Our weekend get away, biking in Niagara-On-The-Lake, was everything we hoped it would be…filled with adventure, great food and wine and of course…romance!
We stayed at the lovely Wine Country Bed and Breakfast…our third year here…over Victoria Weekend.
Our room had the top balcony…the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine, local Canadian cheeses…
and watch the horse-drawn carriages go by! I think the stables are just down the road.
The Wine Country Bed and Breakfast is perfectly located within walking distance to downtown Niagara-On-The-Lake and many great restaurants, shops, the Shaw Festival Theatres, and Pellar Estates Winery.
Our first day had us waking up to the smell of Blueberry Muffins and cooling Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp…yummy!
Our hearty breakfast of freshly baked muffins, a fruit smoothie, a main of Scrambled Eggs with Brie, Vodka Spiked Tomato Salsa and sautéed mushrooms followed by Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream and Lemon Balm…fueled us for our main bike ride…a 100 km roundtrip bike ride to Fort Erie!
Stops along the way included…Brock’s Monument. It is in the distance.
On a previous biking trip, a very informative guide dressed as a soldier from the War of 1812 gave us a condensed history lesson on the War of 1812…we followed it with a walk up Brock’s Monument commemorating Major-General Issac Brock, Commander-In-Chief of British forces in Upper Canada. The view from the top, of Lake Ontario, is breathtaking…worth climbing the 235 steps!
Click here to check out this YouTube video of a Time Lapse of climbing Brock’s Monument and its spectacular view!
This year marks the 200 year anniversary of the War of 1812…many events are planned starting in June 2012. Click here to learn more.
Another must stop is the beautiful Floral Clock.
It actually works too!
Of course the main attraction is always the stunning Niagara Falls!
The Falls themselves never cease to impress me!
Andy and I had never ventured any farther than Niagara Falls on previous bike rides so we were not sure what we would be in store for on the ride to Fort Erie.
Thinking that riding all the way to Fort Erie would most likely be pushing it…we decided to stop when we hit Chippawa…which, according to Andy was only another 10 minute ride…45 minutes later we arrived in Fort Erie! Be aware…Chippawa signs are not well posted or non-existent…but it is a beautiful ride!
Unfortunately, Fort Erie is not really much of a town…the local Avondale provided us with lunch…a chocolate milk and a chocolate bar. Refueled we managed to ‘motor it’ back to Niagara-On-The-Lake in about 2 1/2 hours!
Our reward…wine and cheese with a beautiful view of the vineyards at Inniskillen Niagara.
Our plan for Day 2 in Niagara-On-The-Lake was biking to some of our favourite wineries…Konzelmann Estate Winery,Strewn Winery and Hillebrand. The Wine Country Bed and Breakfast provides all it’s guest with complimentary tasting cards.
Our lunch stop was at Pondview Estate Winery…our new favourite we discovered last year on the Wine and Herb Tour.
A yummy cheese platter for two! From top cheese to bottom…Brie, Niagara’s Gold (my favourite), Cheddar, Asiago and a Blue…yummy!
Finishing at Pellar Estates Winery.
We were disappointed that we missed out on the 2012 Food Truck Eats: 16 Food Trucks and 16 Wines at Pellar Estates. The event sold out the previous Thursday…3000 tickets were sold for both Sunday and Monday events.
From what we could see…it looked like quite the event…perhaps next year!
Andy and I were once again ‘blown away’ with our stay in Niagara-On-The-Lake!
A huge ‘thank you’ to John for all the fabulous ‘over the top’ breakfasts and hospitality! Thank you for the ‘welcome back’ chocolates!
We truly feel ‘at home’ when we stay. I so enjoy meeting the other couples over breakfast…a couple from Ohio were here hiking and sampling wines, two couples here for weddings, another for the wine and a matinee show at the Shaw Festival and another managed to get tickets to the 2012 Food Truck Eats Event!
Check out our dessert for our final breakfast enjoyed sitting on the front porch…Cheesecake with Port Marinated Cheeries with Whipped Cream!
I know…wow! John grows all his own herbs and flowers to decorate his incredible edible creations!
Andy and I enjoyed another amazing weekend away in beautiful Niagara-On-The-Lake!
Knowing our children are in ‘good hands’ so as Andy and I can ‘recharge ourselves’ away from the worries of food allergies that fill our every day lives…priceless!
Cheers!
P.S. John is very understanding regarding food allergies/ sensitivities/intolerances. I alerted him ahead of time via an email of my walnut, mango allergies and my preference to no bacon and whipped cream. He was very accommodating.
Tip: In researching for a Bed and Breakfast…I looked for a place that was as hypo-allergenic as possible for my allergies…no feather pillows or duvets, no pets, no scented candles burning for ambiance, accomodating to food allergies/sensitivities/intolerances…as well as being close to town and an updated historic house…Wine Country Bed and Breakfast certainly ‘fit the bill’ and then some!
The Food Allergy Chronicles 
Wow that looks so beautiful and romantic and relaxing and fun! Good for you and welcome back!
Thank you! It is something we look forward to all year! Perfect that Niagara-on-the-Lake is pratically in our ‘backyard’!
Could you have picked a better weekend weather-wise? We had the same sunshine and warmth up at the cottage! I’m so glad you had such a lovely time together 🙂
Hey Michelle! I know! Best of them all! Just sorry the timing was not right to fit in a visit with you and your mom!
Great B&B. We enjoyed our stay and have recommended this B&B to others who have also enjoyed their stay
Definitely a B&B I recommend to anyone wanting a great place to stay in Niagara-On-The-Lake!
I used to work with John at Inniskillin and have stayed at his B&B twice. So glad you had a great time! Makes me miss Niagara terribly; we are in the military and are stationed in Florida. Can’t wait to get home this summer!
Hi Adrienne! Thank you for your comment! Niagara is such a beautiful area…the summer awaits your arrival! I just love Niagara grown peaches…we were able to pick up some local asparagus to bring home…we were too early for the fruit!
Looks like it was a wonderful weekend!! Energizing & relaxing at the same time! 🙂 The food looks soo delicious! Fun fact: A house that I grew up in ended up being turned into a bed & breakfast in Woodstock!
John’s presentation of all his dishes was amazing as well as delicious! Almost too pretty to eat! That is such a cool fact about your house! 🙂
so gorgeous! i want to be on vacation…
I know…ready to go back! It was short but sweet!
Wow great pictures the food looks amazing!
Nothing like being served a homemade breakfast…all the beautiful touches like the flowers…make it all the more special! I must say, I have started to use more chive flowers and garden flowers of my own more often in my plating…that is when I have the time!
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Susan, Thanks for the comments, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, its always a pleasure having the two of you stay with us here in Wine Country. I’ll be following your adventures.
Hope to see you both again soon, have a great summer!
Your Bed and Breakfast always makes Andy and I feel like we are staying at a ‘home away from home’! Enjoy your summer too!