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

5 Interesting Things About Tamarindo, Costa Rica

I know I keep going on and on about Costa Rica, but we really loved it. It was such a quick and easy flight (we flew on Southwest but many airlines fly there) and you felt like you were worlds away - I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a tropical getaway!

1. You Can Use US Currency
You can pay in Colon, the local currency, or US dollars, and occasionally by credit card ;) If paying with USD, they will calculate based on the most current accepted exchange rate. What's funny is they might give you change back in Colon (which I think is kind of fun). I remember living in London and people asking if we accepted Euro at the store I worked at, when England uses the GB Pound. I thought it was hilarious that they would even ask! I guess this is proof it happens some places... but good luck finding a US store that will take Costa Rican Colon ;)

It's smart to bring cash and assume you'll use it - because everyone will accept it. Credit cards were excepted a lot of places, but not everywhere like we're used to in the US.

Side note - 5 & 10 Colon coins are made out of aluminum. I could literally bend them with my fingers, which is crazy! But when you think about it, 5 colones is almost worth 1 penny.... but not quite. I actually think they're on to something since our pennies cost us more to make than they are worth! But seeing bent coins made me laugh.

2. Everything (Local) is Very Affordable
When we visited in November, the exchange rate was a little less than 500Colon =$0.90 US. To make it easier, we just rounded up to $1 = 500c so we could do fast math. We went to dinner at Bamboo Sushi Club, and Matt ordered the Tuna Steak Special. I realized after he ordered, we never asked about the price! We joked about how it was going to be $50 or something crazy, but assumed it would be around $25, which isn't the end of the world. When the dish made it to the table, the tuna steak was HUGE. Easily 12oz. When the bill came, we had to laugh - the tuna meal was just under 7000Colon, or around $12 US. Insanity! Can you imagine getting a fresh, perfect tun a steak for that price at any restaurant in the US?

On the flip side, some items at the grocery store were very expensive - anything imported has a high premium price. Luckily, all of the local, seasonal food is what makes Costa Rica such a delicious place, so stick to those!

3. It's Developed - But Also Undeveloped
The water is safe to drink. The food is safe to eat. It's a safe place to walk around at night. Everywhere has running water and free wifi and all the comforts you're used to! But then you look, and many of the roads are unpaved and there are no sidewalks or actual traffic rules. I liked this about Costa Rica, because it felt like a real place - but I also could drink water from the tap without worrying :)

we were walking on the "sidewalk" 

this is the center of town, and has a large section of paved road - but it drops of if you notice the huge mud puddles

4. It's Wild!
We saw so many different types of birds, monkeys, sea snakes (don't worry, they were dead), tons of huge iguanas, crabs, and other kinds of animals! The jungle comes right up to the ocean, so it's really a unique little eco system. The only animal I hoped to see but didn't was a sloth... but maybe next time. What's cool is that we didn't do any type of tour or excursion, these were just animals we saw around town. So fun!

not the best photo, but this little bird was so pretty!

5. It's Casual
And I mean casual. It's the epitome of laid back surfer culture. Very no shoes, no shirt, no problem, attitude. Leave the heels at home, ladies, you won't be able to use them here (and you wouldn't want to since the roads are muddy and rocky and unpaved!) Even at the nicest restaurants, people were wearing cut off jean shorts and t shirts or tank tops. More about packing for Costa Rica here.

Matt "dressed up" for dinner ;) 

As you can see from the number of posts, we really loved Costa Rica. I think it was the perfect combination of tropical, comfortable, easy to get to, and easy to be there. It would be easy with kids, everything is very family friendly!

Pura Vida!
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!

Where We Ate: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Costa Rica was filled with SO much delicious food. Do you like fresh fish? Local fruits? Freshly baked bread? It's all there. Fresh is absolutely the name of the game when it comes to food in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

We ate out each day for breakfast and dinner, but made sandwiches and salads at the condo since we were primarily focused on spending time at the beach. Here are some of the places we ate during our week long stay in paradise. 

Cala Moresca (dinner)
We went here for dinner our first night, and to watch the sunset most nights. The bar is really beautiful, and the food was good. You can eat dinner out by the pool. 

Langosta Beach Club (dinner)
This was the "fancy" dinner we went to for Matt's birthday. At another hotel (like Cala Moresca) and out by the pool. There was live music, which was so enjoyable! 

La Princesa Cafe (breakfast or lunch)
A favorite of our trip. All of the bread is baked fresh, and they make delicious breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast. We even bought a fresh loaf of bread to take back to the condo for lunches and I'm so glad we did, because it was so tasty!

Fruit Stand on the side of the road (mornings)
Shocking, there's no website or trip advisor page for this - but trust me when I tell you - if you see a fruit stand selling fresh juice and coconuts, STOP and buy one! So fresh and delicious!

Longboards (lunch, dinner, or drinks)
We stopped here for a beer one night before dinner. Very casual, sports bar-esque. Definitely pop in here if you're looking to watch American sports!

Bamboo Sushi Club (lunch or dinner)
Some of the best sushi I've ever had! The fish they served was incredibly fresh, and the prices were amazing. Matt ordered the Tuna Steak special, which came with 2 large sides, and it was $12 USD. $12!!!!!! Definitely stop here if you like sushi or asian fusion.

NORDICO (breakfast or lunch)
Our favorite place in Tamarindo! They are open for breakfast and lunch, and we ate here 5 mornings for breakfast. We got coffee here every day that they were open (they're closed on Sunday). I can't stress how delicious their Acai bowl is, especially with the 90*, humid days! And their iced coffee cannot be beat. We brought 2 bags of coffee home, and my only regret is not buying more. Their other food is also delicious, healthy, and fresh. 

The Shrimp Hole (lunch or dinner)
I loved the Shrimp Hole! It's literally a hut on the side of the road... but the size of this restaurant should not be counted against it, because the flavors were BIG! One of my favorite dinners.

Santa Rita Cafe (breakfast or lunch)
This restaurant was recommended to us for breakfast, and it was very tasty! I personally prefer Nordico for coffee, but their food was absolutely delicious. 

The Falafel Bar (lunch or dinner)
We love falafel, so the Falafel Bar was an easy choice for us! All of the sauces were home made and everything was delicious. 

Places I forgot to take pictures:
Dragonfly Bar & Grill (dinner or drinks)
Dragonfly had amazing, fresh seafood & AWESOME cocktails. One of my favorite drinks in town.

El Sapo Pizza  (lunch, dinner, drinks)
We actually ate at El Sapo twice because it was the closest casual restaurant to our condo (we were staying in Playa Langosta, which is about a 15 min. walk/3 min. drive from "downtown" Tamarindo). BUT the pizza was great. They have a ton of different combos and a lot of veggie options, which was great for me! 

You'll notice I use the words homemade, delicious, and fresh over and over -- because that perfectly describes food in Tamarindo! Every piece of bread we ate was homemade. All the fish and fruit were seasonal and local. My favorite way to eat!

There's no shortage of good food in Tamarindo! Enjoy eating your way around town.
xo