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Come to Niagara Falls for Mother’s Day

Reading Time:  5 minutes -

Reasons to take Mom to Niagara Falls for Mother’s Day
There is no better place to bring mom than Niagara Falls for Mother’s Day. The weather forecast is starting to warm up, and with so many beautiful spots to take her, you won’t run short of places to take her in this city. In Canada, Mother’s Day is the third largest greeting card holiday (following Valentine’s Day and Christmas), so it’s a big one to show mom that you care. Here’s just a couple of great spots in Niagara Falls to take her…so grab the camera and get ready to treat her to something special!
The Butterfly Conservatory:
Located on the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, it’s just 10 minutes north of Niagara Falls. The Butterfly Conservatory features over 2000 tropical butterflies that float freely among exotic blossoms and greenery. The paths wind through a tropical environment including gorgeous waterfalls and colorful scenery. It is a self-guided tour and mom will love the peacefulness and tranquility that the building provides. Adults are $13.95 and Children ages 6-12 are $9.10. Children 5 and under are free!

The Niagara SkyWheel:
This Mother’s Day, treat mom to a 175 foot ride in the sky inside North America’s largest observation wheel, the Niagara SkyWheel! Rated as one of Trip Advisor’s top Niagara Falls attractions, it’s easy to see why as you will be treated to memorable views of Niagara Falls and the entire landscape. It is a world-class ride that features fully enclosed gondolas, each climate-controlled for your comfort. The Niagara SkyWheel is also wheelchair accessible. There is no better way to snap incredible birds-eye photos than aboard this remarkable structure! Adults are only $10.99 and Children ages 3-12 are $6.99. Children 2 and under are free!

Dufferin Islands:

If cost is a factor, Dufferin Islands is a gorgeous park located just minutes from the Horseshoe Falls. It’s the perfect spot to treat mom to a picnic, for children to feed the geese or for a family walk and picture opportunity. The best part? It’s free. It features 10 acres of paradise with several islands connected by bridges and pathways. She will love the scenery, peace and serenity that this hideaway spot will bring.
Take Her to Dinner

*Pictured Above: Kelsey’s patio is open! Daily entertainment on throughout the Spring and Summer. Mother’s Day performers from 12 pm to 10 pm.*
If you would rather treat mom to lunch or dinner rather than a picnic, take her to where all the excitement is this Mother’s Day; to Clifton Hill! As the “Street of Fun by the Falls”, we feature several restaurant options. Boston Pizza Clifton Hill has a wide selection of gourmet pizzas to choose from, as well as more than 100 other delicious menu items! Niagara’s only Kelsey’s Restaurant is located right at the peak of Clifton Hill, where you will find an extensive menu to please every palate. The patio is open, complete with live entertainment right through the Summer. Mom can relax, eat good food, while listening to the soothing sounds of our talented Niagara guitarists and their contemporary songs. These two options are situated just minutes from Mom’s favourite Niagara attraction of them all, the wonderous Niagara Falls!
Hornblower Niagara Cruises

And speaking of the Niagara Falls, while it’s opening date for this season is yet to be announced, tickets for the Hornblower Niagara Cruises can be purchased in advance online. Is there any better gift to give Mom than letting her be one of the first to ride Niagara’s newest attraction this year? As Canada’s only Niagara boat tour, it features two 700-passenger, state-of-the-art catamaran boats that will take Mom on an intimate tour that gets her as close as possible to the Niagara Falls. It begins at the Canadian docks at the base of the Great Gorge, past the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and into the very heart of the famous Horseshoe Falls.
Choose online between these tour options: “Voyage to the Falls Cruise”, “Falls Illumination Cruise”, or the “Falls Fireworks Cruise”. Each cruise is approximately a half hour and will be sure to be a unique and memorable gift for her.
Please contact 905-394-3040 or by email at: info@niagaracruises.com for any inquiries.
All us Mom’s want to spend Mother’s Day with the ones that we love, so there is no better gift than family time. This includes all the fun and excitement that the Clifton Hill Fun Pass  brings, complete with the family friendly savings in the wallet! Enjoy the Niagara SkyWheel, Movieland Wax Museum, Dinosaur Adventure Golf  or Wizard’s Golf, the all-new Wild West Coaster, Ghostblasters Dark Ride and a few bonus tokens to try your luck at the Great Canadian Midway!
Click on the photo below to get your passes in advance AND get another bonus Niagara SkyWheel admission completely free:

Chocolate, Candy and Fudge…OH MY!
Perhaps the best place to purchase a gift on Clifton Hill, and maybe even in Niagara Falls for Mother’s Day is at the Fantasy Fudge Factory! What’s Mother’s Day without chocolate? A visit to the Fantasy Fudge Factory offers over 20 decadent flavours of fudge, candy apples, toffee, brittle, beernuts, candy, chocolate-covered strawberries and so much more!

You can even custom create your own basket for mom as well — they just ask that you come into the store a few days before Mom’s special day to begin preparing a basket that she will love. Here’s an example of a custom basket:

The skies the limit of candy options here, but one thing is for sure….mom will want dessert!

