Aug. 20, 2024

130. Niagara Falls Boats, Behind The Falls Tour and Niagara On The Lake

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Exploring Niagara Falls and the Charming Niagara-on-the-Lake

Join Johnny Mac in the latest episode of...

Show Notes
Transcript

NIAGARA FALLS BEHIND THE FALLS AND BOAT RIDE from GET YOUR GUIDE

TRAVEL IS BACK GUIDE TO NIAGARA and NIAGARA ON THE LAKE - DEALS AND TOUR PACKAGES

Exploring Niagara Falls and the Charming Niagara-on-the-Lake

Join Johnny Mac in the latest episode of 'Travel is Back' as he delves into the magnificent experiences of Niagara Falls, Ontario, including the iconic Horseshoe Falls, thrilling boat tours, and the Journey Behind the Falls. He also takes listeners to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint 19th-century town known for its history, wineries, and charming streets. Get recommendations for attractions, dining, and unique shops, along with tips for making the most of your visit to this picturesque region.

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Callaroga Shark Media.

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Hey there, Johnny mac and Travel is back. Nestled on

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the western bank of the Niagara River, Niagara Falls, Ontario

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offers visitors a front row seat to one of nature's

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most awe inspiring spectacles. This is part two in a

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series if you missed last week, walked you around a

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little bit and took it over to the New York side.

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Niagara Falls, Ontario is home to the iconic Horseshoe Falls,

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the largest of the three waterfalls that makes up Niagara Falls.

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The falls themselves are, of course, the main attraction, drawing

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millions of visitors each year. For an upclose experience, take

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a ride on the famous Hornblower Niagara Cruises. There's a

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couple of different cruises talked about that last week. Grab

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any boat. They're all kind of doing the same thing.

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They're all great. That'll bring you to the base of

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the falls. You also want to check out the journey

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behind the Falls attraction. I will talk about that a

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little bit. It is what the name says, that you

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go behind the falls. You stand in tunnels behind the cascade.

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But Niagara Falls is more than just the water. The

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city boasts a thriving tourism district with attractions for all ages.

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Clifton Hill is often called the Street of Fun, packed

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with wax museums, haunted houses, arcades, and restaurants. For me,

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it felt like the Jersey Shoers showed up in Canada.

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I shared some audio from Clifton Hill in last week's

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episode for a bird's eye view. Ascended the Skylon Tower,

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which offers panoramic views of the falls and surrounding area.

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Wine enthusiasts will appreciate the city's proximity to Ontario's wine country.

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We'll get into that a little bit next week. The

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nearby Niagara on the Lake region, which is beautiful, is

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renowned for its wineries, particularly its ice wine production. Nature

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lovers can explore the beautiful Niagara Glen, featuring hiking trails

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through a pristine pocket of Carolinian forest for a more

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manicured experience. The floral displays at the Niagara Parks Botanical

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Gardens are stunning year round. At night, Niagara Falls comes alive.

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The falls are illuminated in a rainbow of colors, and

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during summer there are fireworks. Talked about that last week.

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Winter transforms the landscape into a frozen wonderland with ice

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formations creating spectacles. I was there in late June, the

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longest daylight of the year. Now last week I shared

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a lot of audio from on the ground. Today, I'm

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going to talk about day two of my trip. I

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mainly left the recorder home. I wanted to enjoy the experience.

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We did a walking tour, and I got the walking

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tour from Get Your Guide link in the show notes.

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Highly recommended. I mean, could I have done it on

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my own, yeah, I guess, But hearing the stories and

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learning more about it, plus having somebody else figure out

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how to get on the boat and working all that

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out for me, and somebody else figuring out how to

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go behind the falls and working that out for me,

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I recommend on the Get Your Guide walking tour. Enjoy

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a guided tour of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

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Experienced the mighty water falls with stunning views of both

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the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. See the power

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of Nigra Falls up close. Where have any of the boats.

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They're all kind of doing the same thing. There's a

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few different boats you can do. City Cruise is formerly

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known as the Hornblower Cruises that's the primary boat tour

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operator on the Canadian side. They offer several options. One

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the classic voyage to the falls twenty minutes. That's what

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I did. There's also the Falls Illumination Cruise and Evening

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Cruise that lets you see the falls illuminated in colorful lights.

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The Fireworks Cruise go out during the fireworks, so you

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get it. There are Niagara City Cruises, same idea as

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the City Cruises, just a different name. Niagara Jet Adventures

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high speed jet boat tours that take you through the

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Niagara Gorge and Whirlpool Rapids. And other company is the

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Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours. They operate from Niagara on the

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Lake that's a little away from the falls. That's the

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one I did. We'll get into that. Highly recommended by me.

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All boat tours give you a poncho. You're gonna get wet.

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Tours typically run April to November, weather permitting. Booking in

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advance is recommended, especially during peak season. When I was

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there last week of June, the locals told me that

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was the last com week and then it was going

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to get crazy. As you near the American in Bridal

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Veil Falls, you're struck by their sheer height, water cascades

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down in white sheets, creating a constant mist that rainbows

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often danced through on sunny days. The boat pauses, allowing

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you to take in the scene and snap photos. I

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took many, many, but I left the audio recorder away

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didn't want to wreck it. Electronics and water don't always mix.

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You know. At the closest point to the Horseshoe Falls,

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you're enveloped in a cloud of mist. The roar is deafening.

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The sight of six hundred thousand gallons of water per

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second pouring over the crust above you was humbling. You

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can feel the cool air pushed down by the falling water,

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a refreshing contrast to a hot summer day. And when

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I went up there, it was in the middle of

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that heat wave. The northeast had ooh, I Missfolk good.

