Tourist clogged streets, drivers who had no idea where they were going, and pedestrians who felt they could cross the street at anytime. This sounds like a typical summer scene, at any major tourist attraction and I spent two days witnessing it.

I literally just got back from the long weekend. Being a newbie to Ontario I’m still exploring the province. This past long weekend found me in the Niagara Region. I hadn’t seen the infamous falls yet, so I figured now was a great opportunity.

As I expected (and was warned about) the area was jam packed with tourists. I saw license plates from as far away as Florida and Virginia as tourists made their way to one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

I got sucked into all the usual tourist traps—the Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, and of course the usual hotspots on Clifton Hill. As a personal suggestion to anyone looking to venture down that way, Journey Behind the Falls really isn’t worth your $12.

Of course I had to stop by the Fallsview Casino and support the good works of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. I managed to win $200 and spend only $20, so it was a successful casino experience. If only I could have such good luck at Kawartha Downs.

After a day in Niagara Falls, I ventured north to Niagara-on-the-Lake. I really enjoyed my visit to this small town. It too was packed with tourists, but not nearly as many. Checking out all the local shops was a necessity, and thinking ahead, I even found a perfect Christmas gift. I don’t think I’ve ever bought this far ahead before. I’ll thank myself come December.

I think my favourite shop, besides Cows Ice cream of course, was Kurtz Culinary Creations. Every type of spice, seasoning, barbecue rub, jam and gourmet condiment was sold there. Best of all, they had dozens of samples you could “try before you buy.” I ended up leaving with a bottle of roasted garlic dip mix. I can’t wait to try that out, if the sample was any indication, it should be good!

Niagara-on-the-Lake also featured many beautiful gardens. I was impressed with how much time and effort was put into making their yards truly stand out. You could always measure the successfulness of the homeowner by how many tourists stopped to pose with or take photos of the gardens.

One garden I came across on the town’s historic Queen Street had the usual flair of perennials in full bloom but also had herbs thrown in as well. The scent of lavender filled the air and you walked past and you could tell that the caretaker of this garden recently harvested some other herbs as well.

It seems more and more people are growing herbs as they discover just how much flavour fresh herbs can bring to food as opposed to the dried and processed varieties seen in grocery stores everywhere.

Coming up on Sunday there is an excellent opportunity to lean more about cooking with herbs and walk away with the inspiration to grow your own. Chef Ben Anderson of the Black Horse Pub will be leading a workshop on the best practices of cooking with herbs, providing tips on storage, the best kinds of herbs to use, and how to use them. If you have any herb related cooking questions, this is the opportunity to get them answered by a kitchen expert!

The workshop is taking place Sunday from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m., rain or shine at the Ecology Park on Ashburnham Drive, right next door to Peterborough Utilities. There is a $10 fee (a real bargain if you ask me) to help cover the cost of food. Not only are you going to be getting advice from a professional chef, you’re also going to be leaving with the booklet filled with recipes and tips from local restaurants.

There are only 20 spots available for this workshop, and the deadline for registration is Friday. You can drop your payment off in person at the Green-Up office, 378 Aylmer Street, across from Baskin Robbins and next to the Greyhound Terminal. I promise, no hardhat required for our on-going