THE LOVELIEST TOWN IN ONTARIO

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario
CANADA

Several friends suggested we plan a trip to Niagara-On-The-Lake in Ontario if we were anywhere near Niagara Falls.  Honestly, it's an extremely scenic trip and we are glad we took the time to visit what has been called "the loveliest town in Ontario".

Lake Ontario from Niagara-On-The-Lake

Niagara-On-The-Lake is situated on the south shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River, and it's definitely an easy and beautiful drive to and from Ontario.  Historically, this was the first temporary capital of the province and parliament was held here until 1796, when the capital was moved to Toronto (York).  Niagara-On-The-Lake is the only town in Canada that has a Lord Mayor.

Inniskillin - one of many vineyards in the area of
Niagara-On-The-Lake

Side of the Road Country Markets area everywhere

Large Farms, Small Farms are prevalent everywhere

One of the Vineyards near Niagara-On-The-Lake

There's no mistake the land is rich and fertile with all the local wineries, pop-up side of the road fruit markets, and a wine country cooking school.  Tourists are drawn to the quaint colonial style buildings, British Fort George, and other 1812 landmarks.

Fort George - an 1812 Landmark

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake - Lake Ontario, Canada

The Heritage District showcases the town's history and the buildings tell the story of the architecture of year's past.  

Shops in Heritage District - Niagara-On-The-Lake

Heritage District - Niagara-On-The-Lake

Heritage District and Clock Tower - Niagara-On-The-Lake

If you have time to stroll through town you definitely feel the old world charm.   The beautiful Prince Of Wales Hotel, a feature since 1854, is one of the first landmarks you see when you enter town.

The Prince Of Wales Hotel
Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Flowers are everywhere!

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

You can't get lost if you walk through the beautiful neighborhoods which range from colonial to modern homes that line the neat side streets.

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

The Niagara Golf Club, a golf club since 1875, is the home of the oldest surviving golf course in North America.

Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario

While we enjoyed our visit to Niagara-On-The-Lake we also enjoyed seeing all the beautiful landscaped farms and yards throughout this part of Canada.  This was definitely a part of history we had not read much about and we felt fortunate to visit such a beautiful part of North America.

SHUFFLIN' OFF TO BUFFALO

Exit to Downtown Buffalo and Niagara Falls
I-190 North

We departed Cleveland, OH and drove northeast approximately 200 miles, or about 4 hours to the Buffalo, NY area.  Our home for the next week would be on Grand Island, about 10 miles from Niagara Falls.

Grand Island, New York

We arrived in Buffalo just in time for some delicious and genuine BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS with traditional bleu cheese and celery, served at the original and undisputed home of the "Buffalo Chicken Wing", THE Anchor Bar (est. 1935), located on Main Street in Buffalo, NY. 

ANCHOR BAR - Home of the Original
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Buffalo, New York

Back in 1964 Dominic Bellissimo, aka The Rooster, and his mother and father, Frank and Teressa Bellissimo, took the part of the chicken that usually went into the stock pot for soup and flavored them with a secret sauce.  The rest is history!!
 

Anchor Bar - Buffalo, New York

The closely guarded secret is what makes these wings the "Best Wings in the World".   The Anchor Bar in Buffalo has received so many awards too numerous to list...food festivals, wing fests, cook-offs and more.

Order of Anchor Bar Buffalo Chicken Wings
with Bleu Cheese and Celery

Stylin' Sunglasses
Anchor Bar - Buffalo, New York

Today, "Buffalo Wings" are served in smokey bars, classy cafes, bustling bistros and ritzy restaurants all over the world.    If you're interested in buying the sauce, you can find it just about anywhere in the world now, or at your favorite grocery store...most likely for less than you'll pay at the Anchor Bar, but genuine as well.  It was worth the trip, but Buffalo is not just about the "wing"!
  

