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Spring begins this month, although we can never depend on spring weather arriving simultaneously with the official arrival of spring. But after our rough winter, it is time to explore.
Take advantage of spring break specials and the favorable Canadian exchange rate in Toronto or Niagara Falls, Ontario. Or indulge your sweet tooth and get out to the country during the Maple Weekends. Pretend it is summer and go to Splash Lagoon. Laughter is good for everyone and there is no better place for lots of laughs than Jamestown’s National Comedy Center.
It’s Maple Syrup Season
Every spring, members of the New York State Maple Producers Association invite families and friends into their “sugar houses” to experience the world of pure New York maple syrup. This year Maple Weekends will be 10 am to 4 pm, March 23-24 and March 30-31.
There are 180 maple producers statewide and 54 in Western New York who participate in this fun, free program designed to educate the public about the wonders of maple syrup. Maple sugaring is usually a family affair and often it is done on family farms. Everyone offers tours, free samples, and various maple products for sale. Some offer wagon rides into the woods, pancake breakfasts, and even maple syrup snow candy.
Did you know that the only place in the world where maple syrup is produced is Eastern Canada (Quebec and Ontario) and Northeastern United States? Canada produces two-thirds of the world’s supply, and the rest comes from the United States.
New York State is the second largest producer of maple syrup in the country after Vermont and the Sugar Maple is the state tree of New York.
In the northern United States, Native Americans were the first to harvest the maple sap for nutritional use. Before the arrival of European settlers in the 1600s, many tribes had a long tradition of producing maple sugar.
The Algonquins used stone tools to tap maple trees and harvest the energy-giving sugar. They would cook the maple sap by placing hot stones directly into collecting buckets. In the 17th century, European colonists took advantage of the maple sap. At the time, the boiling process was more time consuming as the sap had to be transported by horses and oxen to a single location. Once it arrived, the sugar was boiled and then processed over a fire built in the sugar shack.
March is sugaring season because the warmer daytime temperatures and freezing nights generate sap flow. The highest quality sap flows at the beginning of the season and has the highest sugar content. Maple sap has high sugar content during the winter because cold periods result in the conversion of starch to sugar.
The process of collecting maple sap has advanced since the Colonial Era through the use of vacuum pumps and tubing. A maple tree is tapped when it is at least 30 years old.
Maple sap is nearly 98% water. This means that although a maple tree can produce more than three gallons of sap per day, it takes more than 40 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of pure maple syrup.
A sugar shack or sugarhouse is a cabin-like structure that is louvered with horizontal slats to let out the steam from the sap evaporation.
The same family has owned Wright Farm in Farmersville since 1840 and the family has been producing maple syrup for nearly 180 years.
“Our main purpose with the Maple Weekends is education,” explained Robert Wright who oversees the maple syrup operation on the family dairy farm. “This is a family business and hard work for all of us and we take pride in producing a quality product.”
There is a special treat for visitors to the Wright Farm: maple syrup snow candy. Hot syrup is poured over fresh snow to produce this special seasonal delicacy.
“People often say that this is just like the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories,” Wright said. “We give each person a popsicle stick to turn the candy into an easy to eat treat.” If you have a sweet tooth like me, these are really delicious and a unique treat.
Gabel’s Maple Syrup in Lawtons is another family operation that is putting out the welcome mat for visitors.
“It just would not be spring without making syrup,” explained Norbert Gabel. “My great grandfather was making maple syrup in the area years ago and we are proud to continue the tradition. We bring visitors in a hay wagon out to the sugar shack so they can see the boiling process.”
For information visit: mapleweekend.nysmaple.com; 315-335-0887. There are maps and listings of all the farms that are participating in the Maple Weekend on the website. Wright Farm, 9166 Laidlaw Rd., Farmersville, 716-474-7474. Gabel’s Maple Syrup, 3843 Lenox Rd., Lawtons, 716-949-9110. Maple syrup season is also mud season so don’t forget boots and warm clothes.
