Category: Niagara Falls Hotels

Graze the Bench is one of the Niagara Peninsula’s premier wine and food events. A spring celebration of new and beloved vintages, each year’s Graze the Bench features eight select wineries, that bring their favorite chefs and a bounty of food and drink to attendees over the course of the first weekend in June. Live music, unbelievable wine, delectable food — here’s a look at exactly what you’re going to love at 2016’s Graze the Bench.

Fielding Estate Winery

Serving a NV Sparkling Rose, a 2014 Estate Bottled Riesling, and a 2013 Cabernet Franc, Fielding Estate Winery will be joined by Dobro Jesti. The food pairings will include goat cheese–filled risotto balls on marinara and a dish called Chicken Za Dilla, which will feature radicchio, romaine, and arugula and a garlic and dill aioli.

Angels Gate Winery

Two 2013 wines, a Gamay Noir and a Riesling, are this winery’s features. The food accompaniment will be Jambalaya from Smokin’ Buddha. Vegetarians needn’t fret: A vegetarian option will also be available.

Hidden Bench Vineyard and Winery

Hidden Bench will be offering three different wines: their 2013 Hidden Bench Red, a 2013 Estate Riesling, and their 2014 Locust Lane Rose. Chef Victor Barry will provide a slider filled with slow-roasted pulled pork topped with pickled onions, crema, and cilantro. A vegetarian pairing will also be provided.

Organized Crime Winery

Organized Crime will be pouring their 2014 Break-In Pinot Noir and their 2015 Pinot Gris alongside food from El Gastronomo Vagabundo. The menu includes Chef Hynam-Smith’s interpretation of the Land Down Under’s famous Bull Boar Sausage, as well as a smoked beef brisket served on top of a beer waffle with cole slaw and hot sauce.

Mike Weir Winery

One of the gems of Mike Weir Winery, their 2010 Reserve Merlot, will be making an appearance at this year’s Graze the Bench. They will also be pouring a Weir Canadian Made Chardonnay. To complement the wine, The Yellow Pear Food Truck will serve icewine-braised pork belly with cucumber, mint, kohlrabi, fried onion, and fennel pollen. A vegetarian option, as well as a gluten-free option, will be available, too.

Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery

Enjoy three excellent wines from Peninsula Ridge, including their 2014 Peninsula Ridge Estates Shiraz, a 2015 Wismer Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, and their 2015 Beal Vineyards Cabernet Rose. Food will be offered by the winery’s restaurant and will include a Garden Gazpacho with pesto, a braised lamb shank with a foraged mushroom strudel, and a micro-greens salad to accompany each dish.

Thirty Bench

Thirty Bench will pour three of their finest and least fussy wines: a 2013 red, a 2014 rielsing, and a 2015 rose. The wines will be accompanied by food from Tide and Vine Oyster Company, including a fresh oyster bar and a Niagara burger topped with grilled wild shrimp.

Rosewood Estate Winery

Rosewood Estate Winery is showcase three very different wines at this year’s Graze the Bench, including a 2015 Gamay Rose, a 2015 Reserve Riesling, and their 2014 Locked & Loaded, a pleasant and complex red table wine. Food accompaniment by Chefs Mike McColl and Patrick Engel will include a fried buttermilk chicken sandwich and shrimp and grits with chorizo. A vegetarian option will be available, too.

If there was ever a time to visit Niagara to take in the food and the wine, it’s this June 4th and 5th for the inimitable Graze the Bench.

One of the many riches of the Niagara region is the thousands and thousands of acres of orchards and fruit farms that yield some of Ontario’s finest berries and fruits. Strawberries, peaches, apricots, raspberries, apples — the variety of fruits grown is vast, and because the growing season for each type varies so widely, fresh, local, and in-season fruit can usually be enjoyed from May through at least October.

If you’re planning a trip to the Niagara region in the upcoming months, there will be fruit aplenty. Here is a look at some of the best roadside stands in the area, where you can be sure to get everything from fresh fruit to baked goods and honey.

