Fun Things For Families To Do In Niagara Falls, Canada

For Families to do in Niagara Falls, Canada

By Myla Miranda

We are calling all families! Are you looking for a funpacked family outing? The beautiful city of Niagara Falls, Canada has many fun activities for kids and parents to experience and enjoy.

On River Road Street, there is a lovely place called Bird Kingdom. Bird Kingdom – a fantastic place to visit! It’s a large indoor aviary where you can walk around and see breathtaking birds up close and personal. Bird Kingdom has all different kinds of habitats and pretty scenery. In some parts of the aviary, you can interact with the friendliest birds and feed them right from the palm of your hand. Bird Kingdom is not only a beautiful tropical paradise, but it is also an interactive and educational experience for kids. Another amazing place to visit in Niagara Falls is the Niagara Zipline, located near the base of Clifton Hill. Let go of all your worries as you soar through the fresh air and take in all the beautiful views of our waterfall on the Niagara Zipline. Even the locals say that the WildPlay Mistrider Zipline is one of the best activities to try in Niagara. It’s a nerve-racking yet thrilling experience you and your family will never forget.

The Butterfly Conservatory, located on Niagara River Parkway, is a great place to visit with your family. The Butterfly Conservatory is a breathtaking enclosure where you can see all kinds of different colourful butterflies. Kids can learn about a butterfly’s life cycle and have them land on their hands or even heads. This conservatory is a fun and educational experience that will show your kids the beauty of nature. You can also explore the pretty gardens at the end of the walk-through.

On top of that, here in Niagara Falls, we have Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours. The tour is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a very short drive from the Falls. It’s a thrilling adventure where you can ride in powerful jet boats through the large rapids getting very close to the whirlpool in the lower river. Some locals describe it as the “rollercoaster of the water.”

Kids would love this attraction because it’s an exciting experience that will get their adrenaline pumping. Visiting the Whirlpool Jet Boats is a great way to see the beauty of the lower river from a new perspective.

Wild Play Niagara, located on the Niagara River Parkway, is a fun place where your kids can climb, run, swing, and zipline fast through the tall trees. It’s a large outdoor playground with fun and challenging obstacles. Kids can test their bravery and adventurous abilities while having fun at the same time in the great outdoors. Wild Play Niagara is a great place to see if you and your family want outdoor activities.

Clifton Hill is also a fantastic spot to visit. It’s a fun-packed street that is perfect for families. The street is bright with colour. It’s like a giant playground with many fun things to do! There is the SkyWheel, a grand ferris wheel that gives you the most amazing views of the beautiful falls. There is also Ripley’s Believe It or Not! where you can see all sorts of weird and crazy exhibits. And let’s not forget about the Movieland Wax Museum, where you can take many selfies with all your favourite celebrity wax versions. Another great stop is the Midway which boasts rides, video games, interactive games, and bowling, all adjacent to Boston Pizza. Clifton Hill is also home to the most delicious treats. You can indulge in mouthwatering fudge and cool down with a scoop of ice cream or dip and dots. At Clifton Hill, there’s always something for everyone in your family, whether you’re into thrilling rides, exploring sights, or enjoying delicious snacks. Make sure you check it out!

Lastly, Fallsview Indoor Waterpark is an absolute blast for families, and it’s worth a visit! It’s the ultimate family fun zone in beautiful Niagara Falls to splash and swim. This waterpark has all different kinds of exciting water attractions. They have massive water slides that will get your heart pumping, slow, lazy rivers where you can sit back and relax, and a huge wave pool that makes you feel like you’re at a sunny beach. There is so much to choose from. Fallsview Indoor Waterpark is open year-round, so you can always enjoy splashing in the water, no matter the weather. Isn’t that amazing?

Niagara Falls has many fun activities and beautiful sights to see with your family, from the breathtaking beauty of the Falls to the thrilling adventures on Clifton Hill. If you visit Niagara, there will never be a dull moment. Niagara Falls is a place where lifelong memories are made. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your fun visit to Niagara Falls now!

By Martine Mackenzie

In Canada, we call them chocolate bars, while our neighbours to the south call them candy bars. Read on and you will find out why!

Beginning with just one location, Rocky Mountain Chocolate has since grown to include over 45 locations throughout Canada and is proud to be one of the most recognizable chocolate brands within the country.

