Niagara On the Lake

I was dreading being stuck 'on the Wall',
but it was a great view.   

Just back from a four day foray to Niagara on the Lake. I was wondering why I've never been, given its vineyards, gardens, restaurants and theaters. We usually sail East, and this is definitely the furthest West I've been via the boat. To be frank, I was expecting rough water, lots of crowds competing for slips and boats rafted four deep on the dock at Niagara on the Lake Sailing Club.   Instead, it was pretty calm - nothing like two weeks ago when Rob went with friends and returned to the boat to find one of the fenders exploded into tiny bits, with dishes strewn along the floor of the inside cabin.  We laced our lines with some snubbers, so maybe that helped to cut back on the bouncing. Finding a slip on a finger dock was no problem, but then again, it was after Labour Day.

We drove our bikes every day, rain or shine, to admire the scenery.  There was lots to see, with historical forts, gorgeous front yard gardens, and the charming Old Towne all within a relatively short pedal.  No shortage of shops and galleries if you are looking for places to spend money.

And of course, what is a trip to Niagara on the Lake without visits to wineries and taking in a few plays?  I have plans to blog in more detail on these subjects so I won't say much more, except that I can't believe I put off visiting Niagara on the Lake for so many years!

warm enough to grow Monkey Trees at Niagara on the Lake!

Eating Out?

We ate at four different restaurants over our four day stay.  

The absolute worst meal was breakfast at Stage Coach Family Restaurant: mushy sausage, over-cooked egg, underdone hash browns and to add insult to injury, the service was poor and the meal was over-priced. My experience is the exact opposite of most of the entries on Trip Advisor, so maybe it was the cook's day off and they hiked the menu prices as a prank.  

Yummiest lunch out was the ice wine pulled pork at Peller Estates, credited to chef Jason Parsons of City Line fame.  Here, they serve a seven course meal paired with the winery's vintages. I was tempted by the Chef's Table, but you need to book ahead, so maybe another time.  

Best breakfast and dinner that we tried, hands down, were served at North America's oldest Golf Course:  a stunning view, great food, and friendly service. At dinner I had the tasty Prix Fixe, 3 course meal for $35.  I thought it was a nice touch that the plates with a bunch of locally grown, in season Coronation grapes.