Latest / Phil and H Travel - Is It Worth It? Top Travel Destinations Explored! / Niagara-on-the-Lake: Is The Winter Fairytale Worth The Price?

Transcript

Niagara-on-the-Lake: Is The Winter Fairytale Worth The Price? · Phil and H Travel - Is It Worth It? Top Travel Destinations Explored!

• 0:00
  Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are doing something a
• 0:03
  little different. Usually when we talk about
• 0:05
  travel or, you know, geography or even economics, we look at a
• 0:10
  place through the lens of history or politics.
• 0:13
  The big picture stuff. Exactly the big picture.
• 0:15
  But today we are zooming way in. We're looking at a place through
• 0:19
  the lens of well, of expectation versus reality.
• 0:23
  I like this. We're packing our bags.
• 0:25
  We're putting on the thickest, most heavy duty wool socks we
• 0:28
  can find. And we are heading north to the
• 0:30
  Canadian border, specifically to a town that sells itself as the
• 0:34
  ultimate winter fairy tale. It is a fascinating case study.
• 0:38
  In branding. We are talking about Niagara on
• 0:41
  the Lake. Or no TL.
• 0:42
  No TL, as the locals, the industry insiders and the
• 0:46
  frequent Flyers call it. Exactly.
• 0:48
  And the reason we are diving into this right now, the reason
• 0:51
  whole stack of research is sitting on the desk, is that the
• 0:53
  brochure version of this town is incredibly powerful.
• 0:57
  Oh, it's magnetic. It's totally magnetic.
• 0:59
  If you look at the marketing, if you just scroll through the
• 1:01
  Instagram feeds for a minute, it's horse drawn carriages
• 1:04
  clattering down snowy streets. The sound of the hooves on the
• 1:08
  cobblestones. Yes, it's golden wine being
• 1:11
  poured into these delicate frozen glasses.
• 1:14
  It's this, I don't know, this perfect Victorian dreamscape.
• 1:18
  It literally looks like it was built specifically for a
• 1:20
  Hallmark movie. Well, there's a reason for that.
• 1:23
  And actually, fun fact, from the research, a lot of those
• 1:26
  Hallmark Christmas movies, you know, the ones where the big
• 1:28
  city lawyer goes home for the holidays and falls in love with
• 1:31
  the small town Baker. Of course.
• 1:33
  They're actually filmed right there.
• 1:34
  That's the aesthetic. It is so curated, so
• 1:37
  intentional, but what we found in the research and what we're
• 1:40
  going to unpack today in this deep dive is that beneath that
• 1:44
  aesthetic, you know, beneath the layer of fresh snow and heritage
• 1:47
  paint, there is a very real, very complex logistical engine
• 1:52
  network. And that creates a central
• 1:54
  conflict for you, the traveler. Is this town a magical spiritual
• 1:59
  reset? A bucket list destination that
• 2:01
  sort of changes you. Or is it, to put it bluntly, a
• 2:05
  sticky, expensive headache? That is the question, and it's a
• 2:08
  good one. That is the core question, and
• 2:11
  we aren't just guessing here. We've gone through a stack of
• 2:14
  sources specifically focusing on this really in depth slow travel
• 2:18
  guide that strips away all the marketing fluff.
• 2:22
  We are going to look at the realities of visiting this place
• 2:25
  specifically in the winter. And that's a key distinction.
• 2:28
  I think that's a really important distinction right off
• 2:30
  the bat. Why are we focusing on winter?
• 2:33
  Why not go in, say, June, when the flowers are blooming and the
• 2:37
  sun is shining? Because that's when the value
• 2:40
  proposition is most interesting and honestly, most precarious.
• 2:44
  We're talking about ice wine. The main event.
• 2:47
  That is the regions crown jewel. It is a product that requires
• 2:51
  freezing temperatures to even exist.
• 2:54
  I mean, it is an agricultural miracle, really.
• 2:57
  Right, the grapes have to freeze on the.
• 2:58
  Vine. They have to freeze on the vine.
• 2:59
  They have to be picked by hand in the middle of the night,
• 3:01
  pressed while frozen to really understand it and to understand
• 3:05
  the whole economy of this town, You have to be there when it's
• 3:08
  happening. You have to be there in the
• 3:10
  cold. But as we're going to see, the
• 3:12
  cold brings a whole new set of challenges that the summer
• 3:14
  tourists never even has to think about.
• 3:17
  So we are going to strip away that aesthetic of the cozy
• 3:20
  cabin. We have to.
• 3:21
  We're going to look at zoning laws, which sounds boring but is
• 3:25
  actually fascinating. We're going to look at the
• 3:27
  manicured nature of the town. And we're going to look at the
• 3:29
  spreadsheet reality of what this trip actually costs a
• 3:34
  spreadsheet. Because spoiler alert for anyone
• 3:36
  listening with their credit card out, it is not cheap.
• 3:40
  It is certainly not a budget destination.
• 3:42
  This is not a backpacking trip, and our mission here is to
• 3:45
  determine if it's worth it. Is it a genuine escape?
• 3:49
  Or is it, as one of our more critical sources put it, a
• 3:52
  sanitized theme park for retirees?
• 3:55
  Ouch, that is a harsh description that stings a little
• 3:58
  bit because the pictures are so nice.
