After our Prince Edward Island walking trip last year, we decided to plan a similar trip closer to home this year. Again the planning began in January, and again we centered it around dining destinations we have wanted to try. After testing out a few different routes, we decided on starting in Crystal Beach and ending in Oakville. We would take the GO train to St. Catharines and Uber to Crystal Beach and make our way back over the course of ten days. We would use the Friendship Trail, the Welland Canal Trail, the Bruce Trail and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail for a combination of path/road hiking as well as nature trails. We booked hotels in locations that were spaced about 20-25km apart and close to our planned route, and decided on which restaurants and wineries we wanted to visit, making note of how far in advance reservations could be made so that we could snag them and keep our plan intact. Then it was mostly a matter of waiting.
When the winter was over we were eager to get out and start some long distance hikes in preparation for the big event. We were most worried about the Bruce Trail sections of our planned route as we had mostly stuck to paved paths in the past. We booked a weekend at Hockley Valley Resort in April and when the weekend rolled around, we were happy that the predicted rain wouldn’t materialize, but in its place we got a bit of snow and hail. Luckily it wasn’t much and we wore lots of layers so the near-freezing temperatures didn’t seem too bad. Also luckily the hiking wasn’t super difficult and it gave us confidence to continue with the July trip as planned. That said, it was very different from what we experienced in PEI. The trail is mostly wooded and there are lots of inclines and declines. Our first day of hiking the Hockley Valley and Mono Cliffs sections of the trail resulted in us climbing the equivalent of 130 flights of stairs, and descending 84, according to my smartwatch. The second day our hike was much shorter and we climbed 84 flights of stairs and descended 49. In both cases we were very glad to have invested in a set of trekking poles (which we shared) as they came in handy during all the climbing.
Of course we also managed to fit in some food and drink on our trip, having a couple of meals at Adamo Estate Winery on the Hockley Valley Resort property, and stopping in at Mono Centre Brewing Company as the final stop on our Day 1 hike (before taking an Uber back to the resort.)
All in all it was a successful experiment and we began planning a follow-up: a day trip to Waterdown to tackle that section of the Bruce Trail.
For the Waterdown hike, we took the GO train to Aldershot GO station and walked to the Royal Botanical Gardens. This was an easy trail that was very scenic and we saw tons of birds, chipmunks and greenery. We still had a ways to go before getting to the Bruce Trail, and we stopped in to the Rock Garden Bistro for some lunch before setting out again.
Once we hit the Bruce Trail the terrain changed pretty drastically. This section of the trail had even more ups and downs than the parts of the Hockley Valley/Mono Cliffs trail that we did, and we climbed the equivalent of a whopping 143 flights of stairs that day. It was an absolutely beautiful section of trail though, with lots of lookouts and some waterfalls.
At the end of the walk we made our way back to the Aldershot GO station which was the worst part of the outing since we took a fairly busy highway with no sidewalks and tons of construction. This is always the hardest part of our hikes: getting to and from the trail heads without a car. That said, this was one of my favourite hiking days since we could do it as a day-hike and because the weather was absolutely perfect, there were no insects (it was mid-May) and the trails were challenging but not difficult.
We decided we could fit in one more Bruce Trail practice hike before July and settled on Section 1: Queenston Heights. We would not be hitting this section on our July trip so we thought it would be nice to do on its own. We booked a night’s stay in Niagara on the Lake and had an absolutely amazing meal at Treadwell restaurant. We had heard good things but it surpassed all expectations. I have no photos but everything was perfect and delicious, including the local wine. It was a great start to the weekend and the next day we checked out of our hotel and made our way to the trail, which has an entry point right in downtown Niagara on the Lake. We made our way along the Niagara River to Queenston Heights where the southern terminus of the trail can be found.
This walk also triggered a bird-identifying hobby when we saw a Baltimore Oriole early on in the hike.
After reaching the Southern Terminus, we took the Bruce Trail toward St. David’s where we had dinner booked at Ravine Vineyard. This part of the trail was more wooded and there were a few insects. We came prepared with insect repellent so it wasn’t so bad, but they still fly all around you even if they don’t bite, which can be annoying.
We did a blind tasting at Ravine and it was just as great as the meal we had at Treadwell the evening before. This trip was a standout because of the food which is one of the main drivers for our hiking trail choices. It’s always easier to stay motivated with the promise of a delicious meal at the end of your journey!
Our Queenston Heights hike took place in June, so by this time there was no turning back on our planned journey. All of our restaurant bookings were successful and we were excited to see amazing sights and eat amazing food. While the agenda was aggressive, we were ready and suddenly, July 3 was here.