Niagara Falls: Clifton Hill District Adventures

Hi friends! We just got back from our much needed mini-break to Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, so I will be sharing some of our adventures over the next few days, as I settle back into routine here.

If you are heading to Niagara Falls and planning to visit the Clifton Hill district, I would suggest getting the Clifton Hill Fun Pass.  It's really the best deal to experience a lot of the attractions and save quite a bit of money instead of paying for each one.

Here are some highlights of what we did! 

👉Wizards' Golf (18 holes of mini glow golf with magical & whimsical themes!) It's a Glow-in-the-Dark Bill.  This was a lot of fun. Definitely a multi-sensory experience!

👉Toy Store 4D is a MUST if you enjoy immerse experiences. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride! Bill had a blast on this one. Since this is 4D, there was an option to have a non-motion seat. All I had to do was leave my buckle undone. I am glad that they offer this, so I could partake in the activity in some ways too, but honestly, I was having the most fun watching Bill bounce around in his seat!  

👉Ghostblasters Dark Ride This one is a seated ride to blast those ghosties! Lots of cool animatronic characters and props. Around every corner is something to destroy - so that was pretty satisfying, if I may say so.

👉Creepy Castle - Another adventure ride - blasting all the creepy ghouls. This one was also motion-seated. but nothing compared to Toy Store 4D. I just had to let the attendent know I would like a non-motion seat, so I basically had my laser and was in a computer chair lol  while Bill was in the motion-activated one. 

*Note that we didn't go on the Niagara SkyWheel (this was part of the Fun Pass 6 choices available), since I don't like heights. I told Bill he could go solo, but he didn't want to.

So no big deal, we gave a nice couple walking by our passes to enjoy!

👉Movieland Wax Museum - There was a spot where you could take a break and just watch a little mini history on classic film actors like Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy. Interesting factoid: Buster Keaton had broken just about every bone in his body!

A low-key activity to just check out all the famous folks from different eras. Honestly, some of the wax figures were terribly inaccurate, which made us chuckle, while others were spot, and of course a little in between too. These were some of the favourites going through the museum!

WSO Opening Weekend - From Paris to Madrid

Show time!

It was the opening weekend for the WSO - From Paris to Madrid (Germaine Tailleferre’s Petite Suite alongside Manuel de Falla’s vibrant Suite No. 1. Aaron Copland’s iconic Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra.)  here in Windsor Ontario at the Capitol Theatre Windsor 🎶

Bill surprised me with tickets and this would kick off the start of our little mini-break!

The performance was lovely. This was the first time seeing Cosette Justo Valdés as the conductor - she had a lot of energy on stage and engaged the audience with her story-telling.  There was also Graham Lord on clarinet. I felt out of breath just watching him play - such incredible talent brought to the stage.  

 

Taken as we settled into our seats

(no photos/video allowed during the performance)

💜WSO

💜Capitol Theatre

East Windsor Delight at Dads Deli

We were very excited to try Dads Deli (located at 6152 Tecumseh Road E) and welcome them to the East side of town. It was their first day grand opening so they were extremely busy. Bill and I were fortunate to get a little table to enjoy a lunch break together.

piled high corned beef sandwich/chili dog

Cute patio setup at Dads Deli

I was shocked at the amount of corned beef piled high on my sandwich! It was delicious on pillowy soft rye bread. It came with a crunchy pickle and tangy coleslaw - both very good.

Bill ordered a chili dog - this was WAY bigger than expected! He passed a few unexpected mushrooms onto me but he really enjoyed it overall.

If you've lived in Windsor for a while, you'll know that this is the old Greek Boy building. After they left, it was several other places - none seemed to last at all for various reasons. With the arrival of Dads Deli - which is a family-run business, if they keep up with the quality of food, portion size, plus the excellent service, I can see them thriving in this area.

Ice cream and an assortment of crepes

(haven't tried but a reason to go back!)

💜Dads Deli

18th Anniversary at Terra Cotta and Ciao Caffe

I cannot believe how fast time goes. We just celebrated 18 years together and 7 years of marriage!

Terra Cotta (318 Pelissier St) was the top choice, as we were both craving pizza.  It was also a bonus that they had their 2-for-1 pizza special happening.

We started with a delicious shared Nero Salad followed by a wood-fired thin-crusted La Blonda pizza. This has definitely been our go-to order.  Everything tasted so fresh and taste buds were tingling - in the best way possible!  

Nero Salad: Romaine lettuce, red onions, green peppers, roasted red peppers, black olives, capers, tomatoes, and walnuts, finished with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing

La Blonda Pizza: Pesto sauce, mozzarella, and feta cheese.Veggies & Toppings: Spanish onions, roasted yellow peppers, zucchini, artichokes, and chicken.

It was really busy there, but we managed to get a table for two in the front. Our server Patricia was fantastic! Very friendly, accommodating, and watching her juggle all the tables, she was a rockstar. 

To finish the evening, we went to Ciao Caffe (4974 Tecumseh Rd E), which is a great little spot we found near us that we've been going to for a while now.  The staff are lovely and their dessert selections are incredible. 

I had a nice lemon/ginger tea, Bill had his usual cafe latte, and we split a mouth-watering strawberry romanoff cake.

We're definitely of the mindset to find local businesses to support whenever possible - everything is fragile and so making that extra effort is meaningful and benefits our community - full circle. When we get great service and the food is awesome - I want to blog about it, in hopes that others experience the same too.

💜Terra Cotta

💜Ciao Caffe