Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa, Niagara Falls - Hotel Review

The Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa in Niagara Falls, Canada is a perfect spot to spend your vacation in Niagara Falls.  While it is a little further away from the main tourist area than some of the other 4-star hotels in the area, it takes only about 10 minutes maximum to walk down to the falls from the hotel.  Even from that distance, if you have a room on one of the upper floors, you'll still get a nice view of the American Falls from your room, which is quite a nice sight to see when waking up in the morning.

The walk to the main tourist area either walks past gift shops and eateries or through a beautiful park and into the area that houses the Niagara Falls Skywheel. Both enjoyable walks.

The room itself is a standard 4-star quality room with comfortable beds and well-maintained by the housekeeping staff.  In our interactions with the front desk staff they were quite friendly and more than willing to continually give you free chocolate chip cookies throughout your stay.  The lobby has a lodge-like feel and is warm and inviting.  There is even a small art gallery open to the public on the first floor.

We did spend some time in the hot tub. The pool facilities were clean and the hot tub worked wonderfully.  Parking in front of the hotel was ample and was $12/day, which was reasonable compared to other locations in the Falls area.

I'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Niagara Falls and would stay there again.

Mackenzie Heritage Printing Museum

On the drive from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake, make sure to make a stop at the Mackenzie Heritage Printing Museum. This restored home was the home of rebel newspaper publisher William Lyon Mackenzie.

The museum is very hands on, with one of the world's only remaining wooden printing presses on display, a working linotype machine, and a working press that visitors are encouraged to use to help make a poster.

While making the poster, visitors are also taught how to line type and learn the origin of why we call it "upper case" and "lower case."

Our tour guide also gave us some Canadian history and while we were touring the printing museum, other presses were being used to make posters and flyers.

This small museum is very interesting and intriguing; make sure this is one of your stops while you're visiting Niagara Falls. Teaching children, and yourself, about the history of Canada, Canada's newspaper history, and the history of printing, is made fun!

Skylon Tower

We chose to have dinner at the Skylon revolving restaurant for a number of reasons. Number one, it has the best bird's eye view of Niagara Falls and you get a free trip to the observation deck with dinner. Second, those little yellow bugs that go up and down are so cute! And third, the menu looked amazing!

They do an early dinner that has sittings at 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. with a prefixe menu that is offered all year. The prefixe menu includes a house salad, an entree and chocolate mousse.

During your dinner the restaurant rotates so you can see the falls from a birds eye view, as well as the town. The restaurant rotates about one full rotation an hour. As you spin, there are great little factoids on the side that tells you about what you are seeing, either past or present.

After dinner, head up to the observation decks to see the area again and take some photos, sans glass. The wait staff at the restaurant is very friendly and is more than willing to take photos of your group together if you ask.

Whirlpool Aero Car

Everyone comes to Niagara Falls to see the waterfalls, but how many people know that further up the river is a whirlpool?  Back in the early 1900's, this "aero car" was developed to allow visitors to get a bird's eye view of this phenomenon.  

While it isn't quite what I expected from seeing whirlpools in movies, it is still a sight that should be seen by anyone who makes a trip all the way to the Niagara region.  It is also easily reachable by the People Mover bus from the main Niagara Falls tourist area.

If you're someone who is scared of heights though, be forewarned that you may get a little queasy up here.  But be assured, this is perfectly safe and offers a nice view of the whirlpool.

White Water Walk

A couple of miles north of Niagara Falls is the White Water Walk (which can easily be reached by the People Mover bus that runs throughout the day through Niagara Parks).  Many people come to Niagara Falls to see the falls, but most don't realize that there are some extreme white water rapids further north on the river.  

These rapids are extremely dangerous to anyone who chooses to try and venture riding them, and many have died trying (hence, it isn't legally allowed anymore).  However, there is a pathway set up that you can enter to walk right next to the rapids to at least partially experience their power.  To get there, you'll take an elevator down from the main road and have the ability to walk a quarter of a mile next to the rapids.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the Journey Behind The Falls and Niagara's Fury all into one.

Maid Of The Mist

If there is one attraction that everyone knows of in Niagara Falls, it's the Maid of the Mist.  For over 100 years they have been taking daring travelers as close to falls as is safely allowed.  While long lines form to board the boat, the boat holds hundreds of people, so the line moves fast.  Be sure before you board that you secure your camera in some type of waterproofing as you will get soaked!

