It’s a stark contrast from the busy casinos, amusements, restaurants and rides of Niagara’s town centre, but Niagara Falls Falls Queen Victoria Park does its job well, providing visitors with a calm relaxed open space full of life, both flora and fauna – and colour.

Queen Victoria Park is literally the “heart” of Niagara Parks. Bounded by the steep Fallsview moraine and the Niagara River Great Gorge, the Park contains a valuable collection of unique native and international plants and beautifully maintained gardens.

Walking through the Park beside the Falls, from Clifton Hill to beyond Dufferin Islands, you can enjoy a rock garden, hanging baskets, a Hybrid tea rose garden and attractive carpet-bedding displays. Park benches and well-groomed lawns provide pleasant venues for relaxation and photography.

Queen Victoria Park celebrates every season in style. In Spring, over 500,000 daffodils start the season in their bright and welcoming way. Magnificent magnolia trees, breathtaking tulips and other blooms are all there for you to enjoy.

Summer features carpet bedding displays as well as thousands of bedding plants. Fuchsia and lantana standards, cannas, coleus and many other plants provide horticultural and aesthetic points of interest. Chrysanthemums and kale are used in the Fall to provide interest after the arrival of “Jack Frost”.

During the Winter months, the stark branches of trees and shrubs create visual and special interest for our visitors, especially when beautifully covered with the freezing mist of the Falls.

We went at the beginning of May, and what caught my eye first was the brilliant red tulips that were around the paths in abundance while walking up the path from the falls towards the town centre, and around the park there were a number of other coloured tulips – pink, yellow, white, and purple!

The route we took this particular day was to first park up in the car park we usually do, up at the far end just past the falls on the right. There’s been a new welcome centre opened since we last walked along the main front of Niagara Falls, so we walked down the side of the car park, over the bridge – through the centre and out by the side of the falls. From here we walked down the path and came upon the sight in the picture above. That was when suddenly i realised exactly how beautiful the park was. Its a difficult competition, to compete for your eye at the Falls, on one side you have the huge majesty of the natural horse shoe and America falls, and on the other the beautiful Queen Victoria Park. Usually of coarse The falls wins out.. but the park shouldn’t be underestimated!

We walked down the path to the main town and walked up the main street where there is Wendy’s, Tim Horton’s, the amusements and things – and grabbed a bite to eat. It’s on the way back which we decided to spend some time enjoying the park and exploring it more than we usually do, which is to simply use it as a quiet route back to the car park.

Seeing the skylon looming from the top of the hill, through the trees of the park is certainly a unique sight greeting you as you begin to walk through the park and as you continue you find yourself walking by a fountain, again surrounded by flowers. This is the Zimmerman Fountain Pond. This beautiful fountain takes its name from Samuel Zimmerman who came to Canada from Pennsylvania in 1842. He amassed a fortune through a series of lucrative contracts involving the building of the second Welland Canal and various railway lines, allowing him to begin construction of a large estate in what is now Queen Victoria Park. The estate was unfinished when he was killed in a railway accident in march 1857. This fountain pond which dates back to 1856 is the last remaining remnant of his estate.

Further into the park you’ll find rose gardens and even a small island surrounded by a pond. You’d think it would look slightly out of place in such an area but it manages to blend in well to the surroundings, and is all but missed as you walk down the road on the other side!

Along with the beauty of nature’s plants you’ll also find some of the wildlife – such as the black squirrels and the Canada Geese that are around the park

There are so many different colours and sights to see in Victoria Park, the best thing for me to suggest is for you to have a look for yourself while you are there! It’s not a massive park, and you’re never far from the main road, but its definitely not worth missing if you’re heading to Niagara Falls and love a little greenery in your visits!

Since i took so many photos, and haven’t the space to really display them all on this article, I’ve put some of the above photos as well as my other favourites below for you to have a look at!

The park is particularly easy to find as if you’re by the falls, then the park is right on the other side of the street:

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Blossoming flowers colour the neat and orderly downtown. Beautiful stone heritage buildings have been restored to their original splendor. Old-fashioned street lights illuminate the horse-drawn carriages that parade up and down Queen Street.

