Niagara in Winter. Dec, 2020

As the holiday season approaches, we like to lift our spirits with little weekend getaways. This weekend, we spent some time at Niagara Falls. Even though we've been there countless times, we still manage to discover something new with every visit

We leave home in the morning, and about an hour and a half later arrive at Niagara Falls. The town is a popular tourist destination, filled with hotels and attractions.

Our first stop is somewhere new for us — Rossi Glass, a shop featuring beautiful handmade glass creations crafted right on site. I had checked ahead and knew that we would arrive just in time to watch the resident glassblower at work. With the holiday season approaching, he was busy fulfilling countless orders. This is the beautiful display that greeted us

We check into Sheraton Fallsview Hotel, and we absolutely love it. The location is perfect—just a few minutes' walk from the falls and within easy walking distance of the main street with its restaurants and attractions. There's even a Starbucks right next door.

But the best part is the incredible view from our room. We overlook the American Falls, and if we step closer to the window and look to the right, we can also see the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (featured in the main photo of this post)

After a little rest, we head to Bird Kingdom to spend some time with the birds. We've visited this place several times before, but we always enjoy coming back.

We chatted with the talking parrots and admired the many colorful birds flying freely all around us

The girls asked if we could stop by the Hershey's store 

We return to the hotel for a short rest, then head out for dinner. But our biggest plans are reserved for the evening...

As darkness begins to fall, it's time to set off. Our first stop is the Floral Showhouse, a charming floral conservatory that we always visit whenever we're in Niagara. The flower displays change with the seasons, so there's always something new to admire

Next, we drive about 20 minutes from Niagara to the Safari Niagara park. We still haven't had a chance to visit it during the summer, but this time the park had been transformed with hundreds of illuminated displays. These drive-through light festivals became especially popular during the pandemic, when many indoor attractions were closed while outdoor activities remained open.

A long line of cars slowly makes its way through the safari grounds, allowing visitors to enjoy the festive lights without ever leaving their vehicles

The experience didn't impress us very much. The light displays were spread quite far apart, making the drive feel a bit underwhelming. There are several similar holiday light festivals in Toronto, and we definitely plan to visit them as well. Hopefully, they'll leave a stronger impression...

Back at the hotel, the girls relax while the parents prepare a little late-night snack

And here's our good morning — starting the day with a delicious breakfast overlooking the falls

We let the girls choose what they wanted to do, and to our surprise, they simply wanted to spend some time playing arcade games. We didn't even have to leave the hotel, as the arcade was right inside. Maybe they had a feeling that today would be their lucky day!