Once on board, try to get to the starboard (or right) side of the boat to get the closest and best view of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.  Most people intuitively try to avoid this side as you start off with the opposite side facing the American Falls, so it should be easy to secure a spot.

Not much else can be said about this boat ride in words, but from the pictures below, you'll see why it's well worth taking your time to do.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Journey Behind The Falls, the White Water Walk and Niagara's Fury all into one.

Niagara's Fury

Right near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is Table Rock, which is the main tourist building for all things Niagara Falls related.  In the building itself, a new attraction built in 2008 allows visitors to "experience" the creation of Niagara Falls.

To start the show, you'll meet some woodland characters who teach you in a humorous way how Niagara Falls was created started in the last Ice Age.  From there, you'll walk into a 360 degree theater where you witness the creation of the falls reduced to a few minutes.  You'll feel the wind, power and water during the show and a poncho is definitely needed (and freely provided!).  

We really didn't know what to expect heading into this unique experience, but we came out of it with smiles on our face and our ponchos thoroughly drenched!

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the White Water Walk and Journey Behind The Falls all into one.

Journey Behind The Falls

Want to experience the true power of Niagara Falls?  Well, this is about as close as you can get.  The "Journey Behind The Falls" attraction allows you to enter into caves with exits that go right behind the falls.  The sheer power you'll feel is quite extraordinary.  However, the best views are had when you walk just to the side of the falls.  

From here, you'll get a great view, as shown below, of the Canadian Horseshoe falls.  From the second you exit the doorway, you'll feel the mist hitting you, and as you get closer to the falls, it'll feel more like you're in a storm than anything else.  

The free ponchos that are provided are a must-need (unless you want to get soaked).  You should also make sure you take either a water proof camera or secure it in a way so that it won't get wet if you want to continue taking photos on your trip.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks.  It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the White Water Walk and Niagara's Fury all into one.

Niagara Falls Viewing

While there are plenty of things to do in the Niagara Falls region, almost everyone comes for one simple reason...the Falls!  The largest waterfalls in North America are here and they are a spectacular site.  

While you can get a half-decent view from the American side of the falls, it's the Canadian side that will really open up your eyes.  Viewing the American Falls from Canada shows them very majestically, especially at night when they are all lit up in various colors.

During the day, the falls also look breathtaking.  However, it should be noted that on a foggy day, they can be difficult to see, so hopefully your trip there won't coincide with fog.  Walking along the park, you'll get various views of the Falls and you can probably spend all day doing this if you love seeing nature at its best.

In addition to the American Falls, there are the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which are much larger.  The view to them can be slightly obscured by the mist surrounding them due to their crashing into the Niagara River, but nonetheless, they are still a wonderful sight.  In addition, when you get even relatively close to them, you'll start feeling the mist they cause.

Niagara's Floral Clock

This is a great stop along the Niagara River. The Floral Clock is in the botanical gardens, but has its own parking lot right across the way, as well as bathrooms and a gift and snack stand.

While many people stand in front of the clock to take pictures with it and of it, many don't walk behind it. The door to the inner workings of the clock is typically left wide open for guests to see how the clock works, as well as a display of the previous designs of the clockface throughout the years.

While the clock itself is beautiful and a stunning work of art, it is enjoyable to see what other year's have looked like. Some have had Roman numerals for numbers and some are more intricate than others.

Fort George

Right outside the main street of the quaint town of Niagara-On-The-Lake lies Fort George, which served as the headquarters for the British army during the War of 1812.  The fort played an important part in the development of Canada during the 19th century and has a rich amount of history that can be learned through various books and websites.

When visiting a place such as this, you expect to feel like you can really experience what the fort was like during the days of its importance.  However, beyond just having some small buildings on the premises, there really isn't much to experience.  The area is not very well maintained, especially compared to Old Fort Niagara across the river in New York.  All the buildings seem to be infested with bees and they don't have anything to warrant walking in them and looking at any way.  There are some musket demonstrations throughout the day, but nothing else is really too enticing to tourists.  When visiting Niagara-On-The-Lake, you're much better off spending your money elsewhere such as the various wineries or on Queen Street.

