Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Niagara Falls as their base, but you may prefer staying overnight in Niagara-on-the-Lake at
an inn or bed-and-breakfast.
Visit the towns along the Welland Canal on a single day's adventure. Niagara-on-the-
Lake and the wine country are a perfect escape for a separate one-day jaunt.
Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), a small town of 15,000 residents, has emerged as the center
of a region unrivaled in beauty, charm, and historic significance. Located on the shore of
Lake Ontario, it is surrounded by thousands of acres of vineyards. In the 1970s, NOTL was
atthevanguardofthemovementtobringwine-qualitygrapesfromEuropetoCanada.Over
the years, this area has attracted internationally acclaimed winemakers and chefs. High-
end wineries and restaurants thrive because of NOTL's unique proximity to Toronto and
Niagara Falls.
Queenston Heights Park
Queenston Heights Park
(14184 Niagara Pkwy., 877/642-7275,
www.niagaraparks.com
,
24 hours daily, free) is a memorial park with a magnificent view of the Niagara River and
landsstretchingfromtheescarpmentridgetoLakeOntario.Thestrategicvalueofthisperch
alongtheNiagaraGorgewasnotlostonthecombatants intheWarof1812.TheBritishoc-
cupied it, and the Americans needed to take it. Thus came the Battle of Queenston Heights,
fought on October 13, 1812. The park serves as a memorial of that battle.
This park is all about the view. The Niagara Parkway runs through Queenston Heights.
Along it, there's a small paved parking lot (just after a hairpin turn) with a panorama of
the green glacial plain that stretches from the escarpment (where you're standing) to Lake
Ontario seven miles away. From here, you can see white dots in the water that are not
rapids, but sailboats. The river slows and widens, cutting an irregular line that separates
Canada from the United States. In summer, the vista is verdant; in fall, it is a festive palette
of orange, red, and brown.