If you are going to spend money this Mother’s Day, why not get something you know that Mom will want? Time with family, a getaway from everyday life and to be treated to something special. Here, you will be provided a bang for your buck; relaxing attractions with breathtaking views, a meal mom won’t have to cook and chocolates all within the beautiful scenery of one of the Greatest Wonders of the World, Niagara Falls!
Looking for an affordable hotel option in Niagara Falls for Mother’s Day? The Comfort Inn Clifton Hill offers affordability, a prime location, and a wide variety of hotel packages that can’t be beat, and are great ideas for Mother’s Day. Packages such at the Niagara Couples Getaway Package and the “Build A Package” are some of your best options. “Build-A-Package” lets you customize a package that you KNOW she will love!
Want more information on the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill and its various hotel packages? Click on the photo below:

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

Christine Lynn

 

clynn@cliftonhill.com

 

www.cliftonhill.com

 

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Swamp Creatures Exhibit at the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory Is A Blast for Kids!

Reading Time:  4 minutes -

The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory has something new just in time for the Family Day weekend…the all-new “Swamp Creatures Exhibit“! This exhibit runs from February 8th, 2014 until May 11th, 2014. The Exhibit was created by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo of Ottawa and the Swamp Creatures Exhibit features animals from the world’s wetlands. These animals include: the Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman, Dumeril’s Monitor, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Stinkpot Turtle (indigenous), Pink Salmon Bird-eating Tarantula, Bullfrog, Budgett’s Frog, Norwegian Rats, Cotton Mouth, Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda and the Malaysian Blood Python.


These new creatures are in addition to the over 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species, that call the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory home. There is no additional charge to enter the conservatory while the Swamp Creatures Exhibit is in town. Regular fees apply at: $13.50+tax for Adults (13+), $8.80+tax for Children (6-12) and Children aged 5 and under are free to enter.
I decided to check out the new exhibit for myself and brought my 2-year-old son, Kaidyn with me. We were greeted right away by the friendly staff at the Niagara Parks that quickly rang us in and informed me of where to go and what I was going to see. They have a spot to put your jackets which many people will find handy since it is very humid in the Butterfly Conservatory to try an emulate the rainforest atmosphere that butterflies are accustomed to. I had a stroller with me, so I threw our jackets in there instead, and continued on. The building is fully wheelchair accessible, which came in handy when it came to maneuvering our way through the paths of the self guided walking tour.
As soon as you pay to enter, the new Swamp Creatures Exhibit is set up right there in the main lobby. Kaidyn loved the indigenous “Stinkpot Turtle” the best and there was a “Zoo Educator” on hand that informed us that this breed of turtle, much like a skunk, will release a “musky” odour when they feel threatened — giving it its name. I watched Kaidyn run from aquarium to aquarium screaming in delight, before the Bird-eating Tarantula creeped me out enough that I decided it was time to enter the Butterfly Conservatory.

*Pictured Above: Waterfall in the main lobby of the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory.
The gentleman at the door took our tickets and informed us that the first thing that we will see (if we choose to) was a short educational film presentation that is close captioned for the hearing impaired. Since Kaidyn was anxious to see the butterflies, I decided to skip the video presentation and we went right inside.
I can say for certain that kids will LOVE the Butterfly Conservatory! There are thousands of colourful species of all shapes and sizes that swirl about and all around you! Some will even land on you. My son loved chasing them around and kept shouting “Catch them mommy!”, which I’m sure is frowned upon in there, but is something that they are used to from toddlers.

*Kaidyn on the stairs inside the Conservatory. Note: It is fully wheelchair accessible!
The staff inside is so friendly and made the visit an interactive one for my son. There is an Emergence window, where butterflies leave their pupae and prepare to take their first flight. Visitors can watch as butterflies emerge from their chrysalides, dry their wings and prepare for their very first flight into the Conservatory. One gentleman that worked there called Kaidyn over and opened up the window to allow Kaidyn to have the opportunity to have a butterfly sit on his arm, which Kaidyn loved!

*Kaidyn at the Emergence window…thanks for the experience!
The Butterfly Conservatory is large enough at 180 metres of pathways winding in and out of the conservatory, that it took us approximately 1 hour to get through the visit. Be sure to bring a camera to get the most out of this visit. You will not be disappointed! Here are a few photos that I took:

Here’s a nice video of what you will find inside the Butterfly Conservatory:

The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is located at 2565 Niagara Parkway, on the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture. For detailed information on the Conservatory, its hours of operation, admission and parking rates, as well as NPC’s attraction packages, please visit www.niagaraparks.com.
The Swamp Creatures Exhibit at the Butterfly Conservatory is an ideal destination for families on Family Day weekend in Niagara Falls. For a few more things to do in Niagara Falls on Family Day weekend click here.
The Butterfly Conservatory is also part of the Niagara Parks Wonder Pass which features:
*The Butterfly Conservatory
*Journey Behind the Falls
*Niagara’s Fury
Purchasing the Wonder Pass through the Clifton Hill Niagara Falls Hotel will save you an additional 15% off the retail price as part of the “Build-A-Package”. Click on the link below for information on this package — and more!

I’d like to thank the staff at the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory for a great time and lasting memories for my son and I. We had a wonderful time and I would recommend the new Swamp Creatures Exhibit to everyone.

Christine Lynn
www.cliftonhill.com
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