Getting Chilly in North America and Canada! - ...On the Road Again 2

Recap:  
The Best's have set off on yet another road trip. Check out the first post here!  

So far, the Best's have explored Charlottesville, Virginia and camped in Bridgewater, Virginia.  

We had a very chilly nights sleep. When we woke up the next morning the first thing I said to Josh was "it feels like it could snow." Sure enough we looked out the window and snow was falling to the ground. It was snowing in Bridgewater, Virginia and we had an entire day of driving North ahead of us. 

We had camped in the back of our car. This ritual is becoming a norm for the Best family road trips.  Despite the cold we had slept well and were ready for a full day of driving. Camping in your car is really an easy, cheap way to get from one stop to another. Especially when you're just passing through. We will be posting an easy tip tutorial for our to turn your vehicle into a campsite soon. 

We layered up before getting up and taking down our car campsite. After loading up the car we walked over and snapped a few photos of the Natural Chimney. After all, this was our purpose for stopping at this particular camping destination. We couldn't skip seeing the attraction. 

​Route:
Starting Location: Bridgewater, VA. 
Destination Location: Ontario, CA. 

Our drive out of Bridgewater was just as beautiful as the drive in.

We stopped in Harrisonburg, just up the street at the best little breakfast joint. "Little Collective Grill" was truly a hole in the wall but a definite gem find. We were lucky to get a seat right when we walked in because shortly after a line began to form. The concept of the diner was neat. It has been open since 2003 in a building that served as a restaurant business since the 1940s and is a worker-owned cooperative. It is owned by a group of folks with an emphasis on working collaboratively in a friendly environment. It was fantastic! After a chilly night of camping, a warm cup of coffee, blueberry/banana pancakes and biscuits and gravy hit the spot! Perfect Find! I fell even more in love when we received the check and it read:  "Peace, Love, Pancakes." 

We were fed and caffeinated and now en route to Canada. Before we left Raleigh the day before we knew snow was a possibility. We didn't know a blizzard was an option. We hit flurries leaving Virginia, and nothing going through West Virginia. But, by the time we hit Pennsylvania it was nothing but white ground and grey skies. Snow, snow, snow!
Being from Eastern North Carolina driving in the snow was NOT something we were used to. So, we said our prayers... a lot of them.... and drove very slow, letting the 60 mph'ers pass us by. This did put us behind schedule by an hour or so but once we got through Pennsylvania we had hit the worst of it.

New York had some snow but nothing like Pennsylvania and by the late afternoon we had reached the Canadian border. 

We drove into Canada through Buffalo, NY. We got up to border control and we learned the hard way that Canada does not allow pepper spray. So, for future Canadian journeys, leave the Pepper spray at home.  You will have to sign paperwork. 

After our brief detour of being taken in by Canadian control we continued our journey to the quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, just north of Niagara falls. We drove by the falls, but were saving those attractions for tomorrow.  First, we had some to-do's for Niagara-on-the-Lake that we didn't want to miss. 

Our quaint inn, 124 on Queen was in the PERFECT location. It was tucked away on the main street so we missed it. After driving by a few times we found the entrance and checked in. We quickly learned that It was a perfect choice, especially for such a great price. It was in a perfect location to everything located downtown. Easily walkable to every sight you could possibly want to see in the town and it was extremely comfortable which didn't hurt it too much either!  

Please check out our post on Niagara-on-the-Lake Must do's. But, in a brief summary, here are a few things we made sure to check off our to-do list while visiting.  

The Living Water Wayside Chapel:  
The worlds smallest chapel

Wine and Dine:
Niagara-on-the-Lake is just the place to find a good restaurant. But, the real appeal is their extensive list of Wineries! You can make reservations at one of the fine dining locations in town, or check out the Vineyard itself. There are over 17 different Vineyards to check out all within driving distance of the town. Many of them offer dining options as well. Just check out their online sites for more information. 
A few Wine and Dine Spots to check out:
- Konzellmann 
- Peller Estate 
- Treadwell Wine Bar 
-Stage Coach Family Restaurant
​-Sunnybrook Winery

Shopping: 
Niagara-on-the-Lake has some wonderful, quaint shops. It is the perfect town to take a stroll around and window shop (or if you're looking to spend some money - it has it all). 

Lake Ontario 
If you're willing to brace the cold go take a stroll next to Lake Ontario. There's a park that run alongside where you can entertain guests and/or animals. Bring a picnic or just check out the views. If you squint you can see Toronto! 

After a late dinner, we returned to our comfortably, amazing hotel where we rested up for our Niagara Falls Sunrise! 

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