The Fruit Shack Market and Bakery

Located at 1267 Niagara Stone, RR2 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Fruit Shack offers fresh and seasonal fruit and a whole lot more. Pick up a pack of the world’s best butter tarts or lemon tarts — both are made from scratch every day — and if you have a cooler and are driving home, you can also stock up on some of the region’s best poultry, pork, and beef. Until the middle of June, they’re only open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, but from mid-June through Thanksgiving, they’re open every day from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Falk Family Farms

Another Niagara-on-the-Lake treasure, Falk Family Farms is owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of a farming family that has long called the region home. Originally a small farm of just 25 acres, today the Falk family has more than 350 acres on which to grow their delicious fruit. The Falk Family roadside stand features peaches, plums, pears, grapes, and apples depending on the season, and you can find their stand at 1239 Lakeshore Road.

Plekan’s Market

Situated at 4770 Lincoln Avenue in Beamsville, this little roadside stand sits deep in the heart of wine country, which makes it the perfect stop when you’re in between winery tours and feeling piqued. In-season fruit and vegetables are available from the middle of June until at least October, with everything from onions, beans, and tomatoes to cherries and Plekan’s famous peaches made available. In addition to the fruits and vegetables, you can also get local grape juice, cold drinks, and Beamsville’s Charlie Bee Honey.

Savor the bounty of the land when you come to Niagara by stopping at one of these excellent roadside fruit stands.

Visitors to Niagara Falls come from literally all over. From the United States and other parts of Canada all the way across the pond to Europe, Russia, and Asia, citizens from around the globe see fit each year to make the trek to one of the planet’s most beautiful and entertaining places.

While this wonderful variety of people makes for a colorful and interesting time on the streets of the city and at each of the area’s attractions, travelers from abroad often struggle with jet lag when they first arrive. While jet lag is a mostly unavoidable part of traveling well outside your time zone, that doesn’t mean you have to let it ruin or even put a damper on your vacation. Here a handful of ways you can combat jet lag, tailored for the Niagara adventurer.

Go to Sleep When the Locals Do

Sadly, you can worsen jet lag by how you go about sleeping after you arrive, which means you need to be intentional about the ways in which you combat both feeling tired and awake. While you may crave a nap as soon as your plane lands at 2 p.m., resist the urge. Tour a winery and make dinner reservations that you won’t want to cancel at Windows or The Rainbow Room. Then, after a delicious meal, head to bed at a reasonable hour — say 9 p.m. local time. Do your best to stay in bed and asleep until the sun is up the next morning.

Get in the Sun

Sunlight has an almost magical way of retraining a brain that’s just flown from halfway around the world. By getting outside the first few days after you arrive for your vacation, the effects of the sunlight on your system will help you overcome jet lag naturally. Take a walk in Queen Victoria Park. Pack a picnic and stroll along the soft white sands of the shore of Lake Erie. Rent a bicycle and hit some of the region’s excellent trails.

Not only will being outside convince you of your new time zone, but the exercise that accompanies these great, local outdoor activities will also help tire you out for sound sleep each night.

Stay Hydrated

One way to keep yourself in top form when you’re traveling and jet lagged is to make sure you stay hydrated. Take a water bottle with you whether you’re ogling the falls or exploring the Dufferin Islands, and make sure to drink the equivalent of at least eight glasses of water throughout each day.

If that sounds like a lot — or like a chore you’d rather not have to tend to when you’re on vacation — add herbal and decaffeinated teas and juices into the mix. Grab a cup or two of delicious tea or juice at The Famous while you’re eating one of their amazing sandwiches, or stop by any Tim Horton’s for decaf coffee and herbal tea when you’re out and about.

Beating jet lag is no simple task, but if you set your mind to it, it can be done. Follow these three simple strategies when you vacation in Niagara, and even if your midnight is our noon, you’ll feel good enough to take in all the region has to offer you in no time.

May is one of the most magical months in the Niagara Falls region, and it isn’t just because thousands of visitors are starting to once again throng to the place for holidays and vacations. The warming air, the lengthening days, the arrival of the first season’s fruits, the seemingly never-ending blossoms that line roadways, parks, and ditches — there’s so much to love about May that it’s hard even for locals to keep track of it all.

In many ways, however, the flowers alone are reason to celebrate the return of spring. All over the Niagara Peninsula, the few, startling colors that first appeared in April with daffodils, tulips, and new leaves become a wide and varied palette, as all types of flowers bloom, delighting the eye and the nose. If you’re planning a trip to Niagara during the month of May, be sure to set aside some time to marvel at the stunning array of floral beauty. Here are a few spots you need to be sure to check out.