• 3:59
  It is harsh, but is it fair? That's what we need to figure
• 4:02
  out. But we're going to unpack
• 4:03
  whether it's fair or not. And we found some massive
• 4:06
  surprises in the research, things that completely go
• 4:09
  against the grain of what you'd expect.
• 4:11
  Like, for one, the best food in town.
• 4:14
  It's not where you think it is. It's not on the main drag.
• 4:17
  And the idea that winter is the quiet season?
• 4:20
  The data from the tourism boards and the hotels suggests that's
• 4:25
  not entirely true either. It's a different kind of busy.
• 4:28
  And my favorite one? The rookie mistake almost
• 4:30
  everyone makes with ice wine. If you are drinking it with
• 4:34
  dessert, you are apparently doing it wrong.
• 4:36
  You're wasting it. Wasting it.
• 4:38
  So settle in. We're going to break down the
• 4:40
  geography, the cost, the traps, and the magic.
• 4:43
  Let's dive into Section 1, context and expectations.
• 4:47
  All right, let's start with the geography, because this is the
• 4:49
  most common misconception and it really sets the stage for
• 4:52
  everything else. I mean, if you don't get the
• 4:53
  geography right, you start the entire trip on the wrong foot.
• 4:56
  Right. If you tell someone you're going
• 4:57
  to Niagara, 99% of people immediately picture the falls.
• 5:00
  The big roaring waterfall. They picture the Maid of the
• 5:04
  Mist, the blue ponchos, you know, the water crashing down
• 5:08
  the barrel, going over the edge, and the neon.
• 5:10
  The neon. My God, the neon.
• 5:12
  It's a whole vibe. Exactly.
• 5:13
  Wax museums that look slightly off, haunted houses that are
• 5:17
  clearly tourist traps, Massive casinos with flashing lights,
• 5:20
  Fast food chains everywhere. Arcades pumping out noise that
• 5:24
  is Niagara halls. That is a specific energy.
• 5:26
  It's sensory overload. And that is not where we are
• 5:29
  going today. No, and the distinction is so,
• 5:32
  so crucial. Niagara on the Lake is about a
• 5:35
  20 minute drive away from the falls, and it's situated right
• 5:38
  where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.
• 5:41
  It's a completely different. World A different planet if
• 5:43
  Niagara Falls is Las Vegas. Loud, bright, chaotic, built for
• 5:48
  crowds, Niagara on the Lake markets itself as the Napa of
• 5:50
  the North. That's a great analogy.
• 5:53
  So we are trading the casinos for vineyards.
• 5:55
  We are trading the neon signs for what gas powered heritage
• 5:59
  lamps. Precisely.
• 6:00
  It's quiet, it's historic, but it's also visually distinct.
• 6:04
  One of our sources describes it as arguably the most manicured
• 6:07
  town in Canada. Manicured.
• 6:10
  That's a loaded word. It is.
• 6:11
  And when they say manicure, they aren't just talking about people
• 6:14
  cutting their grass or, you know, planting nice tulips in
• 6:18
  the spring. They are talking about heritage
• 6:20
  zoning laws. OK, let's unpack this, because
• 6:24
  zoning laws sounds incredibly dry.
• 6:26
  It sounds like something you deal with at a City Council
• 6:28
  meeting, but in this specific case it dictates the entire vibe
• 6:33
  of the town. It's everything.
• 6:35
  It's the reason it looks the way it does.
• 6:37
  It absolutely is. These laws are rigorously
• 6:40
  designed to preserve the 19th century aesthetic of the town.
• 6:43
  This isn't accidental, it is enforced.
• 6:45
  What does that mean? Enforced.
• 6:46
  It means you aren't going to see a Golden Arches sign spinning on
• 6:50
  a pole here. You are not going to see a
• 6:52
  modern strip mall with fluorescent signage or a big box
• 6:55
  store right on the main drag. Everything from the font on the
• 6:59
  shop windows to the color of the bricks to the type of flowers
• 7:02
  they put in the hanging baskets in the summer has to fit the
• 7:05
  visual identity of the town. Wow, so there's a committee that
• 7:08
  has to approve your sign? There is a committee that
• 7:11
  approves your sign, your paint color, your window frames.
• 7:15
  It's that controlled which creates that movie set feel we
• 7:19
  were talking about. It feels almost suspended in
• 7:23
  time, like you've stepped into a bubble.
• 7:24
  I can see the appeal. Of course, it's great for
• 7:27
  property values. It keeps the town looking
• 7:29
  pristine. It creates that premium feel
• 7:31
  that tourists absolutely love, but the trade off, which we need
• 7:35
  to be honest about, is that it creates a very high barrier to
• 7:39
  entry for businesses. Right, because it's expensive to
• 7:42
  maintain. It makes finding affordable
• 7:45
  casual options like a cheap greasy burger joint or a place
• 7:49
  to just grab a quick coffee that isn't $6 very, very difficult
• 7:53
  because the rent and the maintenance required to exist in
• 7:55
  that heritage zone are astronomical.
• 7:58
  For the zoning acts as a filter. It filters out the grit.
• 8:00
  It filters out the convenience store.
• 8:01
  Exactly. You get high end boutiques, art
• 8:04
  galleries and bistros. You do not get the dive bar.
• 8:06
  You do not get the corner store. You can't buy a lottery ticket
• 8:09
  and a carton of milk on the Main St.
• 8:11
  You cannot. It filters the experience and by
• 8:14
  extension it filters the clientele.