Spring Break Specials in Toronto
Spring break for school children is in March in Ontario and Toronto’s attractions offer a wide array of spring break specials for children and families. U.S. visitors are benefitting from the attractive exchange rate. At press time it was $1 U.S. equals $1.31 Canadian.
The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto in the heart of downtown, has a long history as a super family-friendly hotel. An array of kid-friendly activities is offered year round but during March Break (March 8-17 this year) the hotel really extends the welcome mat starting with a special check-in with welcome gifts for kids. Other family fun activities include bouncy castles, Segway obstacle courses, group movie nights and Bingo games, as well as discounts on many of the city’s top attractions. Visit http://www.chelseatoronto.com for more information.
The Family Fun Zone with the family pool, Kid Centre, Club 33 Teen Lounge, and Corkscrew Waterslide is always complimentary. Hotel rates are as low as $150 Canadian during this period.
Black Creek Pioneer Village is offering free admission for kids 14 and under the week of March 11-17. Crime strikes the village and everyone is invited to help Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the case. Join the maple syrup fun at the Maple Syrup Show, explore the Sugar Shack Discovery Zone, and take a horse drawn wagon ride around the village.
Always wanted to enjoy an elegant afternoon tea? Check out the OMNI King Edward Hotel Kid’s Tea otherwise called the Jester’s Tea. It includes kid-friendly sandwiches, cookies, chocolate cake, scones and hot chocolate, apple cider or milk. Adults may enjoy the traditional tea.
The city’s top attractions including the Ontario Science Centre, the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Zoo and Harbourfront Centre all have special kid-friendly programs. Budding ballet stars and ballet fans should not miss Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the National Ballet.
For information visit: SeeTorontoNow.com.
The Butterfly Conservatory
Tired of cold winter weather? The perfect antidote can be found across the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, Ontario at the Butterfly Conservatory. Located on the grounds of the Niagara Falls Botanical Gardens, it is especially wonderful to walk into this warm, tropical paradise on a cold day.
It is full of lush vegetation, trickling waterfalls, and thousands of vibrantly colored butterflies. More than 2,000 butterflies, made up of 45 different species, call this special place home. The self-guided walking tour begins with a short video presentation. If you are lucky, a butterfly or two will land on you. Stay still and just enjoy the magic of the experience.
Just a short walk from Niagara Falls on the Canadian side is the Floral Showhouse filled with flowers and plants year round. For more than 70 years, visitors have been drawn to this flower lovers paradise. Collections of orchids, succulents, and other tropical plant species are on display throughout the year, along with flower shows that reflect the changing season. The Spring Show begins March 16 and continues through April 29 and features a collection of brightly colored spring flowers.
On March 17 the falls will be aglow in bright green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
For information on butterflies, flowers and lighting at the Falls visit: http://www.niagaraparks.com.
Splash Lagoon
Splash Lagoon in Erie, Pa has been a family favorite since it opened in 2003. A visit in the winter or early spring is particularly inviting since the water and air are kept at a constant 84 degrees. There are day passes as well as packages with the three adjoining hotels that include waterpark passes on both the day of arrival and day of departure.
Last year, Splash Lagoon was rated fourth in the country in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for indoor waterparks. It includes nine water slides, pools, hot tubs, a 12-level interactive Tree House, a Tree Tops Ropes Course, an Arcade with more than 100 games, Laser Tag, an Aqua Tumbler and Wild Waters Wave Pool. The 200,000-gallon Wave Pool is the largest indoor wave pool in the eastern United States.
For more information visit: http://www.splashlagoon.com.
Update on National Comedy Center
Jamestown’s National Comedy Center (see December 2018 issue for full article), the country’s first museum devoted to comedy as an art form, placed second in the final ranking of the 20 “Best New Attractions” in the USA Today10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest.
The comedy center was one of 20 new attractions throughout the country nominated in December by a panel of nationally recognized travel experts for the 10Best Award series that celebrates outstanding destinations, attractions and experiences. The final ranking came after a highly competitive 28-day public voting period.
For more information visit: http://www.comedycenter.org or call 716-484-2222. It is open seven days a week.