Centennial Lilac Garden

The Centennial Lilac Garden was made in 1967 as a commemoration and celebration of Canada’s centennial year, and when you step into it, it certainly seems like one of the most aromatic and colorful places on earth. During the months of May and June, the garden is at its most lovely thanks to its 10 acres of flowering lilacs and other plants that set out to bloom then. Located to the north of the Floral Clock, the garden is home to over 1,200 plants that comprise more than 200 varieties, and the luscious colors and scents are among the most concentrated in the area.

The Floral Clock

Photographed almost as much as the falls themselves, the Floral Clock is a masterpiece of horticulture and clock design. A real and working giant timepiece, the face of the clock includes intricate designs that are made of up to 19,000 different springtime flowers and plants. Changed twice a year, the springtime’s floral design features viola.

The grounds around the clock are also lovingly maintained, and a visit to the tower at the back of the clock will let you see the clock mechanisms at work, as well as photographs that show the many changing faces and design the Floral Clock has enjoyed since 1950.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

One of the most gorgeous and peaceful spots to visit any time of year, the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens were first established in 1936. A 40-hectare space, the botanical gardens feature everything from perennials, herbs, vegetables, and rhododendrons to shade trees, azaleas, a formal parterre garden, and a world-renowned rose garden that boasts almost 2,500 roses.

The Butterfly Conservatory is also on-site, and the gardens themselves serve as the primary classroom to students who are learning the art and skills of horticulture at the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture. During May, the flowering trees and bushes make the garden feel almost ethereal thanks to the breadth and depth of scent and color.

Spend some time in Niagara this spring. For lovers of color, scent, and an abundance of flowers, the region is one of the finest destinations you can visit.

Whether you travel to Niagara as a member of a 20-person bachelorette party or in celebration of your 25th wedding anniversary, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the nighttime hours. From world-class musical acts to gambling and theater, Niagara boasts a nightlife that’s robust, varied, and plenty of fun. Some of it is even one-of-a-kind. If you’re looking to stay up a little bit late in Niagara, here are four ways to enjoy the night that are as unique as the place.

Falls Illumination Cruise

For a romantic, nighttime exploration of the waterfalls, the Falls Illumination Cruise can’t be beat. Cruise alongside the illuminated falls beneath countless stars from 9:45 p.m. until roughly 10:30 p.m. Even if you’ve taken in the falls via the Maid of the Mist and the Journey Behind the Falls, this cruise will give you an experience of Niagara Falls that will make this natural wonder seem brand-new again.

With platforms that offer tiered viewing and a dry area with large windows should anyone in your party fret about getting wet, the Falls Illumination Cruise is a pleasure for tourists of all ages.

Late-Night Drinks in Full View of the Falls

Niagara has a wide array of nightclubs for anyone looking to dance, dine, or drink the night away, but R5 offers a view that can only be had here. Contemporary and chic, R5 is an elegant and welcoming space that can provide the perfect atmosphere for drinking, dining, and conversation when you’re looking to stay up late and have a good time while doing it.

Designed to showcase its location near the falls, you can gaze out at the majestic and illuminated waterfalls every night, while enjoying an expertly crafted cocktail. Sit with a loved one by the fire, or belly up to the bar. Whatever you choose at R5 will feel just right, and it will last long after the sun has gone down.

People Watch at Clifton Hill

When it comes to late-night people watching, New York City is hard to beat, but thanks to the wide variety of visitors and goings-on in Niagara, Clifton Hill is pretty entertaining, too. Niagara Falls’ most famous street, Clifton Hill comes by its nickname, “Street of Fun,” pretty honestly. From moon-eyed lovers to teenagers being allowed a long leash, Clifton Hill is a people watching experience all its own, and you can only have it in Niagara Falls.

Niagara Skywheel

There are few experiences as exhilarating as journeying upwards of 175 feet to gaze upon the glitter and glam of downtown Niagara Falls, but you can do just that on the largest observation wheel in all of Canada.

The Niagara Skywheel offers climate-controlled gondolas so that, regardless of the weather, you and your crew can experience the waterfalls and the city from up above. While the trip is just eight to 12 minutes long, the experience of seeing the city and the lit-up waterfalls at midnight is something you’ll remember the rest of your life.