• 8:17
  It creates a very specific socio economic bubble.
• 8:20
  Now let's talk about the timing. We mentioned social media
• 8:23
  earlier. If you scroll through Instagram
• 8:25
  or TikTok right now, there is this huge push for winter in
• 8:29
  Canada. The cozy aesthetic.
• 8:31
  Yes, it's a whole thing. The fire pit, the wool blanket,
• 8:35
  the frozen waterfall, the steam rising off a hot trap.
• 8:38
  It's a whole genre. And Niagara on the Lake sits
• 8:41
  right at the center of this hype machine.
• 8:44
  But why? Why would you go to a vineyard,
• 8:47
  a place that is inherently agricultural, in the dead of
• 8:50
  winter? It's counterintuitive.
• 8:52
  It is usually you go to a vineyard when the grapes are
• 8:54
  growing right? When it's lush and green, you
• 8:55
  can sit on a patio. It all comes down to the unique
• 8:58
  product of this region. January is essentially the Super
• 9:02
  Bowl for Niagara because of the Ice Wine Festival.
• 9:05
  Right, it's the main event, the whole month is dedicated to it.
• 9:08
  Think about it. See if you visit in July.
• 9:10
  It's lovely, It's green, the vines are full.
• 9:12
  But if you drink ice wine in July, you are drinking a heavy,
• 9:15
  syrupy sweet wine in 30°C heat. It's a total disconnect.
• 9:20
  That sounds awful. It's like drinking hot cocoa on
• 9:23
  the beach in August. It's physically unpleasant.
• 9:26
  It just doesn't fit the moment. Exactly.
• 9:28
  But if you go in winter, specifically January, you are
• 9:32
  seeing the actual harvest. You are seeing the grapes frozen
• 9:36
  solid on the vines. You are seeing the struggle and
• 9:39
  the labor that goes into the bottle.
• 9:41
  You're part of the story. You're part of the story because
• 9:43
  remember, ice wine requires the grapes to freeze on the vine.
• 9:46
  They have to be picked while frozen, often in the middle of
• 9:49
  the night. You have to be pressed while
• 9:51
  frozen, so when you are there in January, you are witnessing the
• 9:54
  event. It is functionally a different
• 9:57
  destination in winter than it is in summer.
• 10:00
  The whole narrative changes from leisure to survival and craft.
• 10:05
  That's a really cool way to from it.
• 10:06
  So if you want the real experience, the experience that
• 10:09
  actually matches the product, you have to brave the cold.
• 10:12
  You have to earn it. You do have to earn it.
• 10:14
  But there's a phrase that keeps coming up again and again in our
• 10:17
  research regarding how to tackle this trip.
• 10:20
  Slow travel. Yes, this is key.
• 10:23
  It's maybe the most important take away.
• 10:25
  And usually, slow travel is this trendy marketing term.
• 10:28
  It means, you know, take your time, smell the roses, don't
• 10:30
  rush. But here the sources are saying
• 10:33
  it's not just a suggestion, It's not just a vibe.
• 10:36
  It's a survival strategy. It's a physiological necessity,
• 10:39
  and here's why. If you treat this like a
• 10:42
  standard bar crawl or a sightseeing dash, if you try to
• 10:45
  hit 6 wineries in a single day, rushing from one to the next,
• 10:48
  you are going to crash. Physically crash, like fall
• 10:51
  over. Physically and financially, Ice
• 10:53
  wine is high sugar, high alcohol, and incredibly high
• 10:57
  flavor intensity. It is viscous.
• 11:00
  It coats your mouth. It's not like drinking a light
• 11:02
  Pinot Grigio where you can have a few glasses over lunch and be
• 11:05
  fine. Your palate just gets
• 11:06
  overwhelmed. Completely overwhelmed the
• 11:08
  palate. Fatigue sets in so fast.
• 11:10
  The sources are very very clear on this.
• 11:12
  Attempting 6 wineries leads to sickness and bankruptcy.
• 11:16
  Your body just can't process that much sugar and alcohol in a
• 11:19
  compressed time frame. You will feel terrible.
• 11:22
  So what is the ideal pace? If 6 is suicide, what is
• 11:25
  sustainable? What does a good day look like
• 11:27
  according to the guides? The recommendation from the
• 11:30
  experts is 2 wineries, maybe 3 maximum if they're close
• 11:33
  together and you take a long break.
• 11:35
  That's it 2. That's it. 2 wineries, 1 long
• 11:38
  lunch to break it up and reset your palate, a walk by the lake
• 11:42
  to clear your head and then you are done.
• 11:45
  And when you say done, you mean done for the night because the
• 11:47
  night life. Is non existent.
• 11:49
  It doesn't exist. The source says the town shuts
• 11:51
  down faster than a bank on Sunday.
• 11:54
  That's a vivid image and it's completely accurate.
• 11:57
  This is a town that caters to a demographic that is heavily 50
• 12:00
  plus. If you are a listener looking
• 12:02
  for a club, a rave, or even a rowdy pub that's open until 3:00
• 12:06
  AM, you are in the wrong postal code.
• 12:08
  So you're not going out dancing after your wine tasting?
• 12:11
  You're not. The sidewalks roll up at 9:00
• 12:13
  PM. The lights go down.
• 12:14
  You go back to your BNB and read a book.
• 12:16
  So adjust your expectations. This is about early mornings,
• 12:19
  quiet afternoons and early nights.
