David asked, what was your favorite part of the weekend? My answer was the unexpected *WOW* moments that happened throughout the entire weekend that dazzled and impressed me.
It felt exhilarating crossing the border into Canada. Not only were we out of town and out of state, but we were out of the country! We went to the most perfect bed & breakfast at Niagara on the Lake.
The whole weekend far exceeded any expectation that I had. The weather sunny and warm, Niagara on the Lake was breathtaking and beautiful! Vineyards and wineries that made me feel as if I was in Italy peppered this quaint town still in full bloom of flowers.
We learned that Niagara on the Lake is a micro-climate. It will look as if its still summer there for approximately three more weeks, winter doesn't happen until January and it only lasts five weeks then it is warm again.
No wonder vineyards thrive, I am ready to move!
We went away for the weekend for his birthday & Sweetest Day.
Only a bed & breakfast would do for this weekend and I found The Woodbourne Inn. Their attention to detail made our experience extraordinary and this B&B far surpassed my every experience and expectation. It was their attention to detail that we appreciated and applauded again and again and again.
We walk in and was greeted by the owner, John, and the sweetest West Highland Terrier, George.
Warm, friendly and so incredibly informative, he set us up with the where to go, what to see, what to do, what to eat. The guy has class and knows his stuff!
He provided us a map of the town highlighting must-do's. He gave us free passes for wine samples at several wineries and vineyards that allowed us to sample 3-4 wines including ice wines (our favorites) at each location, which means we sipped a variety of wines all day and never had to buy a glass! :D
Our room was beautiful. That fireplace a wonderful touch ...
That tub, amazing! This came with four different bath salts to relax and enjoy. We did.
The shower had a rainfall shower head on the ceiling of the shower. Down to the fixtures, this bathroom was laid out with extraordinary. The soaps were handmade.
John asked what time we would like our wake up morning coffee tray to arrive an hour before breakfast. I said 7:00 a.m. As a routine creature of habit, I am always up at 6:00 a.m. and I was most certain I would want this early. Turns out we went out, came back late, and a later wake up knock at the door would have been a better choice.
The muffins were fresh out of the oven, warm and made with fresh fruit. They were heaven to bite into!
Breakfast was at 8:00 a.m. (Yes, I chose that too early of an hour.) I had just got out of the shower, still in a towel and wet when David said, "It's 8:03 a.m." My punishment was I had to go to breakfast with wet hair and no make-up. It was funny and I deserved it. It would have been so rude to show up more than a few minutes late.
This cinnamon roll, heaven! It was huge, hot, crunchy with cinnamon and was the best cinnamon roll I have ever eaten. Made fresh from scratch, of course.
Pumpkin waffles with real maple syrup and of course Canadian bacon. Delish!
We tried so many wines, frozen ice wines, ate a French baguette sandwich made with Brie cheese, pear slices, mixed greens and a vinaigrette sandwich.
The shops on Queen Street where something out of a movie. So beautiful, so quaint.
That evening we went to Niagara Falls ...
Then to the casino where we spent four hours having fun playing on the machines on only $5.00! We won up to $38 and played until we had nothing. It was hours of fun.
Walking through the casino, a gentleman handed me two FREE tickets to the Le Grand Cirque show. They were $92 each and in the front section by the stage!
Heading home, we stopped in Buffalo, NY and toured three ships. A battleship, a submarine, and another battleship ...
The whole weekend was far better than I ever imagined. We found a gem less than four hours from home.
I'd rather have a weekend of extraordinary than a week of ordinary.
Happy birthday, David Franklin and Happy Sweetest Day to us!
