This is part 2 of our Niagara Falls trip… not Niagara Falls. If you did not see the video we did on Niagara Falls click here, it is awesome.

Buffalo
We went into Buffalo to find the original place that made Buffalo Hot Wings. The Buffalo wing was invented in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York by Teressa Bellissimo. So what did we think? Well, they were good, but our expectation level may have been too high.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
A beautiful town in Ontario that sits right at the point where the Niagara River meets the Ontario Lake and across from New York and Fort Niagara State Park. The town is near a Horticulture school, so all the public and government lands are beautifully landscaped. The flower clock is one of their projects. A clock decorated in flowers that provides accurate time.

Also in this area are several wineries that make Ice wine. Ice wine is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine.

Ice wine production is risky (the frost may not come at all before the grapes rot or are otherwise lost) and requires the availability of a large enough labor force to pick the whole crop within a few hours on the first morning that is cold enough. About 75 percent of the ice wine in Canada comes from Ontario.

We toured a few wineries and somehow ended up with a few bottles to take across the border to the U.S.

Devil’s Hole and Whirlpool Trail
A stone staircase leads down to the base of the gorge and the Devil’s Hole Trail, which offers spectacular views of the rapids and gorge rock layers. The Whirlpool Trail is at the end of Devil’s Hole. You can see across the Niagara River to tourists on the Canadian side watching the whirlpool and jet boats taking thrill-seekers for a wet ride in the rapids.

What is amazing about this hike is you witness the Niagara River more than 5 miles after the Falls and flowing at speeds up to 41 mph. AMAZING!!!

Fort Niagara State Park
We really enjoyed this state park. In addition to soccer fields, pavilions, and picnic tables everywhere, the park is home to the Fort and it’s museum. The museum has a short introductory film as well as guided tours.

You can interact with the employees dressed up in costume, including the blacksmith, a French trader, Continental or British soldiers, and a Native American.

The soldier was especially interesting to us as he demonstrated the musket.

Fort Niagara was an important military location for the U.S. During the colonial wars in North America a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River was vital, as it provided access to the Great Lakes and the westward route to the heartland of the continent. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, however, the strategic value of Fort Niagara diminished.

Letchworth State Park (Grand Canyon of the East)
Letchworth State Park, renowned as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” is one of the most scenically magnificent areas in the eastern U.S. The Genesee River roars through the gorge over three major waterfalls between cliffs–as high as 600 feet in some places–surrounded by lush forests. Voted the best attraction in New York State in 2017.

Wonderful park that has something for everyone…hiking, biking, scenic drives, camping, rafting, balloon launch and more.