• 12:21
  Correct. And if you fight that pace, if
• 12:23
  you try to force a party atmosphere onto the town, you
• 12:26
  will be frustrated. If you lean into it, if you
• 12:29
  accept the quiet, it's incredibly relaxing.
• 12:31
  OK, let's move to Section 2. Let's talk about the vibe, the
• 12:36
  first impressions, because the arrival really sets the tone for
• 12:40
  the whole trip. It does.
• 12:41
  I want to paint the picture for you, the listener you're driving
• 12:44
  in. Most people are coming from
• 12:45
  Toronto. Which means braving the QEW
• 12:48
  Highway, the Queen Elizabeth Way.
• 12:51
  The dreaded QEW. It's just traffic, concrete,
• 12:55
  stress, it's industrial, it's ugly.
• 12:57
  You're fighting semi trucks for position, but then you take that
• 13:01
  exit toward Niagara on the lake and the source describes this
• 13:06
  physiological shift. I know exactly what they mean.
• 13:09
  You leave the highway and suddenly you are in the
• 13:11
  vineyards. It's a decompression.
• 13:13
  Your shoulders literally drop, your blood pressure drops.
• 13:16
  The landscape opens up. You see the Niagara Escarpment
• 13:19
  in the distance. You see the rows of vines.
• 13:21
  Even in winter, just these stark lines in the snow.
• 13:23
  It's. Beautiful.
• 13:24
  It's gorgeous, but if you are arriving in winter, especially
• 13:27
  in the evening, there is a very practical observation to be made
• 13:30
  here regarding the infrastructure, the dark, the
• 13:32
  darkness. These are rural roads, and
• 13:35
  because of that tasteful heritage zoning we talked about,
• 13:38
  there aren't massive floodlights everywhere.
• 13:41
  There aren't neon arrows pointing the way to the next
• 13:44
  winery. No, the signage is subtle.
• 13:46
  The signage is small, it's elegant, it's usually carved
• 13:50
  wood with gold lettering, which means if it's pitch black and
• 13:53
  it's snowing, it is very hard to see where you are going.
• 13:57
  That's a great point. It's charming until you miss
• 14:00
  your turn three times and end up in a ditch.
• 14:02
  Exactly. The elegance comes at the cost
• 14:04
  of visibility. You really have to pay
• 14:06
  attention, you need your GPS on and your copilot needs to be
• 14:09
  watching. But then you get into the town
• 14:11
  proper, finally hit Queen St. and this is where that movie set
• 14:15
  feeling really hits you. Describe it for us.
• 14:17
  What are we seeing as we pull in?
• 14:19
  OK, so it's the evening arrival. You've got these Heritage St.
• 14:22
  lamps glowing this warm yellow light.
• 14:24
  There is snow in the cenotaph, the War Memorial in the center
• 14:27
  of the street. It is silent.
• 14:29
  It's almost startlingly quiet compared to the city you just
• 14:32
  left an hour ago. And that silence is interesting
• 14:36
  because some people find it peaceful.
• 14:38
  It feels like a sanctuary. But our source critiques it.
• 14:42
  They describe it as a stiffness. A stiffness, like it's too
• 14:45
  formal or something. Yes, think about walking into a
• 14:49
  hotel lobby in a bustling city like New York or Montreal.
• 14:52
  It's chaotic. It's alive.
• 14:54
  There's energy. People are running around
• 14:56
  laughing here. You walk into the lobby, let's
• 14:59
  say the Prince of Wales Hotel, which is the anchor of the town,
• 15:02
  and people are whispering. Do you have a reservation in a
• 15:06
  hushed? Tone.
• 15:06
  Exactly. It's not a boisterous welcome.
• 15:08
  Come on in. We're so glad you're here.
• 15:10
  It's a very polite, very hushed, almost library like atmosphere.
• 15:14
  It feels like you need to straighten your tie or fix your
• 15:16
  hair. It feels like you shouldn't
• 15:17
  laugh too loud. Which leads to this concept, the
• 15:20
  source brought up of the polite barrier.
• 15:22
  This is a fascinating social dynamic that the Source really
• 15:26
  keyed in on. The locals in Niagara on the
• 15:29
  Lake are incredibly nice. Canadian nice.
• 15:31
  They will hold the door for you. They will smile.
• 15:33
  But because the Town Center is almost entirely dedicated to
• 15:35
  tourism, the interaction feels transactional.
• 15:39
  It creates A barrier. You are the tourist, they are
• 15:44
  the host, and it's hard to breakthrough that performance.
• 15:47
  It's hard to find the local Pulse because the locals aren't
• 15:50
  hanging out on Queen St. buying a $300 Christmas ornament on a
• 15:53
  Tuesday afternoon. Exactly.
• 15:56
  The Town Center is a stage. It's a performance of a 19th
• 15:59
  century town, and while the actors are all very polite, it's
• 16:03
  hard to get backstage to see real life.
• 16:06
  The real life happens in the subdivisions and the farmhouses
• 16:10
  outside the heritage zone. So if you're looking for a
• 16:12
  gritty, authentic connection with a local at a bar, who's
• 16:15
  going to tell you the real story of the town?
• 16:17
  You might struggle to find that in the Heritage District.
• 16:19
  It's just not set up for that. Now we can't talk about winter
• 16:22
  without talking about the physical environment.
