It has been so long since I've updated our blog (West here) that I hardly know where to begin. We've had a fantastic summer of travel, everything from exploring the wonders of our own backyard in the Niagara region to a 2,000 km trip to the wonders of South Carolina.
Let's start with the Niagara region as it was such a highlight of the summer. We were sponsored by Tourism Niagara (www.tourismniagara.com) and some of their members to explore family-friendly activities in our own backyard. It was one of the best trips of our lives!
One of the biggest lessons I learned was just how eco-friendly and inexpensive touring Niagara can be. Tourism Niagara introduced us to "The Greenbelt", and the entire experience was one of learning and wonder. We camped out, we hiked, viewed waterfalls we'd never seen before, and learned about cool cycling/B&B excursions. We had an awesome hike around Ball's Falls, and their visitor information center is crazy-cool! It is an eco-structure, and they have come up with ways to use water/sunlight/gray-water that would make your head spin. Uber-cool. To learn more, check out the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority's website at http://www.npca.ca/ If you get a chance, be sure to do some "greener" family touring this year, go to http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/.
On day 2 we started off at Bird Kingdom (www.birdkindom.ca) and were blown away by how much fun the kids had there. I didn't think an Aviary would get the young-uns mojos going, but they didn't want to leave. It was also Lucas' birthday so we celebrated it there, something you should look into if you're out for a new birthday experience for the kids.
On day 2 we started off at Bird Kingdom (www.birdkindom.ca) and were blown away by how much fun the kids had there. I didn't think an Aviary would get the young-uns mojos going, but they didn't want to leave. It was also Lucas' birthday so we celebrated it there, something you should look into if you're out for a new birthday experience for the kids.
They don't just have birds, as we discovered, they also have tons of lizards and other critters to keep the kids happy. We got to see some newly hatched parrots, they aren't cute, they are bald and helpless looking! But even in their ugliness you didn't want to leave them.
Next we got to enjoy seeing the falls from, oh, I don't know, 5,000 feet in the air! We were lucky enough to have a helicopter tour of Niagara Falls from Niagara Helicopters (www.niagarahelicopters.com). Our family has never been in a helicopter before, and all I can say is that it is truly something to put on your bucket list. You really haven't seen the falls until you've been over top of them.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing "tourists" on Clifton Hill (http://www.cliftonhill.com/). I hadn't really spent any time there, it always struck me as a tourist trap. But I gotta tell you, there are a billion things to do there, and your kids will thank you. We did some mini-put at a Dinosaur Mini-put place, got to tour Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Rock-N-Bowl (trippy and cool!), but by far the coolest thing was the Skywheel. If you haven't done it, do it! It's all self contained, no worries about falling out, and what a ride! And if you're hanging with the kids all day I guarantee you'll be pretty tired, we stayed at the Comfort Inn and flaked out by the pool while the kids continued to go bonkers. They slept ALL night and even allowed Lesley and I to sleep in!
Another "touristy" thing I never did before was the Skylon Tower (www.skylon.com), and again, something your family will go nutters over. We toured the observation deck (Lucas saw an "old man", as he put it, on the Maid of the Mist through the binoculars they provide). My favourite part was having lunch there. Buffet or sit-down 5 star dining, your choice! We spoiled ourselves and had lunch in the revolving restaurant, the "kids menu" is actually the Skylon Tower itself. Arwyn wouldn't leave without it!
I could go on, and on, and on, and on. The Niagara Region is a great place to explore and have fun. Even if you live here, take the time, like we did, to get to know the happenings. We produced some episodes of our Niagara Adventures, be sure to check out www.havefunoutthere.ca for all the latest.
Hey, come to think of it, the Falls has some cool light shows this time of year, very festive. Maybe you'll see us checking it out! Look out for the Have Fun Out There expedition Jeep Wrangler, and if you see us, we've got some coupons and information to "jump start" your tour of the Niagara Region. Be sure to stop us and get some goodies!
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