More Then a Waterfall

Growing up we learned about Niagara Falls in school, though I mostly remember the stories of people going over the falls in a barrel.  When Brian suggested that we visit Niagara Falls en route to Michigan, I was excited to finally see this magnificent sight I have heard so much about.

We stayed at Four Mile Creek Campground, just a few minutes from the falls area. At the foot of our campgrounds, Lake Ontario washed the shore; across the great lake we could see the Canadian skyline. The camp had wonderful trees all over its grounds; the wind that came off the water rustled the leaves, making a wonderful sound. It was a great camping site and worth the visit itself!

Off to Niagara we went, but while making our way to the state parking area, I was shocked to find how aggressive the parking attendees were as they tried to have us park in their lot over someone else’s.  Thankfully, we were camping at a state park and our parking pass was good at any New York State park, including Niagara Falls.

The American side was covered in the mist that rose from the crushing water.  The rainbows created from the mist revealed themselves in entirety, from one side to the other, though I was not able to locate any pots of gold!

The sound of rushing water was all we could hear when we stood behind the rails at the lookout points. The water sparkled from the sunshine as it ran quickly into the rocks creating a white color showing the water’s true strength. We walked all around the park, taking in the fresh smell of moving water and the wonderful green of the trees that gripped the side of the banks. The birds were unfazed by the strong current below as they lounged on driftwood sticking out of the water.

Though Niagara Falls was an awe-inspiring sight, the backdrop of Canada’s large hotels and Friday’s restaurant was very disappointing. Along our travels we have been able to get “up close and personal” with so many natural wonders it made me sad that the commercialization made a visit to Niagara Falls feel impersonal.

From the Canadian side,  we could see the display of the amazing power of the falls. With a full view, we observed the strength of the water as it crashed down the rocky edge. The sky was clear and blue and large trees rose in the background. We could just barely see the lookout points on the other side of the border. The railed sidewalk, however, was crowed and loud;  it wasn’t as serene as the American side, but showed an unbelievable view of the falls.

We heard that there were many wineries around the nearby town called Niagara-on-the-Lake.  Lanny MacLeod, the chef from Prince Edwards Island’s The Pearl, had once worked at Ravine Winery as a bread baker and told us to check it out.  On our way we stopped at Hillebrand and Stratus Vineyards; both were wonderful representations of the wine in the area.

Hillebrand had a large tasting room that was very busy; they were giving many tours and they have a restaurant on the grounds. The restaurant, we were told, is one of the best places to eat in the area and the chef, Frank Dodd,  works hard to set high standards in the local dinning scene.

Stratus had a very modern look and attitude toward wine. A sleek, well-displayed tasting room with large windows, overlooking the vineyard, welcomed us. We tasted many of the signature wines and ice wines; the area is known for its ice wines. The signature wines, Stratus Red and Stratus White, offered a balanced blend of many of the vineyard’s grapes combined into two good table wines.  They were easy to drink and would be great addition to a simple meal. However, they have a high price tag; your money may be better spent on one of their other wines such as the Gamay, which they did not have available for us to try. It may deserve its price tag more.

At Ravine Vineyard, a large, old-fashioned farm house acts as the tasting room. It had a colonial feel to it; the house was built out of material from an old farm house. By keeping as much of the original structure as they could, including many old lead-glass windows, they maintain this old-style home beautifully. We had a great tasting and bought a 2008 Riesling that was sharp with acid, barely sweet, with a strong pear and apple taste.

Paul Harbor, a former Culinary Institute of America classmate of ours, is the chef and part owner of the farm. His family has owned the property for many years; they have created a vineyard and a restaurant. They are looking to expand with another restaurant in the near future.

We tried some of the wonderful sourdough bread and focaccia that is baked in the wood-fire oven. The oven is out back, behind the county-style dinning room. It was wonderful!  The sourdough had a deep and rich flavor, sweet, with a good amount of sour flavor. The focaccia was sweet, oily, and sprinkled with salt.  It was well baked–a great snack.  I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant with its great views of the vineyards and a comfortable feel that was easy to relax in.

We had a wonderful experience at Niagara Falls–it is something I am glad I saw and will always remember. I learned that it is much more then rushing water and that the area itself holds a lot of wonderful attractions–you just have to find them beyond the night-time light shows and hotel towers. The passion people have for the wines and the area is incredible. I bet in a few years many people will not just be going to Niagara Falls for the view but also for its food and wine scene.