• 16:23
  We mentioned the cozy ascetic, the fire, the blankets.
• 16:26
  But the reality is, it's freezing.
• 16:29
  The ice in ice wine is literal, and I think people really
• 16:33
  underestimate this. You book a vineyard tour.
• 16:35
  You think it'll be romantic, you know, strolling through the
• 16:37
  vines, holding hands. And 10 minutes in. 10 minutes
• 16:41
  in, your toes are numb, the wind coming off Lake Ontario is damp,
• 16:45
  and it cuts right through you. It finds every single gap in
• 16:49
  your coat. The source mentions that
• 16:52
  realizing you didn't pack warm enough boots is the first, Oh no
• 16:56
  moment for many travelers. That sudden realization that
• 16:59
  your fashion boots just aren't going to cut it in an actual
• 17:01
  vineyard. But, and this is the key to the
• 17:04
  whole experience, I think that physical discomfort is actually
• 17:07
  part of the psychological reward.
• 17:09
  How so? That sounds completely
• 17:11
  counterintuitive. Why would being uncomfortable be
• 17:13
  a good thing? Because of the contrast, if you
• 17:15
  are just warm all the time, sitting inside the wine is just
• 17:18
  wine. It's a nice drink, but when you
• 17:21
  step from that freezing, biting cold where your fingers are
• 17:23
  starting to hurt into a tasting room.
• 17:26
  And it smell like fermentation. And wood smoke.
• 17:28
  And yeast and aging barrels. Oh, that smell so specific.
• 17:32
  It's one of the best smells in the world.
• 17:34
  That sensory hook is what makes the trip.
• 17:36
  It's the relief from the cold that elevates the experience.
• 17:39
  It's a very primal thing. You earn the warmth, you survive
• 17:43
  the elements, and now you are being rewarded with this golden
• 17:46
  nectar. That dynamic is what makes
• 17:49
  winter tasting, in my opinion, superior to summer tasting.
• 17:53
  I love that it turns the tasting from just an activity into a
• 17:56
  reward. OK, so we got the vibe.
• 17:59
  We know it's cold, we know it's quiet, we know it's a bit stiff,
• 18:02
  but beautiful. Now let's talk about the part
• 18:04
  that hurts. Section 3.
• 18:07
  The financial deep dive. This is where we need to be very
• 18:10
  real with the listeners. We need to put the romance aside
• 18:12
  and look at the bank. Account the spreadsheet reality
• 18:14
  is the source called it. In OTL is expensive.
• 18:17
  There is just no way around it. If you are looking for a budget
• 18:20
  trip where you can stretch your dollar, where you can scrape by,
• 18:23
  this is not it. Dreams of a cheap trip will die
• 18:25
  here. Let's breakdown the costs.
• 18:27
  We are talking Canadian dollars here for a standard three day
• 18:30
  trip. Let's start with the big one
• 18:32
  where you sleep. Accommodations on the low end
• 18:35
  practically non existent. There are no hostels.
• 18:37
  No hostels, the zoning doesn't really allow for it, and the
• 18:41
  property values are way too high to make a hostile business model
• 18:44
  work. You might find a budget motel on
• 18:47
  the outskirts like towards Saint Catherine's for maybe 128 to
• 18:51
  $150.00 a night. But, and here's the catch.
• 18:54
  Transportation. You are then paying $40 each way
• 18:58
  for an Uber to get into town. Right.
• 19:00
  So you save 100 bucks on the room, but you pay it right back
• 19:02
  in transit. You aren't actually saving
• 19:04
  anything and you're wasting. Exactly.
• 19:06
  So what's the midrange? What's realistic?
• 19:08
  Yeah, what is a normal person pay?
• 19:10
  Midrange is your standard bed and breakfast or a hotel like
• 19:14
  the Pillar and Post or Queens Landing.
• 19:16
  You are looking at 250 to $400.00 a night and that's for a
• 19:20
  standard room, not a suite. And the high end if you want to
• 19:23
  go all out. The Prince of Wales or the
• 19:25
  luxury boutique spots like 124 on Queen.
• 19:28
  That's 500 to $800 a night or more, depending on the suite and
• 19:33
  the season. And you made a note here in the
• 19:34
  research about value, because price is one thing, but value is
• 19:37
  another. Are you getting an $800
• 19:40
  experience in that room? This is a really important
• 19:43
  point. In many of these heritage
• 19:45
  hotels, you are paying for the postal code.
• 19:48
  You are paying for the location in the history.
• 19:51
  You are not necessarily paying for updated hardware.
• 19:54
  What do you mean by hardware? I mean, you might have a creaky
• 19:57
  floorboard, a smaller room than you'd expect, and a bathroom
• 20:00
  that hasn't been renovated in 20 years, but you're paying $600.00
• 20:04
  because it's historic and it's right on Queen St.
• 20:07
  You are paying for the privilege of being there, not necessarily
• 20:10
  for a modern high tech luxury experience with a rain shower
• 20:14
  and smart controls. That is a crucial distinction.
• 20:18
  You are paying for the atmosphere, not necessarily
• 20:20
  modern luxury amenities in every single room.
• 20:23
  You're paying to be in the movie set.
• 20:25
  Correct. And you, the traveler, need to
• 20:27
  know that so you aren't disappointed when the floor
• 20:29
  squeaks or the water pressure isn't perfect.