Though its famous name has left it linked with one of the Seven Natural Wonders of North America, the mood and pace of the charming town has little in common with the city of Niagara Falls.

And Niagara-on-the-Lake’s beauty is more substance than superficiality. The Niagara Peninsula is recognized internationally as an outstanding wine-producing locale, with a unique mesoclimate similar to that of the great wine producing regions of the world. This rich agricultural area is more southerly than Bordeaux, and the two Great Lakes, Ontario and Erie, moderate temperatures, ensuring the cool springs and long autumns that are ideal for growing grapes.

Just over an hour’s drive from Toronto and a half-hour from Buffalo, N.Y., the peninsula is home to more than 40 wineries. No longer are they simply purveyors of excellent wines, the wineries have done an outstanding job of tapping into tourism, offering visitors the complete wine country experience. Open year-round, they welcome guests with tours, tastings, special events and the opportunity to experience regional cuisine in their on-site restaurants.

The picturesque paved Wine Trail meanders along the bank of the Niagara River, past beautiful stone homes, historic inns, orchards, vineyards and wineries. The trek follows the Niagara Parkway, which Winston Churchill, during a 1943 visit, called “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world.”

The many historic plaques and markers remind us of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s special place in Canada’s history, as capital of Upper Canada in 1792, site of the first provincial parliament and of Upper Canada’s first newspaper.

Travel down to the waterfront to watch jet boats departing for a quick trip upriver to the famous falls, and then why not visit historic Fort George, where staff in period costume and uniform re-enact daily life in the garrison circa 1812, when the fort’s cannons faced Fort Niagara on the American side of the river.

The annual Shaw Festival, which opens in April and runs to November, features the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries.

There are three theatres, each with its own personality. The Royal George Theatre on Queen Street features Edwardian gilt mouldings, richly coloured red walls and golden lions. It was built as a vaudeville house to entertain troops during the First World War. The second-largest repertory theatre in North America, the Shaw stages 11 productions each season, to an international audience of some 350,000 people.

Poet William Kirby, who wrote back in 1896 that “Niagara is as near heaven as any town whatever.” If you spend even a day there, you’ll soon see things haven’t changed very much!

Niagara On The Lake, as i’ve mentioned is very close to Niagara Falls..
If you want to have a look at hotels in Niagara – there are two we would reccomend:

The Hilton in Niagara Falls

The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel and Conference Centre

Or you can Search for Hotels in Niagara at:

For more information on the chamber of commerce accommodation booking service, e-mail accomm@niagaraonthelake.com. General tourist information is available at www.niagaraonthelake.com, while details on the Shaw Festival Theatre can be found at www.shawfest.com.

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In the Soil: Niagara’s Homegrown Arts Festival:
70 events – 11 venues – 10 days!
Thursday April 15 – Saturday April 24 2010

In The Soil, the Niagara Region’s first multidisciplinary arts festival, is back for its second year to celebrate the original homegrown talent of Niagara. This year 70 acts featuring over 200 artists were chosen by a jury of local veteran and professional artists, proving once again that Niagara’s creative soil is fertile.

Musicians, video, media, theatre, dance and performance artists will be showcased from April 15 to April 24 in a variety of venues throughout the downtown core of St. Catharines. Plus Niagara’s own Juno nominated Great Lakes Swimmers will headline a stellar showcase at Centre for the Arts, Brock University on April 23rd.

New for 2010, the festival will include a three-day theatre showcase from April 16-18 featuring three local, full-length productions by Mainstream, Present Company Inc(luded) and Stray Theatre. In the Soil will also feature a Variety Night on Thursday April 15 of burlesque, music, spoken word, comedy, performance art and sound making at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre.
Media artists Marinko Jareb, Ryan Rivando, Donna Szöke and David Vivian will be featured in street-level installations in downtown St. Catharines.

This year’s In the Soil venues: L3, The Merchant Ale House, The Mansion House, Mikado, Niagara Artists Centre, Stella’s, The Office Tap & Grill, Strega Café, Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre, St. Catharines Public Library (54 Church St) & Centre for the Arts, Brock University.

