Niagara ... in Style!
8-hour tour with personal guide
Our full day (8-hr) Niagara Tour is just for you and a private
guide in an executive sedan or coach. You are picked
up at our home after breakfast by your personal tour guide and longtime resident of the area.
Your guide will take you to the winelands
area of Niagara Peninsula, the richest wine area in Canada, where
you will have the opportunity to tour (if you wish) and taste
several vintages in four to six wineries along the route. We say
four to six, as the day is yours, the pace is yours to set.
You will have lunch at the
Bench Bistro of East Dell Estates, in Beamsville. Welcome
to wine-country where food, wine and scenery are harmoniously
intertwined. With its stunning view of rolling vineyards, Lake
Ontario and the Toronto skyline, the Bench Bistro offers a sense
of neighbourhood camaraderie. The Bistro operates with the philosophy
that an adventure in food and wine should be accessible and affordable.
Menu items change seasonally, showcasing the best of the seasonal
harvest available from local farmers and suppliers. Your server
will be happy to recommend one of East Dell's VQA vintages to complement
your menu choice. Lunch is included; beverages
extra.
The town of Niagara Falls is, frankly, a bit of
a tourist trap, with Ripley's and Madam Tussands, and Houdini
museums and a casino - better left there for other tourists who
have no guide! Your guide will, however, ensure you do get wet, with
the most thrilling ride of your life, in the Maid
of the Mist, one of several similarly named boats
that take you right into the Falls, to experience the thundering
power first hand. Raincoats provided!
An optional 20-minute helicopter ride
($60USD extra per person) over the Falls and Whirlpool is a stunning
way to view the natural majesty that is Niagara Falls.
Then your tour continues along the Niagara
Parkway, a beautifully scenic drive (including the famous
"floral clock") along the Niagara river
as it flows into Lake Ontario. Here the rich tapestry of the area's
history really comes alive with your personal guide. This was the scene of Laura
Secord's famous walk (she's more famous now as a brand
of chocolates, similar to See's in the States, but your guide will tell
you the real story) and the War of 1812.
A little political prejudice may slip in here, as
you hear the story from "this side" of the border! Your guide
will tell you why, if it weren't for the War of 1812,
the Americans would never have a White House.
And then to Niagara-on-the-lake,
"the prettiest town in Canada" - or so it claims, and
rightfully so. No large tour buses are allowed to stop in this
delightful little town, with its historically protected homes
and shops. You'll want to shop a bit and stroll the main street
here. Don't miss the fudge store. We'll bet you
even money that they'll have a "this week only" sale
of 3 pieces for the price of 2.
NOTL (as it is often written) is also the home of
two of Canada's well regarded artists, Tricia Romance
(really - that's her real name! And that's her Christmas at
the Cottage at right) and Angie Straus.
Visit both galleries if you have time, and the interest.
And now to return home. Along the way, you'll also
cross the Welland Canal, the waterway that allows
ocean-going freighters to ply the Great Lakes - without tripping
over Niagara Falls. The series of locks that allows this miracle
is a wonder in itself.
There may be time for another winery
if you are still up to it, or just relax and let your guide spin another
tale. Most of them are true; all of them are entertaining.
The cost of this adventure, with lunches and
the
Maid of the Mist included, is
$499CAD for one or two persons,
$99 for each additional person
Certainly a day you'll not forget.
And all without a single bus transfer!
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