• 20:31
  It's part of the charm, supposedly.
• 20:33
  No, let's talk about food and drink, because you got to eat
• 20:36
  and you're there to drink. Breakfast is going to run you
• 20:38
  $30 minimum if you go to a sit down place.
• 20:41
  A simple breakfast lunch is 40. Dinner with wine you are easily
• 20:45
  looking at $100 plus per person easily.
• 20:49
  And again, the lack of grabbing go options is a factor.
• 20:53
  There isn't really a dollar slice pizza place on Queen
• 20:55
  Street. You can't just grab a hot dog
• 20:57
  from a vendor. You are committed to a sit down
• 21:00
  meal most of the time. You're captive and the real
• 21:04
  budget killer. The thing that sneaks up on
• 21:06
  everyone is the tasting fees. Oh, this one surprised me.
• 21:09
  This has changed so much historically. 10 years ago you
• 21:12
  could walk into a winery, pay $5 or maybe $10 and taste a flight
• 21:16
  of wines. It was a marketing expense for
• 21:18
  them. They wanted you to buy the
• 21:20
  bottle, so they made the tasting cheap to get you in the door.
• 21:22
  Those days are long, long gone. Long gone, tourism has exploded.
• 21:26
  They don't need to beg you to taste anymore.
• 21:28
  The current reality is 20 to $40.00 for a standard flight of
• 21:31
  3 or 4 wines. OK, that's steep.
• 21:34
  And if you want an ice wine specific flight you are looking
• 21:37
  at 30 to $50.00 for three small one ounce pores.
• 21:40
  So let's do the math. If you do 3 wineries in a day
• 21:44
  and you and your partner both tasted each one.
• 21:46
  You're at 150 to $200 per couple just in fees.
• 21:50
  You haven't bought a bottle, you haven't eaten lunch, you haven't
• 21:53
  paid for your Uber just for the privilege of tasting the wine.
• 21:57
  It adds up incredibly fast. That hurts.
• 21:59
  That's the sticky part we talked about in the intro.
• 22:02
  That feels sticky, but we promised a surprise.
• 22:06
  There's a value hack. There's a way around this.
• 22:09
  The Discovery pass. Tell us about this.
• 22:11
  It sounds like the golden ticket.
• 22:12
  If you are going during the festival size and specifically
• 22:15
  in January for the Ice Wine Festival, the region sells a
• 22:18
  Discovery Pass. It's usually around $50 and it
• 22:21
  gives you access to specific wine and food pairings at
• 22:25
  multiple wineries, usually 8 pairings across different
• 22:28
  locations. So instead of paying a la carte
• 22:30
  at every single stop. You use the pass, it encourages
• 22:33
  you to move around. It turns the trip into a sort of
• 22:35
  scavenger hunt. You get your pass, you look at
• 22:37
  the guide and you see this winery is pairing their vital
• 22:41
  ice wine with a spicy sausage. I see, so it's a curated
• 22:44
  experience. A curated experience for a fixed
• 22:47
  price. So what's the verdict on value?
• 22:49
  It sounds like a no brainer. If you use the pass, the value
• 22:51
  is high. You get to try a lot for a fixed
• 22:54
  price. It brings the cost per stop down
• 22:56
  dramatically. If you pay a la carte at every
• 22:59
  stop the value is low, you are bleeding money.
• 23:03
  So if you are going in January by the pass, it is the only way
• 23:07
  to make the math work in your favor.
• 23:10
  OK, so let's summarize the daily budget.
• 23:12
  So let's get real here. Give us the numbers so people
• 23:14
  can plan. What does it actually cost to be
• 23:17
  there for a day? OK, let's look at 3 profiles
• 23:20
  from the research. First we have the sandwich
• 23:23
  traveler. This is someone trying to save
• 23:25
  money. Maybe they're staying outside of
• 23:26
  town, they're packing a lunch or eating very cheap.
• 23:28
  You're still looking at $200 a day per person when you factor
• 23:32
  in a tasting or two and the transit costs.
• 23:34
  So even the cheap version is 200 bucks a day.
• 23:36
  Correct. Second, the standard couple.
• 23:39
  This is the target audience, a nice B&B.
• 23:42
  They've bought the Discovery Pass, they have one nice dinner
• 23:44
  out, and you're looking at $450 a day per person.
• 23:47
  Wow, so $900 a day for the couple?
• 23:50
  For the couple, yes. And 3rd, the luxury traveler.
• 23:54
  This person is doing spa treatments.
• 23:56
  They're drinking vintage wines. They have the best sweets.
• 23:59
  You are at $1000 plus per day per person.
• 24:04
  No ceiling, really. So 450 a day is the realistic
• 24:08
  baseline for the experience most people are actually looking for.
• 24:11
  That's a mortgage payment for a weekend trip.
• 24:13
  It is, and acknowledging that significant investment
• 24:16
  transforms the trip from a casual getaway into a major
• 24:20
  event you have to plan for. It it really is.
• 24:23
  OK, so you saved up, you booked the trip.
• 24:25
  Now we need to talk about logistics because even with the
• 24:28
  money, there are traps. Section 4.
• 24:30
  Logistics, traps and safety. And trap #1 is what I call The
• 24:34
  Walking fallacy. Oh, I've been guilty of this in
• 24:36
  so many cities. You look at Google Maps, you see
• 24:38
  two wineries, let's say Peller Estates and Two Sisters
• 24:42
  Vineyards. They look like they are right
• 24:44
  next to each other. It's an inch apart on your phone
• 24:46
  screen. Exactly.