In the Soil – proving Niagara grows a bountiful crop of creativity!
April 15 – 24 2010.
Tickets $5 at the door / $10 for theatre showcase / $20 for Brock Showcase

For full schedule and more information on the festival, visit www.inthesoil.on.ca/schedule-2010.html

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Niagara is world famous for its giant falls, so it only makes sense to have a day spent in water, in a place where water is a big deal!
Located on the Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex, North America’s largest indoor Waterpark and Hotel complex, the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark is the only Fallsview waterpark in Niagara. The park Features a mammoth play area, the massive 1,000 gallon tipping bucket, enormous 6 storey high waterslides, the full-sized wave pool, year-round outdoor activity pool and sundeck, plunge bowl, two over sized adult only Jacuzzis and a children’s play area!

The park is guaranteed, no matter what time of the year to provide the perfect day out with its controlled climate that outdoor parks cannot hope to achieve. Even in the harsh grip of the Canadian Winter, where Niagara river is frozen over – the Waterpark is the perfect place to warm up and have fun!

While you’re there why not dine like the Hollywood Stars at the Planet Hollywood Beach Club. Offering their most popular fare from their menu, like burgers and chicken fingers. The Beach Club restaurant is located on the main floor of the waterpark and upstairs on the Fallsview balcony is The Planet Bar, a fully licensed bar serving refreshing drinks and cocktails.

If you’d rather your kids to stay dry for a while after eating there’s the Jungle Beach Playground – your kids will embark on a new journey as they travel through the jungle and reach the top of the playland to get a great view of the waterpark!

The Waterpark however isnt just a waterpark, its part of a complex. The Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex is North America’s largest indoor waterpark, hotel and entertainment complex. Located directly across from Niagara Falls, the 20 acre hotel resort offers fun and excitement for guests of all ages.
Situated on the Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex, the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark is able to provide guests with accommodations at 4 premier hotels. The hotels located on site with direct indoor connections include the luxurious 4-diamond Sheraton on the Falls Hotel, the grand classic Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls-Fallsview Hotel and the family style Skyline Inn Niagara Falls. The Hampton Inn by Hilton at the Falls is located directly behind the waterpark. Ultimately this gives you the option of taking a trip to Niagara for a couple of days, not just to go to the waterpark, but also to see the rest of Niagara at your own pace.
The park is currently offering a deal – a ‘short break’ Package for $139. Packages include hotel accommodations, 4 two-day waterpark passes and a Kids eat Free offer at the Fallsview Restaurant. For more information about the park, as well as more information about its many attractions – take a look at their website!

You can buy yourself a day pass priced at $44.95 but remember to check for the most up to date information at their website

To Find the park:
5685 Falls Avenue,
Niagara Falls,
Ontario,
L2E 6W7

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The Skylon is that amazing tower on the right hand side of the photo. It provides some of the best views of the falls, giving you the best opportunity to snap the falls on camera – without being worried if you’re getting the right angle.. Effectively an areal view without taking a helicopter ride to get it!

As the Skylon’s own website states “Welcome to the world-famous Skylon Tower Niagara Falls. Located in the heart of the Niagara Falls hotel, dining and entertainment district the Skylon Tower is the most famous landmark next to the Falls. Situated just steps from the Falls and across from Fallsview Casino the Skylon Tower offers visitors the very best in Niagara Falls attraction, fine dining and family restaurant selection as well as entertainment and discount shopping.” The tower features the world famous revolving restaurant, so you’ve heard about them for years – you’re in the very city and building one is housed – why not treat yourself to the top class food, and experience this amazing restaurant for yourself. OFCOARSE, this isn’t the only place you can eat in the Skylon, there is also another restaurant which has a more casual approach – the Summit Skylon Tower Buffet Restaurant – which you can eat in while admiring the breathtaking view of the falls.