So, stay up late. Whether you want to people watch or get close to the water, the city offers a wealth of nighttime fun that can only be had in Niagara.

The Niagara Falls area has much to recommend it whether you’re an eight-year old or an eight-year old’s mother and father. From the region’s eponymous waterfalls and the many museums to the musical dinner theatre and the massive Hershey’s store, fun, wonder, education, and history abound. While it’s definitely a plus that you can spend your days in Niagara in such a wide variety of ways, sometimes all you really want is be over-indulgent and easily distracted. Thanks to the games at Clifton Hill, that want can easily become a reality.

With over 300 games available, there really is something for everyone on the Great Canadian Midway. That being said, some games stand out a little more than others. Here is a look at some of the best games on the Great Canadian Midway, known for their wide-ranging and seemingly endless appeal, as they seem able to delight everyone from the honeymooner and the middle schooler all the way to the grandparents recapturing their youth.

Skee Ball

A classic arcade game that involves a measure of athletic skill, skee ball is fun to play whether you’re squaring off against your best friend or just trying to score points all by yourself. Weighted balls about the size of a grapefruit are rolled one at a time up an incline into a space that has circles of varying size worth different amounts.

The points that could possibly be scored with each ball range from 10 all the way up to 100, with the amount at stake corresponding directly to the difficulty you’re likely to have in netting it. The goal is to score as many points as possible in the time allotted — a feat that also garners you tickets that you can exchange for prizes.

Hi Striker

Hi striker is the digital version of the timeless carnival game where a person — usually a male trying to impress a girl or his friends — attempts to swing a sledgehammer or mallet with enough force to ring a bell at the top of a tower. While it masquerades as strictly a game of strength, Hi Striker is just as much a game of accuracy and flair as one of muscular fortitude, which is why children are sometimes able to best bodybuilding men at it. Challenge your friends and family to see which of you is the best at wielding the mallet.

Flappy Bird

The popular app has now become an arcade game, and you and your crew can play it to your hearts’ content on the Great Canadian Midway at Clifton Hill. Instead of keeping your feathered friend aloft and alive on a small smartphone screen, however, the arcade version of Flappy Bird is a whopping 42 inches and features a giant red button that you must constantly press to keep the bird in the air and alive. As you avoid hitting pipes and meeting your downfall, instead of just accumulating points like you would in the app, the arcade version lets you also accumulate tickets that can be gathered and turned in for prizes once you’ve wearied of the arcade.

So, head out to Clifton Hill. No matter who you are, you’re bound to at least enjoy one of these three great arcade games.

For Americans of every socio-economic stripe, April 15th looms large each and every year as a day of hand wringing and infamy. Required by federal law to file taxes on or before that date each year, roughly one third of the United States’ population waits until the last minute to file their taxes. It’s an act that adds stress and drama to a day that might otherwise pass by unnoticed, but still, year in and year out, the act of filing taxes is put off. It’s almost as if most Americans need an extra incentive just to comply with federal law.

Well, that incentive might just be the prospect of having a fabulous time in Niagara Falls. As the American Tax Day approaches ever nearer once again, it’s high-time to employ a new tactic. From vacationing with your refund in hand to the simple pleasure of having tax season behind you, here are three reasons to celebrate April 15th in Niagara Falls.

You’ll Be Done With Taxes

It almost goes without saying, but if you book a vacation to Niagara Falls that lands on the weekend of April 15th, you’ll have to finish your taxes ahead of time in order to enjoy it. If you’re someone whose habit in the past has been to procrastinate when it comes to filing your taxes, give yourself a reason to do something less harried. Book a flight, and reserve a hotel. The prospect of a Tax Day holiday may be all you need to make sure you file ahead of time this year.

Canada’s Tax Day Is April 30

Another reason to celebrate April 15th in Niagara Falls is because Tax Day in Canada lands two weeks later on April 30th. While no one is suggesting that your celebration of Tax Day be embarked upon in a loud and gloating manner, were you to strike up a conversation with a local on the subject, you would almost certainly experience feel like the luckier of the two.

If you’re the type of person who likes to turn everything into a competition, finishing your taxes and then milling about with those who have not is a clear win.

