Planning a Couple’s Weekend in Niagara Falls

When was the last time you and your husband took a trip together? I know, right? Almost a foreign concept in many homes. Taking the time to think about your relationship or even plan something romantic is always short lived when you’re a busy parent. We couldn’t agree more! It had been a very long time since Paul and I had a chance to get away without the boys and man, did we ever have the most incredible and romantic weekend ever! 

With only two nights in Niagara Falls, we wanted to cram everything in! We literally had the time of our lives, laughing, talking and actually feeling young again (something I really needed after my birthday!). Having visited Niagara with the boys, we wanted to take the opportunity to do things that we’ve never done or can’t do with the kids.

Here’s our recipe for the perfect romantic getaway weekend in Niagara;

Find a central hotel
We have stayed at the Niagara Falls Courtyard Marriott before and we love that it’s within walking distance to everything awesome in the Falls (no need to move the car and pay for parking). You can choose a fancier highrise hotel in the region, but the costs can be really outrageous. We’d prefer to spend our money to shop or gamble! With a Keg in the lobby, lovely rooms, reasonable rates and even the chance to upgrade to a suite with a sunken tub (we *may* have had a bubble bath), it’s a great choice for a couple’s weekend.

See a show at the Fallsview Casino
Paul had booked tickets to see “Flashdance” at the Fallsview Casino as my Valentine’s Day gift, so we have been looking forward to the show for a couple of months. He’s a smart guy, because he bought them for my birthday night and promised a special romantic weekend away together! The theatre was fabulous and hosts really great musical guests, as well as shows. We were really impressed with the calibre of the dancing and singing and would definitely go again (without the kiddos)!

Go Gambling at the Casino!
There are two casinos in The Falls, but we went to the new Fallsview Casino to try our luck at Roulette (Paul’s new fave). With a cool new electronic version, we used touchscreens to bet on our favourite numbers…and we won over $250! Just set your limit (ours was $50) and you can still have a blast! 

Go Clubbing
Crazy, right? When we were first dating we LOVED to go to clubs in Toronto. We loved music and dancing together, just watching the people and feeling the vibe was what we did every weekend in those days. As we left the Casino after the show, we walked into DragonFly Nightclub. While the music and vibe might be a little different 20 years later, my man still has his awesome dance moves. We had a blast (and maybe some tequila)!

Shop ’til you DropThere are enough “man benches” for most husbands to have a break while their wives take the credit card and hit the stores, but in our household, we BOTH love to shop…especially together! In an effort to get some new clothes for our new healthier bodies, we planned a day at the incredible NEW Outlet Collections at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Tommy Hilfiger, Marshalls, Cole Haan, Old Navy, Michael Kors and even White House/Black Market were all stops along the way. Our trips to Niagara used to involve a drive into Buffalo, but with the exchange on the dollar and most stores now north of the border, there’s no need! We love the Outlet Perks to get discounts at tons of our fave retailers and we definitely shopped ’til we dropped!

Book a dinner at a Niagara-on-the-Lake winery
There are some incredible wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake and we’ve been to the stunning Chateau des Charmes and Jackson-Triggs long before the kids were born and really enjoyed wine tasting. For this trip, there was a special spring menu tasting at Peller Estates and we booked it with our winnings from the casino! In the exclusive dining room with only 8 other couples, we tasted delicious cuisine paired with the perfect wines. It was a really unique and special experience that ended with roasting ice-wine infused homemade marshmallows in the fire pit.

 
What an incredible weekend to reconnect, recharge and relive our early days as a couple! You’ve got to make the time for your own romantic getaway…you won’t be disappointed in Niagara Falls!