Travelling During COVID

First, let me apologize for being so neglectful of my blogging! It's been a very busy summer. You see I went back to work on June 2nd and life has been a cuckoo since. Having said that, I just had this week off along with my hubby. We decided to get out of Dodge, book a hotel room in Niagara Falls and packed a picnic and headed out.

In "normal' times, we'd rarely go to Niagara Falls in high season as there are so many international visitors...usually. It just takes away from the peacefulness. This year tho, different story! Oh my! We got to get right up against the ancient iron railing and stand for as long as we wanted, just taking in the noise of the water rushing down, it's endless. I had a conversation with my husband about 'where does all this water come from?' I mean it just comes and comes and never stops! How do these lakes not run out of water? I'll save you the very long story but they just don't ever run out. Apparently there once was a time when the lake froze over and it did stop for a very short period.

So we packed a picnic, there are some lovely spots along the Niagara River with picnic tables where you can pull up and have a little picnic. We didn't find those till we finished our picnic in the car! What we refer to as a Car-nic! It worked but we both wished we had driven just a bit further! Anyhow, if you're heading to Niagara, find Niagara River Road...and find the right spot.

They are running the 'Maid of the Mist' boat but on the Canadian side they are only allowed 25 people on the boat so we left it for those all lined up. We've done it before and recommend it for first timers. On the American side their boats are filled to the brim!Yikes, no masks from what I could see..different country, different rules. Also, be sure to go see the falls after dark. There are so few people and the Falls are all lit up with an ever changing color scheme, it truly is a sight for sore eyes. My goodness, I was overcome with pride while watching the light show and yelled out "I AM CANADIAN!" I truly am proud of how we've all adapted and for the most part are going with the program. Keep going my fellow Canadians, we got this.

I did go into a souvenir shop, with mask on, and found it empty of people! Wow, usually there are so many people in these stores, lined up to buy maple this or that, post cards, all things Niagara, or Canada. I spoke with the shopkeeper and I asked her how they were doing. She replied, not good. They very much miss their visitors, especially the European visitors who cannot get out this year. it made me think...how about we all spread the word for Canadians to get out and support our Canadian Tourism which is barely surviving? Just pick a tourist spot near or far from you and go for a drive! Buy a little something here or there. Grab a patio drink, lunch or dinner, do anything to support all these people during this difficult time. We had dinner at My Cousins Vinny's, all staff were masked, some had visors too, they were constantly wiping things down, they were keeping their distance, they did a wonderful job of keeping it safe. We happily gobbled up our pasta and had a big old glass of wine for good measure. Just doing my part!

We did a bit of wine tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake as well, hit a few wineries, ok more than a few! I suggest if you want to do tours or taste testing, plan ahead and book appointments. Some of the wineries are doing only reserved tastings, few are doing walk-ins, some are only doing curbside pick up. We booked a few tastings and took our chances on a few in between. We came home with wine, ice-wine and a couple distilled products too. Just doing my part in helping out!

So if you're thinking it's not safe, I'm here to say that it's as safe as you make it. Of course if you have an underlying condition, then please stay home and be safe. But if you do go, wear your mask, keep your distance from people, walk around, do a bit of sightseeing, a bit of shopping and dining. Let's help our fellow businesses as best we can.

This will be a different holiday then say, last year's but it's a different time. The good news is we are all able to adapt to new situations. You can do this. There's only a few weeks left to summer, so get out and enjoy! There are some great deals to be had, don't let them go to waste!

Cheers!