• 24:47
  You think we'll just wop it'll be a nice romantic stroll
• 24:49
  through wine country in July? Maybe it's a long walk, but it's
• 24:54
  doable. In winter it is a nightmare.
• 24:56
  Why? What makes it so different?
• 24:58
  Just the cold. It's not just the cold, it's the
• 25:01
  infrastructure. These are rural roads.
• 25:03
  There are no sidewalks between the vineyards.
• 25:05
  The shoulder of the road is often a deep ditch filled with
• 25:08
  snow, slush and ice. Oh, I see.
• 25:10
  And cars are flying by at 80 kilometers an hour.
• 25:14
  It is miserable and it is dangerous.
• 25:16
  You are walking in the mud. Cars are splashing you with Gray
• 25:19
  slush. You cannot walk the Vineyard
• 25:21
  route in winter. Do not attempt it.
• 25:23
  So what is the solution? You can't drive if you're
• 25:25
  drinking, we've established that.
• 25:27
  Absolutely not. So you have a few options. 1A
• 25:30
  designated driver. But let's be honest, who wants
• 25:32
  to be the sober one on a wine trip?
• 25:34
  Nobody that's drawing the short straw.
• 25:36
  That's a friendship vendor right there.
• 25:37
  Exactly 2 you book a tour driver.
• 25:40
  This is safe, it's convenient, but it is expensive.
• 25:43
  You're adding another couple, $100 to your day three, the We
• 25:47
  Go shuttle. This is a hop on, hop off bus
• 25:50
  system that connects the hotels and major attractions.
• 25:53
  It's affordable and safe, though it runs on a schedule so you
• 25:56
  have less freedom. Or Uber.
• 25:58
  That seems like the easy answer. You can use Uber, but be warned,
• 26:02
  wait times in winter can be long.
• 26:04
  You might be standing in the freezing cold for 20 minutes
• 26:07
  waiting for a car because there are simply fewer drivers on the
• 26:09
  road. It's not like downtown Toronto
• 26:12
  where a car is one minute away at all times.
• 26:15
  OK, trap #2 And this relates to that slow travel idea.
• 26:19
  The Monday Tuesday shutdown. You think I'll go early in the
• 26:22
  week to avoid the weekend crowds?
• 26:24
  That's standard travel logic. I'll be smart.
• 26:26
  I'll go when it's quiet. It's a very logical thought, but
• 26:29
  in winter the town takes slow travel.
• 26:31
  Literally. Many of the best restaurants and
• 26:34
  the smaller, more intimate wineries shut down completely on
• 26:37
  Mondays and Tuesdays. They're just not open.
• 26:40
  They're just not open. The chefs need a break, the
• 26:42
  staff needs a break after the weekend rush.
• 26:45
  So you show up on a Tuesday night looking to that life
• 26:47
  changing pork chop you read about and the door is locked and
• 26:51
  you're hungry and now you're stuck.
• 26:53
  Exactly. The recommendation from all the
• 26:55
  guides is to go Thursday through Sunday.
• 26:57
  Yes, it's busier. Yes, the hotels might be
• 27:00
  slightly more expensive, but things are actually open.
• 27:03
  You don't want to be eating gas station snacks because all the
• 27:06
  bistros are closed. OK, that's a huge tip trap #3
• 27:10
  this is the one about the ice wine itself.
• 27:12
  The source calls this the dessert mindset.
• 27:14
  This is the most common mistake people make.
• 27:16
  People think ice wine is sweet, so I drink it with dessert.
• 27:20
  It makes sense on the surface. Sweet with sweet, cake with
• 27:22
  wine. It seems logical, but if you
• 27:25
  wait until the end of a big meal, after the bread, the
• 27:27
  appetizers, the steak, the red wine, to drink a sugar bomb
• 27:31
  wine, your palate is already exhausted.
• 27:34
  You are tired, you won't appreciate the complexity of it,
• 27:37
  and biologically, adding more sugar on top of a heavy meal can
• 27:41
  make you feel sluggish and gross.
• 27:43
  It's just too much. So when should you drink it?
• 27:46
  At the beginning of the meal. Treat it as an aperitif, drink
• 27:49
  it at the start, or even better, pair it with savory foods.
• 27:52
  Savory like cheese. That's the classic.
• 27:55
  Blue cheese is the ultimate pairing.
• 27:57
  The sharp, salty flavor of the cheese cuts through the
• 28:00
  sweetness of the wine and creates this perfect balance or
• 28:03
  spicy food. Thai food actually is an
• 28:06
  incredible pairing. But in NOTL, go for the blue
• 28:09
  cheese or spicy Pate. It's a revelation, but if you
• 28:13
  just drink it with chocolate cake at 9:00 PM, you are washing
• 28:16
  out the flavor and wasting a very expensive line.
• 28:20
  That is a pro tip. I'm definitely trying that next
• 28:21
  time. Yeah.
• 28:22
  Now let's talk gear. We mentioned boots.
• 28:24
  Fashion versus practicality. This is a big one.
• 28:27
  You will see people arriving in heels or nice dress shoes
• 28:29
  because they want to look good for the photos.
• 28:32
  They want that Instagram shot in the Vineyard.
• 28:34
  They will regret it instantly. What do you need?