Exploring Niagara-On-The-Lake

If you're visiting Niagara Falls, take at least a day trip out to Niagara-on-the-Lake, about a 30 minute, beautiful drive from Niagara Falls.

Follow the wine route for the most beautiful views along the drive, not to mention may, many wineries along the route. Many wineries offer tasting rooms or tours. This list from the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce helps you navigate the wineries that offer tours, where they are and more.

You can also purchase a Wine Country Touring Pass, where visitors can "spend a full day touring and tasting through Wine Country at four of the region's most unique wine destinations: Peller Estates, Hillebrand Winery, Thirty Bench Wine Makers and Wine Country Vintners."

On your drive to the wineries, make a stop at Walker's Country Market, a family owned farmer's market and bakery. They offer delicious baked goods (which make great in between winery snacks), sandwiches, as well as fresh fruit. They also carry jams, jellies and preserves, as well as snacks.

Make sure to take a stop along Queen Street, the main street in Niagara-on-the-Lake, filled with boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes, shops and more. If you decided to not have lunch or dinner at one of Niagara-on-the-Lake's many wineries, Queen Street is filled with great restaurants that also offer local wines, regional fare and local flavors.

For a snack or sweet treat, Cows on Queen Street is fun and tasty! Or, try Victoria's Teas and Coffee. Their coffees are delicious and they also have a special Niagara icewine coffee blend that you can also take home with you or as a gift.

As you leave the Queen Street shopping area, turn left down King Street and head towards Lake Ontario and Queen's Royal Park. There's a great pavilion for photos, not to mention a beautiful view of Old Fort Niagara in New York. There's a small sandy area and a walking path along the shore, plus picnic tables.

Parking in Niagara-on-the-Lake is metered, however, we found that you don't pay for a specific parking spot. If you still have time left on your meter from shopping on Queen Street, drive down to Queen's Royal Park along Lake Ontario and use the same meter receipt (don't re-feed the meter).

Terroir La Cachette at Stewn Winery

 Terroir La Cachette, owned by Chef Alain Levesque offers regional dining featuring local ingredients and wines from Strewn Winery, where the restaurant is situated.

Strewn Winery is towards the beginning of the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine route. On nice days, La Cachette opens their patio to guests.

We ordered the fennel seed crusted pork tenderloin with balsamic and pommery mustard sauce from the lunch menu, as well as the daily pasta special. Both were excellent. The tenderloin was perfectly cooked and the accompanying sauce paired beautifully with the pork as well as the sides on the plate.

La Cachette offers wines from Strewn Winery, as well as local wines from wineries along the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine route.

After enjoying lunch or dinner at La Cachette, stop in at the wine store and pick up a bottle of wine. Strewn Winery also has a tasting room as well as a tasting bar.

Touring Hillebrand Winery

One of the biggest and one of the most popular wineries along the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine route. The winery began more than 30 years ago and today makes not only white and red wines, but also sparkling wines in the champagne style and the area's famed icewine.

For visitors, a Trius winery tour is offered every hour on the hour, which takes you behind the wine. Visitors get to see the vineyard, the wine cellars for both white and red wines, and, the best part, get to taste Hillebrand's top wines, including their Trius white, Trius red and their icewine.

You can even use your tour receipt for a $5 discount on any bottle of wine in their store.

This is a very unique winery tour, in that you get to see the vineyards and the wine cellars, as well as get to drink some wine! (Woo!)

Afterwards, you're taken to the winery store and shown where the wines you tasted are. You can also go to the tasting bar to try a wine you're thinking about purchasing or try a wine flight. Yum!

Guinness Book Of World Records Museum on Clifton Hill

The Guinness Book of World Records Museum was a major disappointment for us.  Located at the bottom of Clifton Hill, this museum is full of facts about various world records and...well, that's about it.

While that was obviously what we were expecting factually in there, we expected there to at least be something to try to bring those records to life.  However, it was really just a bunch of pictures and text to look at.  Nothing special at all, and nothing more than you'd find in the book that they publish annually.

Another extremely disappointing fact is that some of the records shown in the museum are severely out of date.  While I don't know how many facts were out of date, in the sports section, about 1 out of every 5 records shown has been broken in the past 5 to 10 years.  Definitely take a pass on this part of Niagara Falls when visiting!

However, it is free to take pictures outside with a few of the props before the admission counter. Take full advantage of this and skip the museum itself.