You’ll Have Your Refund

The best part of filing taxes for most Americans is getting a fat refund check, and should you book a Niagara vacation to celebrate Tax Day, that refund will be sitting in your bank account, or — at the very least — you will know the dollar amount of your refund as an official check makes its way to you in the mail. Refunds, of course, are nothing more than the government giving you back the money that is rightfully yours, but they feel like a bonus. Take that bonus on a vacation. Whether you stock up on award-winning Niagara wine or hit the casinos, celebrating Tax Day in Niagara Falls will almost always happen when you’re flush with cash.

So, give yourself the incentive you need. Make sure you’re on the path to getting your taxes finished on time by planning to celebrate the feat with a vacation in Niagara Falls.

Eating in and around Niagara Falls is one of the many highlights enjoyed by almost every tourist who travels to the region. From a family of four driving in from Ohio to newlyweds fresh off an airplane, the variety of food available throughout the region and the high quality with which it is source, prepared, and served is sure to satisfy — especially if you know where to go and you choose each meal with care.

Thanks in many ways to the farm-to-table movement popular throughout North America, Niagara’s restaurant scene has ushered in a new and delicious era for everyone who visits here. One establishment that deserves a bit of extra attention, Mahtay Café is an unusual place that serves up excellent fare and plenty of entertainment offerings to boot. Located in St. Catharines, plan on having at least one meal here the next time you find yourself in Niagara.

Story

Mahtay Café got its start as a community-oriented space centered on the creativity and sharing inherent in what the owners call the “healthy yerba-mate lifestyle.” Known by the Guarani people as the “drink of the gods,” yerba mate is a high-octane tea that is credited with everything from boosting the immune system and rebalancing poor sleep patterns to increasing energy and lowering cholesterol. A tea that has been traditionally drunk within a community, it’s that sense of individual rejuvenation amidst others that lies at the core of what Mahtay Café seeks to provide for their customers.

Food

Without a doubt, the centerpiece of the restaurant is its excellent food. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options abound, but meat-eaters won’t feel left out at all. While many people assume a vacation has to pack on a few pounds whether you like it or not, when you eat a meal or two at Mahtay, you can easily protect your waistline — if that’s what you’re after.

Delicious salads, hearty nachos, memorable breakfast sandwiches, flatbread pizza — much of what they serve is straightforward, but it all has that same je ne sais quoi unique to the café’s food. Whether you’re a picky eater, a foodie, or someone for whom food is just a means to an end, you’re unlikely to look down upon your eating experience at this restaurant.

Music

Another reason to put Mahtay Café on your vacation itinerary is their robust music calendar. Not only will it give you a sense of the original music happening in and around the region, but most of their shows also happen earlier in the evening, which means you don’t have to be a night owl to enjoy it.

The first Sunday of every month marks their Twilight Jazz Series for lovers of jazz and improvisation. Every Thursday is Open Mic night where budding songwriters and established artists, poets and spoken word aficionados all take the stage for experience and to receive some nonjudgmental feedback. The rest of the nights are taken up with artist conversations, local bands, CD release parties, and even musical theatre productions. No matter what kind of live entertainment you prefer, it’s likely you’ll find something to interest you at Mahtay Café.

Whenever you next find yourself in Niagara, be sure to head over to St. Catharines for a night of great food and great entertainment at Mahtay Café.

Without a doubt, the number one reason people venture to Niagara Falls is to take in the area’s famous waterfalls. Made up of a trio of waterfalls that includes the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls, Niagara Falls may not be the world’s largest or tallest waterfall, but it does have the world’s largest flow rate, which makes for a stunning and awe-inspiring view as well as a constant and deafening roar.

How could it be otherwise? Roughly 1/5th of the world’s fresh water makes its way over Niagara Falls as six million cubic feet of water careen over the 165-foot drop every minute.

Taking in the falls in person is, of course, the ideal way to experience them, but as any visitor to Niagara in spring or winter can tell you — some days, the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate with that goal.

Thankfully, getting a good look at Niagara Falls isn’t something that has to happen in accordance with Mother Nature’s whims. Here are a handful of places from which you can enjoy an exceptional view of all that water while simultaneously enjoying the comfort, ease, and warmth of being indoors.