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So then our walking tour it took us down to

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journey behind the falls. I did record audio there, but

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something happened. I feel bad. The recorder failed, so I'm

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sorry I don't have that for you. But you begin

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at table Rock Welcome Center. I talked about that last week.

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You descend one hundred and twenty five feet by elevator

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through bedrock to reach a network of tunnel behind the

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Horseshoe Falls. As you descend, you feel the temperature drop,

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you hear the sound of the water. Then you're in

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a series of tunnels carved out over a century ago.

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The walls are damp, you can hear how loud the

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falls are, and there are two points for you to experience.

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There are two observation portals. You don't get to go

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all the way out there. You get to get pretty

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close and it's like you're looking at the back of

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the falls through a window, but like a carved out

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tunnel window. Boy, the power of the water falling, you

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can feel it. It is incredible. The view is often

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described as a solid wall of water. You can feel

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the raw power of the falls as millions of gallons

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of water rush past you just feet away. Then there's

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the observation deck. I hung out there with my wife

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for quite a few minutes. That's at the end of

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the tunnels, an observation deck at the foot of Horseshoe Falls.

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You're about a third of the way up the falls.

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Great place for selfies for panoramic videos. You can look

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down at the people on the boats, probably see some rainbows.

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The mist is great, what a great spot. The whole

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thing will take you about thirty to forty five minutes.

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You will be given another poncho. You probably have two

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ponchos now and in winter, ice formations can make it

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even more spectacular. So that was my day too. And

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then we drove up to Niagara on the Lake, which

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I'll tell you about after the break. If you'd like

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to hear me walking around the Niagara Falls area, check

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out the episode before this one in the feed. So

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before I headed back to New Jersey, I wanted to

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check out Niagara on the Lake. I had been researching

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doing bike tours and Nigar on the Lake kept coming up.

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We did kind of a quickie tour, as you can tell.

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I think two days. Yeah, two days up, up, one day,

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did everything, slept over, did some more stuff, and drove back.

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That's how we roll in my family. We go, we

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don't sit in the hotel rooms. We do stuff. But

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I was like, yeah, Nigar on the Lakes like twenty

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minutes away, let's do it now. Picture this a quaint

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nineteenth century town, nestled where the mighty Niagara River meets Lake, Ontario.

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Niagara on the Lake, often callednot Notable by the locals,

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is a place where history and culture blend seamlessly. Founded

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in seventeen eighty one, was originally known as Butlersburg. It

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was the first capital of Upper Canada. This to me,

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looks like if you just imagined the quintessential town, like

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the one that they're always trying to capture in a

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Lifetime movie. This is it. It is beautiful. As you

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stroll down Queen Street, which is the main thoroughfare, you'll

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feel like you've stepped back in time. Horse Drawn carriages

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clop along tree lined streets, passing by well maintained Victorian

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era homes and buildings. Now, I'm not a wine drinker,

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but people love the region for the wine. The region's

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unique microclimate makes it perfect for wineries. They're over twenty

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in and around town. Definitely drove past a bunch of

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those in and out of the area. Niagara on the

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Lake has a bunch of restaurants as well, from form

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to table, beestros to upscale dining. There's something for every palette.

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For history buffs, you can visit Fort George. The British

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built fort played a crucial role in the War of

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eighteen twelve. Natcha lovers will want to check out the

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Niagara Parks Garden Trail. The Centennial Lilac Garden is particularly

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stunning in spring, with over two hundred varieties of lilacs

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in bloom. For a quiet moment, head to Queen's Royal Park.

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There you can gaze out over Lake Ontario and spot

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the distant skyline of Toronto on a clear day. You

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also might want to consider visiting during the Niagara Ice

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Wine Festival in January. Yes it's cold, but mmm ice wine. Now.

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As you walk down Queen Street, where the shops are

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a bunch of stuff, I wound up getting ice cream,

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checked out some old candies. One place is Greeves Jams,

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operated by fourth generation jam makers. Down the street you'll

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find the Hatley Boutique, which started as a small art

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gallery but has blossomed into a delightful clothing store. They

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have moose and beer motifs on everything from pajamas to rincoats.

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You like fudge, visit Maple Leaf Fudge. They've been there

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since nineteen sixty seven, with twenty flavors to choose from.

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If you have Celtic ancestry. You might want to stop

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by the Irish Design and Scottish Loft. They have everything

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from hand knit sweaters to tartans to Celtic memorabilia. And

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don't miss bou Chapeau Hat Shop with over ten thousand

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hats in stock. From casual to formal. You'll find the

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perfect headwhere to compliment your style. Don't think I wasn't

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tempted to buy a hat, specifically an Indiana Jones style hat.

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I resisted, but I got some ice cream. I went

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to Cows. They started making ice cream in nineteen eighty three,

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thirty two plus flavors. The ice cream is handmade and

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made using the highest quality of ingredients, including sixteen percent butterfat.

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But the other thing we did when we're up that

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way the Niagara Falls Whirlpool boat tour, wet jet ride

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forty five minutes. You will get soaked. You do need reservations.

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We had giggles the entire time. It's a big wide

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jet boat and you go super fast on the river,

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and the driver does turns and creates extra splashing, and

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you get to see the power plants, and you get

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to go up the river a little bit through some

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class five rapids. Absolutely amazing. I'll put a link in

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the show notes and it's part of the travel guides

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included in the show notes. But definitely do a zip

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boat Niagara on the Lake. Don't overlook it. If you

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go as far as Niagara Falls, drive that extra fifteen minutes.

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Niagara on the Lake is fantastic. I'm Johnny Mack and

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travel is back.

130. Niagara Falls Boats, Behind The Falls Tour and Niagara On The Lake

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