If you’re in Niagara falls, you’ll see the little “yellow bug” elevators zipping up and down the Skylon. These get you from ground to summit in 52 seconds, and up there it’s not just Niagara Falls you’ll be greeted by.. You also get stunning views of Buffalo in the USA, the Niagara Wine district and the skylines of even as far as Toronto on a clear day!

Another great thing to remember if you’re heading up the tower – is the ride to the top is FREE when you’re dining up there! so why not hold off lunch – and save it for a special never to be forgotten trip up to the top of the best view of Niagara – the Skylon tower!

It’s easy to spot – but here’s a map to show you exactly where to go if you’re planning on driving here:

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Remember to check out their website for admission information: http://www.skylon.com/

And remember, the cheapest and closest major Canadian Airport to Niagara Falls is Toronto. As for Hotels in Niagara – we’ll be having a special article about these in the next few months!

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Maid of the Mist

These amazing little boats power themselves up the river, allowing people to see the gorge from a completely different perspective – people often say how it makes them feel so small, being able to look up at the falls, rather than down on it like the usual views from the cliffs above

Maid of the mist VI

The Maid of the Mist opened in 1846 as a Ferry service between America and Canada and was the first steam boat service across the Niagara, having previously always been rowing boat services! The building of the Suspension bridge in 1848 however across the gorge had huge implications on the company, and the Maid of the Mist altered its focus from service to tourism, and in 1852 had its second Maid of the Mist built in 1854.
In 1861 Financial difficulties struck the Maid of the mist.. and the owner was forced to sell it to a Montreal company – though doing so meant the Maid had to sail back up the river to lake Ontario.. Which would have been fine if the river had been as calm as the river Trent.. however – the Niagara River is known throughout the world to have the wildest river rapids in the world.. with whirlpools and other hazards. It fell to a daring Captain Joel B Robinson and two crewmen James McIntyre and James H Jones to do this task, as simply no one else would dare to take this task on! This journey would come to be a legend, with the ship being battered and beaten, loosing its smoke stack, even appearing to be swallowed whole by the white water, and everyone feared lost… though after a few moments it emerged defiant from the torrents of water – narrowly missing the whirlpool vortex – smashing through the rapids, and finally coming to port in Queenston.. the first and only time a ship has ever docked from that journey in that direction.
The Niagara was without a Maid of the Mist until 1885, when a new ship was built and launched in June. This was the boat which ventured closer to the falls than any had dared go before – and the trips were now so successful that a second Maid was built once again in 1892 although as we know – they were really the third and fourth ships to bare the name!
From this point on the Maid of the mist has been a regular and popular attraction for tourists visiting Niagara, the older fleet have been replaced with more modern boats, and the fleet has massively increased in size – allowing more passengers to enjoy this amazing trip every day.

Anyone who ever rides this attraction remembers it for the rest of their lives – so it really is the must see attraction when you’re in Niagara Falls. . . So now you know all about it, you can go and experiance it!

It’s so easy to find the entrance. If we take the edge of the Horse shoe falls as a point of referance, if you walk along the gorge with the river on your right, after walking past the gift shops and along the side of the road, the admission stand is on your right!

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Bird Kingdom

Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls is located right beside the bridge which links Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada to Niagara Falls, New York, USA.
It’s the world’s largest indoor free flying aviary, allowing the birds to fly in more space, freely than anywhere else in the world! This huge space is home to over 400 birds from all over the world, all living in their uniquely designed home, complete with an original 1920′s biplane hanging from the roof!

Bird Kingdom, as I’ve said holds a massive variety of birds – such as the Rainbow Lorikeets and one of my favourite birds – toucans! But this place doesn’t just house birds, it also houses reptiles in its Reptile Zone, as well as other flying mammals such as the cute Fruit Bats! Now, i know some of you are really scared of bats, but fruit bats really are very cute so why not give them a chance

Bird Kingdom is split into: The Small Aviary, Reptile Zone, Nocturnal, Main Aviary, the Japanese Tea House and Bar, the Macaw Market and the Sunshine Banquet Room!