The Rainbow Room

One of the region’s finest and most celebrated restaurants, The Rainbow Room by Massimo Capra not only provides its guests with excellent food sourced from local farms and an exceptional area wine list, but the view from the dining room is also one of the finest that can be had in the area.

Whether you enjoy a five-course meal in the evening and are therefore able to take in the waterfalls amidst their sea of colorful lights or you eat a superb lunch set against the backdrop of the waterfalls as they appear during the midday, a meal at The Rainbow Room is sure to allow you plenty of time to gape at the falls while pleasing your palette from the comfort of indoors.

Christienne Fallsview Spa

Take in the view while sinking into unparalleled relaxation with a stint at Christienne Fallsview Spa. Luxurious to a fault, the offerings at Christienne are myriad, ranging from facials and massages to pedicures and aromatherapy. Whatever you choose, be sure to spend some time soaking in the infinity hydrotherapy tub that offers a ceiling to floor view of the waterfalls while you bask in total tranquility inside the spa.

Skylon Tower Observation Deck

With indoor and outdoor observation decks, the view from Skylon Tower is impressive any time of day or night and in almost any weather—provided there isn’t so much rain or snow in the air that the view is obstructed.

Get a grand look at everything from the waterfalls and the Niagara Falls tourist district to the luscious, rolling countryside and even the Buffalo and Toronto skylines. Not for those who are afraid of heights, the 52-second elevator ride takes guests 775-feet up into the air. The view really is exceptional, and it can all be experienced without needing to brave the weather if conditions are less than optimal or you’ve simply forgotten to bring along your jacket.

Taking in Niagara Falls’ eponymous waterfalls is an essential part of visiting the region, but doing so doesn’t have to mean you get cold, wet, or even windswept.

Spring hikes in Niagara are not for the faint of heart, even if they only last an hour or two. While the region is certainly beautiful any time of the year, the wild and wooly weather that sometimes strikes during March and April can make for some wet, chilly, and surprising outdoor experiences.

Whether you’re planning a trip into the Niagara Glen or you’re headed out along the Bruce Trail, don’t get caught in a storm without a snack or two to energize you. Here are some of the best snacks to take along with you when you’re traveling to the Niagara region and hoping to take in a hike this spring.

Hot Chocolate

Few people would say hot chocolate qualifies as a “snack,” but that’s just because they’re aren’t exercising their imaginations properly. Full of easy-to-consume calories and bursting with just the right amount of caffeine, a thermos full of hot chocolate is a great and delicious snack. Especially on those spring days when winter’s chill is still very present or when a cold rain is likely to fall on you, a thermos of hot chocolate totally hit the spot.

Stop by a Tim Horton’s or Niagara Falls’ Paris Crepes Cafe to fill up your thermos before you hit the trail.

Pizza Strips

Many Canadians and Americans agree that there’s no such thing as a bad time to eat pizza. Hot, cold, homemade, or gourmet, pizza tastes great whenever you’re lucky enough to eat it no matter what you’re doing. When you’re vacationing in Niagara, there are plenty of places to get a delicious-tasting pie, whether you get wood-fired pizza from Antica or a perfectly tasty and unassuming pizza from Frank’s. So, plan accordingly.

The day before you head out on a hike, order up some pizza and be sure to get more than you need. Then, before you pack it up, cut the leftover slices into easy to carry strips. That way, when you’re out on your hike the next day, no matter what type of bad weather or muddy conditions greet you, you’ll have a pizza snack to look forward to that will vastly improve your hunger pangs and your spirits.

The Perfect Sandwich

The perfect sandwich is a great snack companion on any hike, regardless of the season or the location. In fact, the only downside to the perfect sandwich when you’re hiking is having been able to find it before you set out. Lucky for you, when you’re hiking in Niagara, numerous perfect sandwich opportunities are available. Here are a handful to choose from that will make any spring hike — no matter how cold, wet, or crummy — absolutely perfect:

• The Prime Rib Sandwich at Canyon Creek.
• The Fig and Prosciutto at Easy Street Sandwiches and Treats.
• The Ham and Cheese from The Famous.

So, don’t let the conditions in and around Niagara discourage you from heading out for a spring hike or two. Especially if you load up on snacks like these, you’ll always have plenty of delicious calories to lift your spirits and your energy level.