This was part of the lure for Bruce and Laura Cochran, the proud owners of 3 franchises in the Niagara Region.

“We started at the Outlet Collection of Niagara in Niagara-on-theLake,” says Bruce. “Now we have a store in downtown Niagara-onthe-Lake and at the Canada One Outlets on Lundy’s Lane.”

For Bruce and Laura, the transition from their regular jobs into the world of chocolate wasn’t a difficult one.

“I was going through the Saturday paper and saw a franchise available. That weekend we met up with some friends over breakfast and the topic came up. We made a list of pros and cons, and the pros won. That Monday, we called the head office in Vancouver and by the following Saturday, we were on our way.”

“We were both always hard workers and decided that we wanted to work for ourselves instead of working for others,” adds Laura. Coming from a background in health care with the Niagara Health System for 18 years, Laura welcomed the change from mental health to chocolate.

Bruce owned a business in Burlington at the time the Cochrans purchased their first store. He then sold that business and joined Laura full-time in the chocolate business. Shortly after, they purchased the two other locations, and the rest is history.

Being around all of that chocolate all day every day, one would think that it would be difficult to choose a favorite product. For Bruce, it’s actually easy. “I love the pecan mogul which is pecans layered with handmade caramel then drenched in chocolate.” Laura doesn’t like anything coffeeflavored. “It has nothing to do with the chocolate. I just have an aversion to anything that tastes like coffee and combining the two flavors for me is not good,” she laughs. “It’s easier to say what I don’t like because it’s just that. I love the candy apples, especially the apple pie candy apple which is rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon after being drenched in white chocolate.”

Looking around, one might expect to see an Oompa Loompa or two. Of course, that’s only in the movies and at Rocky Mountain Chocolate’s Lundy’s Lane location, you will find Wes Atkinson, the master chocolatier, and the antithesis of an Oompa Loompa standing at well over 6 feet tall.

“Wes came with this store when we bought it,” says Bruce. “He was the only employee we retained and that’s because he’s the best!”

Wes began his career in the kitchen from an early age when he found himself baking alongside his mother. “I started out as a bread baker and enrolled in Niagara College’s Bakery and Pasty Arts program because I’ve always been passionate about any and all sweets,” says Wes with a big grin.

What separates Rocky Mountain Chocolates from the competition is that 75% of its products are made in-house, using only the highest quality of chocolate. Here is where Wes goes on to explain the difference between a chocolate bar and a candy bar, which few people actually realize is a big one. “A true chocolate bar is made of tempered chocolate, while a candy bar is not tempered, contains less than 18% chocolate and is often filled with wax.”

Photos courtesy of Rocky Mountain Chocolate.

Wes goes on to give a quick lesson in the history of chocolate. “Before World War II, true chocolate was reserved for the elite. After World War II came the ability to mass produce a chocolate product using fillers to be economical. This is where candy bars come from.”

Wes does indeed love all things sweet, but he enjoys making ‘Sea Foam’ (sponge toffee) and brittle. What he finds most challenging in the candy-making business is fudge. “It’s all about the temperature being the key. One degree off one way or another is the difference between whether the fudge stands or not.” Laura adds, “Baking of any kind, is a precise science.”

“Once your palate has experienced the real thing, it’s impossible to go back. I can taste chemicals in a candy bar,” says Wes.

Another tell-tale sign of a premium chocolate product is the sound a bar makes when snapped. “You actually hear the snap of tempered chocolate,” says Laura. “Candy bars are more pliable because of the fillers used in them, like wax.”

Wes’ favorite thing to snack on at Rocky Mountain is the chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. “I could eat those all day long.”

Products at Rocky Mountain are never mass-produced either. “We can never call the popularity of our products from day to day. We play it by feel as to what gets produced on a daily basis, because it all depends on the clientele we are serving at that time,” says Wes.

There is one product that you won’t find on any shelves other than at Rocky Mountain in the Niagara Region. “We make the most delicious ice wine bombs at all three of our locations and we are the only ones in the country that make them,” says Laura.

Whatever your preference is, you will find something to treat your tastebuds when you visit Bruce, Laura and Wes at any of the 3 locations here in Niagara.

Simply White Interiors