio.

Rather than go on writing about the town, I’ll let some of the pics we took help you appreciate Niagara On The Lake (great for a day trip with your family or a romantic evening with someone special)…

Niagara-on-the-Lake, often called the loveliest town in Ontario, has a long and distinguished history. Site of the old Neutral Indian village of Onghiara, it was settled at the close of the American Revolution by Loyalists coming to Upper Canada, many of whom had been members of the much feared Butler’s Rangers based during the American Revolution at Fort Niagara, then under British control.

Its many attractions include historic sites – Fort George and the Historical Society Museum, the Shaw Festival with its three theatres, the marina, our heritage business district for shopping, golf courses, parks and beautiful farmland, agricultural markets and our world famous Niagara wineries. Take a carriage ride through the Old Town, or a jet boat up the Niagara River. A short drive along the scenic Niagara Parkway leads to Queenston Heights and Niagara Falls. Check out the Butterfly Conservatory at the Niagara Parks Commission site.

Directions….

From Toronto and destinations east/west via QEW:
Follow the QEW towards Niagara. after crossing the Garden City Skyway at St. Catharines exit the QEW at exit 38B, follow the Niagara-on-the-Lake signage onto Highway 55. Take Highway 55 12km(7mi) northeast until it ends at Queen Street. A right turn will take you into the Heritage Business District.

From New York State and USA destinations

Via Buffalo:
Take the QEW to exit 38 and follow the signage onto Highway 55 and into town as above. OR – follow the signage at the Peace Bridge to the scenic Niagara Parkway and follow it from Fort Erie right into Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Via Niagara Falls:
Cross the Rainbow Bridge and follow signage to the Niagara Parkway north to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Via Lewiston:
Cross the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and follow signage to the Niagara Parkway north to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Via Detroit:
Take Highway 401 and 403 to Hamilton, Ontario and then follow directions above from Toronto down the QEW to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Yet another hotel we stayed at but never really use much of what they had to offer. Overall a great place to spend the weekend, but it can be  bit pricey for parking (self parking is $20 / day) and if you get one of the rooms near the top of the hotel facing the falls. I’ve also read that previous guests do get the impression that the hotel will charge for every and any thing. A bottle of water (75 cents at the corner store) is reportedly $8.

We had a room on the 27th floor, directly across from the falls (see pic below). What an amazing view! If you can, wake a bit early (5-6 am) and take a close look at the water going over the falls. You’ll notice that it’s controlled further upstream and the volume is much less than during the day. Gotta keep those tourists happy!

As mentioned above we had a room facing the falls on the 27th floor. With the wall facing the falls completely made of glass, you had a great view of the entire area surrounding both the  Horseshoe and American falls… we could even see the Maid of the Mist chugging away up the gorge with soaked tourists! Not unlike any other hotel room you’ve seen, with 2 queen beds (very comfortable), typical bathroom, mini desk and bar.. EXCEPT – that view! If you’re scared of heights you may want to think twice before booking one of thees rooms, since the wall facing the falls is full-glass so you really get a true feeling of how high you really area.

If you do decide on a room other than one facing the falls (city view it’s called I think), there’s a great observation deck where you can go get a view of the falls from a different perspective. Here’s a pic from that deck:

Hotel Facts:

Location: 6755 Fallsview Blvd.   Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada    L2G 3W7   800-618-9059

Website: http://www.fallsview.com/NiagaraSheratonFallsviewHotel.shtml

Check in is between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. Check out is at 12:00 p.m. should you require an earlier check in or a later departure I’m sure you can speak with the attendant at the fornt desk to make arrangements.

Directions:

From Buffalo Airport:

* Take the Kensington Expressway (Rte 33) West to I-90 South
* Proceed South on I-90, exit onto I-190 West to the Peace Bridge
* Take the Peace Bridge Border Crossing (Exit 9). This will lead you to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW).
* Follow the QEW, towards Niagara Falls, to McLeod Rd. exit.
* Turn right onto McLeod Rd. Continue on McLeod Rd. until you reach Stanley Ave.
* Turn left onto Stanley Ave. to Livingstone St.
* Turn right onto Livingstone St. to Fallsview Blvd.
* Turn left onto Fallsview Boulevard.
* The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel & Conference Centre is on your left hand side.

From Toronto Airport:

* Follow signs to HWY 401 West.
* Follow signs to 427 South to QEW (Hamilton/Niagara bound).
* Follow QEW into Niagara Falls. to McLeod Rd. exit.
* Turn left onto McLeod Rd.
* Continue on McLeod Rd. until you reach Stanley Ave.
* Turn left onto Stanley Ave. to Livingstone St.
* Turn right on Livingstone St. to Fallsview Blvd.
* Turn left onto Fallsview Boulevard.
* The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel & Conference Centre is on your left hand side.

Since our goal was to use this as a base for exploring Niagara Falls, our use of the hotel was limited. But I can say that the pool area is somewhat shabby… we expected much more. A plain old rectangle hole with water, is how our youngest daughter described it. The location itself is not bad. You’re very close to many restaurants, other hotels, the casino and the cable car thing that takes you down the hill, directly across the horseshoe falls main tourist area.

I’ll leave you with a picture of the Niagara Falls taken at night:

Should you have any questions about this hotel or the surrounding area, be sure to leave me a comment below and I’ll try my best to assist if I can.

Last fall we decided to take a mini-break with the girls before they head back to school, so we did the tourist thing and headed down the QEW to Niagara Falls for the weekend. It was (sadly) one of the most boring summers they’ve ever had to endure, but this trip did brighten things up a bit for us. In another post I’ll share my review on the helicopter tour we did and the trek we took under the falls.

Once you get past the “musty smell”… The place is roomy, and clean. The carpets were jazzy (bright red, leopard print, etc). The figures were right there, so you could pose for pictures with them. Many looked real, and the outfits were great. I could even smell the leather scent of Angelina Jolie’s dress, I was impressed that the costumes were high-end.

You can take a pic in a Delorian with a Back to the Future theme, with a wax Oprah in a set designed to look like the show, and much more. I would be wary of taking kids in, only because they must be well behaved and not touch or pull on the figures.

The scary-horror section was VERY SCARY, so if you take a child you may wish to bypass this. My group was terrified amazed as the Freddy and Jason figures looked so so so real.

This museum has beautiful life-masks on the walls as well, which are fun to look at. These are poured over actor’s faces, and I guess the molds help the wax-makers construct the figures.

A nice array of past and present celebs, world leaders, fictional characters, and so on. Wish it was even larger because it was so much fun. MY fave was the Star Trek display (see below) and I just had to take a pic with the fellas. Beam me up Scotty! Caron went nuts for the chance to take a pic with her teenage sweetheart Michael J Fox (Back to the Future).

Some Pics…

We got the combo pack that got us into both the wax museum and Ripley’s to save on some cash.

Admission to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks Adult $18.99    Child $8.99 In Canadian Dollars.

Contact Info:

OPEN YEAR ROUND INCLUDING HOLIDAYS
4983 Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario
905-356-2238 ext 233 / fax 905 356 8122 / www.ripleysniagara.com

Couple pics of the lively street … the first one was taken looking up the street (Clifton hill) and the other from the top of Clifton Hill.