Road Trip: Niagara Falls, Ontario via Toronto

We left our friends, the delicious food, and night life of Montreal behind and set out for a long day on the road en route to Niagara Falls. We traveled through Quebec and into Ontario, hugging the shores of the Saint Lawrence and Lake Ontario for much of the drive. Our first stop was Kingston, an historic military town where the St. Lawrence flows into Lake Ontario. We gassed up and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the waterfront.

After a few more hours of driving, we took a slight detour from the highway and headed to The Beach district along Queen St. in Toronto. We were extremely fortunate that the beach we randomly pulled into--Silverbirch Park--was dog-friendly.  After more than six hours in the Vanagon, Parker was desperate for some exercise.  He quickly made friends and enjoyed a good swim in Lake Ontario. 

With our wet and tired dog, we finished off the drive in the gauntlet of strip malls and touristy sprawl of the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario.We stayed the night at the local KOA, taking full advantage of the camp's indoor heated pool (they also had two outdoor pools, a hot tub and sauna!). That's some serious camping.

The next morning we joined the international throng of onlookers on the Canadian side of falls. This was a first-time visit for both of us, and the falls were as impressive and powerful as we had imagined. Parker longed for another swim, but the water seemed a little rough, even for him.