View from Buffalo, New York across Niagara River to Ontario, Canada

While we were in downtown Buffalo we rode along the beautiful waterfront on the Niagara River close to the source where it meets Lake Erie, and close to the Peace Bridge which leads from the USA to Canada, and discovered a real gem...Frank Lloyd Wright's Fontana Boathouse.

Fontana Boathouse
Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse - Buffalo, NY

The hospitable caretaker of the property was nice enough to give us the grand tour, and led us upstairs to the upper floor as well as the lower area which is the home for dozens of beautifully stacked sculls (boats).

Scull Storage - Fontana Boathouse
Buffalo, NY

The area is now leased from the City of Buffalo and used by the Westside Rowing Club and is named The Fontana Boathouse.

Charles and Marie Fontana Boathouse
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright - 1905
Built 2007  -  Buffalo, NY

Upstairs - Fontana Boathouse
Buffalo, NY

The beautiful boathouse is perfect to be used for weddings, public and private events.

Watercolor Rendering of Fontana Boathouse
Frank Lloyd Wright Design - Buffalo, NY

Original Architectural Designs
Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse - 1905
for University of Wisconsin

The original 1905 boathouse renderings are displayed on the beautifully maintained upper floor.  Frank Lloyd Wright never saw or used the boathouse which was built exactly to his specifications and designed to be used by the University of Wisconsin, although the boathouse was never built until 2007.  The view was spectacular and looked directly across to the Ontario, Canada side to the Ft. Erie area.

Hope you'll follow us to our next blog where we cross through Canadian Customs via the Peace Bridge and enter Ontario, Canada, and enjoy a spectacular drive along the shores of the Niagara River to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian side - looking across to Niagara Falls at the spectacular view of the American side.

CANADIAN WILDERNESS

From our campsite at Aune Osborn Campground on the St. Mary's River, we could look across the water to the sister city of Sault Ste. Marie, MI to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.  We decided it would be a shame to come this far north and not cross over into Canada.  Many people we talked with suggested we take the popular 1 day Agawa Canyon Tour Train.  We made reservations and began reading about what we would need to do to cross over into Canada for the day as well as what to expect on our trip of 114 miles north into the Canadian wilderness.

We were to pick up our tickets at "will call" before 730AM, so not knowing what to expect at the border crossing, we left our campground about 6:00AM.  After crossing the International Bridge into Canada, the train station is easy to locate because of all the signs, and we arrived about 6:30AM.  Needless to say we were the first ones in the parking lot, but as RV always says, "If you're not 10 minutes early, you're 20 minutes late."

The train departed promptly at 8:00AM with about 8 cars full of travelers from all over the world.

The Agawa Tour Train is equipped with many creature comforts to make the tour more comfortable such as commentaries at important points of the trip, including history of the region and stories of the Ojibway (Chippewa), fur traders, explorers and entrepreneurs that opened up this vast wilderness.  The diesel  locomotive has mounted digital cameras so passengers can see the engineer's 'eye-view' over flat screened monitors installed throughout the coaches.  The dining car was the next car to ours and was open until we were almost back to the train station. 

About 4 hours later, at Mile 114, we arrived at the Agawa Canyon Park and were given an opportunity to hike around the park, view Black Beaver Falls as well as Bridal Veil Falls, or just sit on a shaded bench and watch the Agawa River flow peacefully by. 

We packed a picnic lunch and spent the next hour and a half enjoying the incredible beauty that Northern Ontario has to offer.   Anything that lives here leads a rough life when you consider an annual snow fall exceeding 15 feet. 

Our return trip was the same showcase of rugged beauty and we moved to the other side of the aisle.  We saw panoramic views of parts of Lake Superior, and skirted the shores of northern lakes and rivers.  The unending mixed forests of the Canadian Shield seemed to open for the slow pace of the train.  The gentle movement of the train made it easy to nod off to sleep and just about everyone took catnaps throughout the trip.  We arrived back in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario at the Algoma Central Railway Station about 6:00PM . The day was extremely enjoyable, relaxing, and we would do it all over again.  

It was a comfort to cross back over into the United States, and we can check one more thing off our bucket list.