The Small Aviary houses many of the smaller birds, a lot which could fit in the palm of your hand – and is home to many rare and endangered species, lovingly cared for and looked after by this great venue. This exhibit also overlooks the Niagara Gorge which is a world renowned area for bird spotting.

Reptile Zone allows you to get up close and personal with lizards, snakes, tortoises, spiders, scorpions and more! There are also a variety of other species which you may be lucky enough to get to hold and pet!

The Nocturnal zone is where you’ll find the cute fuzzy fruit bats! This area is cleverly made up to be an ancient jungle ruin which you get to explore, discovering all the night time wildlife. Bird Kingdom have also been particularly smart, as they keep the lights off in the day time, and on in the night time – effectively this means the animals are most active for its visitors during the day, and get to sleep cosily at night with the light!

The Main Aviary is absolutely immense – 50,000 square feet and on multiple levels, featuring a 40ft waterfall and over 80 different species of birds numbering over 400! Bird kingdom have made this area completely walk-through & wheel chair accessible environment which allows everyone the opportunity to experience the Rain-forest and all its creatures up close. Don’t forget to take your camera, the birds are just as stunning as the aviary environment its self!

The Japanese Tea House

The Historic Japanese Tea house is something Unique.. It is the only one of its type in the whole of North America, and handily for you is located in the Main Aviary! It is an entirely hand carved, solid teak wood, genuinely authentic Javanese (this is not a typo!) house. So why not drop by, marvel at the intricacy of its beautiful carvings and enjoy a cup of tea, listening to the sounds of the aviary.

The Macaw Market is the cute gift shop area, allowing you to pick up your momentos for your trip out to Bird Kingdom, as well as providing the aviary with more funds to help provide its top quality care for the important species they house.

So there you have it! Bird Kingdom, don’t leave Niagara without checking it out!

You can use the map below to find bird kingdom:

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Or check out their website: Bird Kingdom

If you’re looking for hotels around this attraction – there are two we would reccomend:

The Hilton in Niagara Falls

The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel and Conference Centre

Or remember you can always check out other Hotels, their locations and prices here

And if you’re flying out to canada to stay in Niagara Falls, the closest Canadian international airport is Toronto – check out flights and prices with our strongly reccomended company Canadian Affair!

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The Niagara Falls Cityscape at sunset Photo © 2009

This amazing city is the pride of the tourism industry in Niagara. Walking through this city could bring you close to the feeling of being in Las Vegas, or exploring a small path in the woods. This city has so much to offer in what is often so little time.

Food in Niagara falls comes by the truck load, containing some sort of snack bar, bar or restraunt on almost every corner in the city. The same goes for places to stay.

A line of Hotels and Restraunts Photo © 2009

The truely amazing ammount of hotels is almost never ending in Niagara Falls, from 5 star luxury towers, to motor-INN’s it is almost impossible not to find a place to stay the night.

As for places to go and enjoy yourself in Niagara Falls, the center of attention is Clifton Hill, a 1 Kilometer street that is filled by attractions from wax figures, to arcades. More off to the side is Marine Land, an aquatic based amusment park with no shortage of water based animals and rides for both kids and adults. Truely a family place to go. For those of you that like the calmer relaxing experience, Niagara Falls many parks to offer, including city managed parks containing hundreds of thousands of flowers, to naturaly grown forests that have no shortage of native wild life. But in this long list the biggest attraction of the city, has to be the falls it’s self.

The back top side of Horseshoe Falls. Photo © 2009

These towering monsters of water are truely an aw-inspiring sight, with a hieght of 167 feet dumping nearly 600,000 U.S. gallons per second over the edge. Make sure your ready to get wet, the mist can be un-forgiving if the wind picks up! And of coarse, if you’re not wet enough you can always buy yourself tickets for the Maid of the Mist tour on their world famous boats which power themselves close to the base of the falls.

Putting this all together means an amazing get away location that in the end will leave you with memories for a life time.

If you want to have a look at hotels in Niagara – there are two we would reccomend:

The Hilton in Niagara Falls

The Sheraton Fallsview Hotel and Conference Centre

Or you can Search for Hotels in Niagara at:

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