One of the greatest pleasures of taking a vacation is the ample free time that emerges for sightseeing, leisurely lunches, and sleeping late. If you’re someone who takes holidays in order to relax and recharge — and you’re a reader — another welcome pleasure is the time you can afford yourself to settle back and read to your heart’s content. While a trip to Niagara should certainly be filled with sightseeing, it’s also a perfect place to devour a novel or memoir in between ogling the waterfalls and relishing a winery tour. Here are three wonderful places in Niagara to settle back with a book and take a whole different kind of trip while you’re on vacation.
1. Queen Victoria Park
Even when it’s chilly outside, Queen Victoria Park is a great place to lose yourself in a book. The beautifully manicured gardens look beautiful and smell lovely all year long, and any walkers or other visitors to the park tend to be quiet, respectful, and well-mannered. Have a seat on a park bench, bring along a lawn chair, sit your back against a tree, or lay a thick blanket out on the ground. If it’s cooler, wear plenty of layers, and be sure to bring some coffee or hot chocolate in a thermos. So long as it’s dry, and the temperature doesn’t get too far below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the park makes for an ideal backdrop to almost any kind of reading.
2. Second Cup
Located in the charming little town of St. Catharines, Second Cup is a sleek little coffee company and café that offers a shocking variety of different beverages and yummy pastries. They also provide free Wi-Fi for their customers, so after you’ve purchased a latte or apple cider, you won’t have to feel self-conscious about hanging around for an hour or two while you read. Head there in the late morning or mid-afternoon, and the easy pace of the occasional customer won’t feel too distracting either, whereas the coffee shop rush hours of earlier morning, lunch, and after work can be a bit overwhelming.
3. Your Hotel Lobby
Especially if you’ve booked a room at the Crowne Plaza, settling into one of the lobby’s comfortable chairs in order to give your attention over to your book is an easy and welcome option. The lighting is soft and tasteful. The noise level is never too distracting, and the Starbucks that’s right there allows for an easy coffee, tea, or snack should the desire strike. Also, if the weather outside is dour, and you don’t want to stay up in your room, heading downstairs to the lobby provides a welcome change of scenery and energy without requiring too much of you. For the vacationer who really needs a break from the daily grind, a book and a lush and welcoming hotel lobby can feel like the ultimate luxury.
Come for the sights, the food, wine, and fun, but don’t neglect to pause and rejuvenate. If you’re looking forward to reading on your trip to Niagara Falls, these three places can all facilitate the sweet immersion into another world that reading provides.