We had a wonderful time in Niagara Falls! (Lots of pics)
Oct 24, 2014 22:50:49 GMT
katlaw, NanaKate, and 5 more like this
Post by heartcat on Oct 24, 2014 22:50:49 GMT
Thanks for the good thoughts and suggestions for our recent getaway to Niagara Falls. Dh and I had a wonderful time. Our hotel was lovely, fireplace, jacuzzi. and amazing views. We had a corner suite on one of the upper floors of the North Tower of the Hilton, and views of the American and Canadian Falls, the Clifton Hills tourist area, as well as a partial view of a residential part of the city. It was the view that I was most excited about and it lived up to my expectations.
Going in the off season was perfect for us. We dislike crowds, plus enjoyed the off season prices. We shared an elevator going up the Skylon Tower, but coming down we had it all to ourselves, which was nice. The arcade on the lower level was almost deserted. The last time we had been had been with my oldest ds when he was younger, during the summer, and we remembered how crowded it had been. No one was playing any games that day, and it seemed much smaller than we had remembered.
In the bottom of the Skylon Tower was a glass studio and showroom. We were the only people there and world reknowned glass maker, Angelo Rossi, happened to be there and gave us a private tour. He shared some stories about famous clientele and about his techniques for glass making, his successes and things he felt fell short of the mark. He also showed us some of his newer commissioned pieces which contain cremated human remains. It was an unexpected bonus to have that time with him.
We tried our hand at the Casino. The first night we took $20 each (we are not gamblers, lol!). When dh got up to $39 he cashed out, and when I got up to $26 I cashed out, and that paid for our dinner and a pitcher of beer. The second night we took $20 between us and played until it was gone (which took us longer that we had thought it might). It was an interesting experience, but I don't think it'll become a hobby for us.
There turned out to be a Brazilian steakhouse in our hotel so we went there for dinner the second night. It was wonderful! I didn't eat much beef, since that is something we have fairly often, but had my fill of the lamb. It was a pricey dinner, but it's nice to splurge once in a while.
It was cold the day we went to the butterfly conservatory, so the warm, humid temperatures within were welcomed. There were so many lovely butterflies fluttering around, but they were hard to photograph. We drove around Clifton Hill but didn't visit any of those attractions this time.
On the way to the Falls we stopped at the outlet mall and splurged and bought early Christmas presents for one another. We stopped again on the way home for lunch, and picked up some chocolate caramel apples for the kids.
On the way home we did stop at Niagara-on-the-lake and walked the main street and popped into a couple of interesting shops. We also took a wine tour and tasting at the Jackson-Triggs Winery. I thought it was really well done, our guide was great and enthusiastic, and the wine was very good. It was only $5 per person, and the tour tickets gave us $5 off any wine, so we bought two bottles to bring home with us.
We do spend a lot of time together in our daily lives and tend to do most things together, but it was nice to be able to relax without other responsibilities. It was exhilarating sitting in our suite and looking out at the incredible view, day or night. We loved doing touristy things together. We were the middle aged couple holding hands, and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to exchange a kiss like newlyweds, lol.
I took hundreds of photos, and have a few uploaded and processed that I thought I'd share.
Hmmm....can't seem to get the photos to upload. Will try again later.
Going in the off season was perfect for us. We dislike crowds, plus enjoyed the off season prices. We shared an elevator going up the Skylon Tower, but coming down we had it all to ourselves, which was nice. The arcade on the lower level was almost deserted. The last time we had been had been with my oldest ds when he was younger, during the summer, and we remembered how crowded it had been. No one was playing any games that day, and it seemed much smaller than we had remembered.
In the bottom of the Skylon Tower was a glass studio and showroom. We were the only people there and world reknowned glass maker, Angelo Rossi, happened to be there and gave us a private tour. He shared some stories about famous clientele and about his techniques for glass making, his successes and things he felt fell short of the mark. He also showed us some of his newer commissioned pieces which contain cremated human remains. It was an unexpected bonus to have that time with him.
We tried our hand at the Casino. The first night we took $20 each (we are not gamblers, lol!). When dh got up to $39 he cashed out, and when I got up to $26 I cashed out, and that paid for our dinner and a pitcher of beer. The second night we took $20 between us and played until it was gone (which took us longer that we had thought it might). It was an interesting experience, but I don't think it'll become a hobby for us.
There turned out to be a Brazilian steakhouse in our hotel so we went there for dinner the second night. It was wonderful! I didn't eat much beef, since that is something we have fairly often, but had my fill of the lamb. It was a pricey dinner, but it's nice to splurge once in a while.
It was cold the day we went to the butterfly conservatory, so the warm, humid temperatures within were welcomed. There were so many lovely butterflies fluttering around, but they were hard to photograph. We drove around Clifton Hill but didn't visit any of those attractions this time.
On the way to the Falls we stopped at the outlet mall and splurged and bought early Christmas presents for one another. We stopped again on the way home for lunch, and picked up some chocolate caramel apples for the kids.
On the way home we did stop at Niagara-on-the-lake and walked the main street and popped into a couple of interesting shops. We also took a wine tour and tasting at the Jackson-Triggs Winery. I thought it was really well done, our guide was great and enthusiastic, and the wine was very good. It was only $5 per person, and the tour tickets gave us $5 off any wine, so we bought two bottles to bring home with us.
We do spend a lot of time together in our daily lives and tend to do most things together, but it was nice to be able to relax without other responsibilities. It was exhilarating sitting in our suite and looking out at the incredible view, day or night. We loved doing touristy things together. We were the middle aged couple holding hands, and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to exchange a kiss like newlyweds, lol.
I took hundreds of photos, and have a few uploaded and processed that I thought I'd share.
Hmmm....can't seem to get the photos to upload. Will try again later.
refupea #245
