A beautiful alternative to Niagara is Websters Falls in the Spencer Gorge at Greensville...
There are plenty of beautiful picture opportunities to take as well as relatively safe hiking trails as well.
If you haven't already been here, it's a must see with flows all year long. There's also plenty to do once you're here if from out of town. There are several other falls and cascades nearby, including Tews Falls, Borers and Hermitage Cascade. Click on the link above for directions. I was surprised to see very little water coming off of Tews (fed from the Spencer Creek) before the rains came this week. If you're into hiking, there are plenty of Sanctuarys and Conservations Areas of course, such as Rock Chapel, Borers Falls CA, Dundas Valley CA, Christie Lake CA and what I like to call the 'Crooks'
And of course if you are into Sightseeing on the ground level and up perspective, there is an Antique shop close by and the Hamilton Farmer's Market. History lovers, will find the Hermitage Ruins interesting as well as the Dundurn Castle, which I have yet to see inside!! Of course the Royal Botanical Gardens, but I prefer the hikes and historical places.
You might see other earlier shots (winter) on this blog when I was here last year!
The Cheese Boutique is an example of a successful family business that was passed down for 3 generations! The boutique opened its doors in 1970 and since then has delivered every imaginable cheese under the sun from all over the world. These guys really know their stuff. Even if you are vague in your description of what you like, you know " its kind of crumbly and tangy,..." well you get the idea, the staff are all knowledgeable and they have to be! They serve local chefs who apparently come here for their ingredients, such as proscuito, foie gras? , truffles and of course.. cheese!! :P
It's also way more than just cheese here, they have prepared foods from all over the world, lavender bread..(which I've never tried, but sounds so inviting!) Who doesn't love the smell of lavender? White asparagus? There are fresh produce and candied flavoured strawberries from the local farmers. There are tarts, pies, meat pizzas (oh so delicious!), expresso to go and just in time I noticed from the wrap around counter, the deli meat that hangs above the busy employees and not one of them are standing still for a moment!
There's a cheese cave too! Oh did I mention, there is cheese here? No touching in here, but the staff are happy to let you in to take a peak. Within seconds you smell the aromas of cheese filling your nostrils in every unimaginable shape and size. It's perfect. When you come out you will find spices, and condiments from every part of the world, and a whole section just dedicated to chocolate truffles!
What I love about this place is the stacks of toothpicks for all of your sampling desires! Every where you turn there is a sample or two to nibble on. There are often demos which will offer tastes of local wine and crackers to go with any kind of cheese you love.
I never spent a dime, but was so overwhelmed to take pictures that I couldn't decide anyways on what I wanted, and for some time I felt like a tourist in my own city! Next time, I'll do my homework, so I'll be more prepared to take home more than just pictures :)
Click Here to find where they are at!
Here is a lousy picture of Websters Falls, I've seen some really nice ones, but I forgot to clean my lens Raindrops...keep...fallin..on ...my...lens! :)
Here we are a 22 metres of curtain waterfalls and its by far, well..the most spectacular of the Hamilton waterfalls..This is really a 'tourist' attraction. It's easy access and well worth it, always a year round flow, though I've been told at times better than others. There is of course the Spencer Gorge and an amazing hike in from the tracks. I've got some pictures somewhere from the summer that I shall post soon enough of that particular day!
How can anything be so perfect? The look, feel, smell and sounds of autumn. This is the Ganaraska Forest and it is the largest forest in Southern Ontario with hundreds of kilometres of trails.
It's also the oldest region protected under the Conservation Authorities act, formed in 1946. The watersheds throughout the forest cover a 935-square kilometre area from Wilmot creek in Clarington to east of Cobourg and from Rice Lake down to Lake Ontario.
It rained again on that day. I never remembered autumn being so cold and wet since I was a child. No matter what mood the weather is in, the colors surrounding you will always make fall the most beautiful of all seasons to me.
Missed the entrance to the forest off highway 35/115, a couple of times actually going north and coming back southbound. Be cautioned: once you see the signs of the Ganaraska Forest, you may as well slow right down because there aren't any heads-up signage, so you may very well miss the main 'tourist' entrance. In retrospect though, this allowed the findings of a more secluded entrance off of Boundary Road, a narrow dirt and gravel road. As this particular off-road entrance is forbidden to motorized vehicles, you'll have to trust your vehicle off to the side while you hike in.
Didn't do much of a hike today, rain really fell hard at times. Took some photographs before darkness came, saw no wildlife at all around. Smelled some wood smoke nearby and heard the quiet tapping of wet rain under my feet. Like I said before, how can anything be so perfect ?
If you haven't already been here, it's a must see with flows all year long. There's also plenty to do once you're here if from out of town. There are several other falls and cascades nearby, including Tews Falls, Borers and Hermitage Cascade. Click on the link above for directions. I was surprised to see very little water coming off of Tews (fed from the Spencer Creek) before the rains came this week. If you're into hiking, there are plenty of Sanctuarys and Conservations Areas of course, such as Rock Chapel, Borers Falls CA, Dundas Valley CA, Christie Lake CA and what I like to call the 'Crooks' 
