Niagara On The Lake (NOTL for short) is famous for it’s history, shopping, fine dining, and scenery. NOTL also has many vineyards and orchards to visit, and an extensive hiking or cycling trail network you can cruise through either on your own set of wheels or one of the abundant readily accessible cycle rentals.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are a large number of parking lots with barbecue areas, and benches. Quite a lot of amenities to enjoy, which is why tourists flock to the area every summer. And why many from around the region avoid the area like the plague. We tend to go off-season when it’s quieter.
The town centre of NOTL is also home to horse-drawn carriage rides, which carry tourists at a leisurely pace to take in the sights and sounds. Though exquisitely beautiful to see, their leisurely pace can back up traffic and cause frustration for drivers trying to find parking spots. Which is one more reason for locals to avoid NOTL during the season. I suggest parking outside the town centre. It can take a long time to find a parking spot and you may come to blows with other motorists when you both want try to grab the only spot that’s become available in the last hour. I jest not, I’ve seen it.
On the other hand, no parking means no shopping, so you may save a little money. And you may make friends, as you and a hundred other vehicles circle the town centre waving at each other from the comfort of your vehicles, slowly running out of gas. Here, I do jest. It gets old, real fast. Easier to rent a bike and cycle in. Then you can relax and enjoy yourself.
That said, these horses and those carriages do make a very pretty scene, don’t they?
