Wine Tasting in Niagara-On-The-Lake (aka, the cutest town in North America

In August, we did a Home Exchange in Toronto for a week. We also still had our Southwest Companion Pass then, so instead of flying into Toronto, we flew into Buffalo, NY and drove to Toronto (it's about a 2 hour drive). I went to Niagara Falls when I was 11 or 12 years old, so I have a faint memory of the Falls, but I thought it would be fun to visit again as an adult. When telling our friends who used to live in Toronto about our upcoming plans, they suggested we stop in Niagara-On-The-Lake for some wine tasting and dinner. And I'm so glad they did! We absolutely loved it.

Since we were there in August, it was SO HOT. Plus the mist from the falls made everything extra humid. We were basically drenched in sweat and mist all day. But it was still really fun to see the falls. I have to say, the Canadian side is SO much better than the American side. If you're feeling nerdy, Google pictures of what it looked like when they put up a dam in 1969 to stop the flow of water to the American Falls in order to study the rocks. It's crazy looking! They're apparently going to do it again in the next few years, and I can't wait to see what crazy stuff they find down there.

After we got our waterfall viewing on, we drove about 20 minutes north towards Niagara-On-The-Lake. Before we got into the town, we hit up a few of the famous ice wineries. Ice wine is special, because they pick the berries while they are still frozen on the vine, which makes a very sweet, concentrated dessert wine. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but it was fun to try.

We went to The Ice House & Inniskillin.

THEN we actually got to Niagara-On-The-Lake! It might be the cutest place I've ever been. This adorable downtown main street, perfectly sculpted landscaping, with cute shops and restaurants lining the boulevard. I loved it.

We found a brewery and did a tasting, and spent a few hours wandering in and out of shops. Adorable. This would be a great place for quiet getaway where you stayed in a B&B and did wine tasting every day. That actually sound idyllic to me... booking that now ;) 

Seriously - could this place be more adorable? We only spent the afternoon here, but I'd be happy with a luxurious long weekend to enjoy all of its cute corners.

Have you ever been to Niagara-On-The-Lake?
xo

Visit Canada's National Parks for FREE in 2017!

CANADA! 

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with getting to Canada these days... it just seems like such a untouched treasure trove. Every picture I see is different from the last one. There are gorgeous snow capped mountains, crystal blue water, tons of wildlife, and millions and millions of miles of terrain. Canada is a little larger than the US, but with so many hidden gems. They have about 10% of the population we have down here, leaving lots of room for beautiful landscapes :)

When I read about the FREE Discovery Pass, I knew I had to sign up, even though we don't officially have any trips planned up north.

This pass gives you free access to any of the Canadian National Parks for all of 2017! If you are a border state, I'd say it's a no brainer for you. If you've even considered planning a trip to Canada in the near future, you should sign up, too! And even if you aren't sure - you have nothing to lose. Just sign up and then you can see all THIS for FREE!

Banff National Park via

Jasper National Park via

The Bruce Peninsula National Park via

They're offering the free pass as a part of their 150th Anniversary of becoming a country. I signed up for my free pass about a month ago, and it just came in the mail today.

I've wanted to visit Banff National Park and Lake Louise for years -  it just looks so incredibly beautiful. So maybe this is my excuse ;)

Get your free 2017 Discovery Pass here!