• 28:36
  You need Chelsea boots with a rubber sole.
• 28:38
  A rubber sole specifically. Why not leather?
• 28:41
  The vineyards are icy mud pits. You need grip.
• 28:44
  Leather soles will slide, you'll fall, and the salt they use a
• 28:47
  lot of salt on the roads will completely ruin the leather.
• 28:50
  You need something rugged that you don't mind getting dirty.
• 28:53
  And what about connectivity? Your phone.
• 28:55
  It can be spotty, especially if you go deep into the vineyards
• 28:58
  near the river away from the main town the signals drop.
• 29:01
  Do not rely on your data. Download offline maps so you
• 29:04
  don't get lost in the dark trying to find your B&B.
• 29:07
  Let's pivot to safety. We touched on the ditches and
• 29:10
  the icy roads, but what about personal safety?
• 29:13
  Physically, it's arguably one of the safest towns in North
• 29:16
  America. Violent crime is virtually
• 29:19
  nonexistent. It's a sleepy, wealthy town.
• 29:22
  The source says the biggest risk is a raccoon or black ice.
• 29:26
  Which is true, You are far more likely to slip and fall in an
• 29:29
  icy patch than to be mugged. But there is a different kind of
• 29:32
  safety we need to discuss, which the source calls social comfort.
• 29:36
  Right. Who feels comfortable here?
• 29:38
  Who feels like they belong? So we looked at the experience
• 29:41
  for different groups to give a complete picture for LGBTQ plus
• 29:45
  travelers. The verdict from the sources is
• 29:47
  very positive. The hospitality industry there
• 29:50
  is diverse and very welcoming. It's a friendly environment for
• 29:54
  solo women, extremely safe. The B&B lady culture, as one
• 29:58
  source put it, means there is always someone looking out for
• 30:01
  you. It's like having a dozen
• 30:02
  grandmothers watching your back. It is a very safe place to
• 30:05
  travel alone. But for people of color, this is
• 30:08
  where it gets more complicated. The source was very honest about
• 30:11
  this. It is a very white town.
• 30:13
  The demographic is older, wealthy and predominantly
• 30:16
  Caucasian. While there were no reports of
• 30:19
  overt racism, everyone is polite.
• 30:20
  It's Canada. The source noted that the lack
• 30:23
  of diversity can feel isolating. How so?
• 30:26
  You might be the only person of color in the restaurant or in
• 30:28
  the tasting room, and for some travelers that's a factor to
• 30:30
  consider in terms of comfort. It's just a reality of the
• 30:33
  demographics of the region and frankly the target audience of
• 30:36
  the tourism board. It's really important context.
• 30:39
  It helps people know what to expect when they walk in the
• 30:41
  room. And finally, under safety, the
• 30:44
  legal warnings. The ready checks.
• 30:46
  The Ontario Provincial Police. The OPP.
• 30:49
  They do not mess around. They know people are day
• 30:52
  drinking, they know the geography, they set up
• 30:54
  checkpoints on the roads leaving the winery zones, specifically
• 30:57
  on the roads heading back to the highway.
• 31:00
  And the laws in Ontario are strict.
• 31:02
  What are the numbers? 0.05 blood alcohol content is a
• 31:06
  warning and can get your license suspended ended immediately on
• 31:09
  the roadside. Not even the criminal limit.
• 31:11
  No, and .08 is a criminal charge handcuffs car impounded a
• 31:16
  criminal record that can prevent you from traveling
• 31:18
  internationally. So the message is crystal clear.
• 31:21
  Do not risk driving even a little bit, even if you think I
• 31:25
  only had two small samples. It is not worth it.
• 31:27
  The risk is massive. Just budget for the Uber or the
• 31:30
  driver. Consider it part of the cost of
• 31:32
  the ticket to this theme park. OK, We've covered the heavy
• 31:35
  stuff. We've looked at the costs, the
• 31:36
  risks, the freezing cold. Let's get back to the romance,
• 31:40
  Section 5, the highlights and the disappointments.
• 31:44
  Because for all the cost and the cold, there have to be moments
• 31:47
  of magic. There are and they are what keep
• 31:49
  people coming back. If it was all bad, no one would
• 31:52
  go. It wouldn't be this popular.
• 31:53
  I want to share the best moment from the source.
• 31:56
  It wasn't a big gala. It wasn't a fancy dinner with
• 31:59
  white tablecloths and ten forks. No, it was simple.
• 32:02
  It was human. It was a small winery.
• 32:05
  Snow was falling softly. They had these big wood burning
• 32:08
  fire pits set up outside and they were roasting oversized
• 32:12
  marshmallows over the fire. Classic winter fun.
• 32:15
  You can't beat it. And the sommelier came out and
• 32:17
  poured A Cabernet frog ice wine. Which is red.
• 32:20
  A lot of people don't know that exists.
• 32:21
  Red ice wine. Most people think it's only
• 32:23
  white. They think of Vinal or Riesling,
• 32:25
  that golden color. It's rarer and it has a
• 32:27
  completely different flavor profile.
• 32:29
  It's much harder to make. And the source describes the
• 32:32
  taste. Strawberry jam and pepper.
• 32:35
  And standing there with the heat of the fire on your face and the
• 32:38
  freezing cold on your back, tasting in that strawberry jam
• 32:41
  and pepper wine, that was the moment.
• 32:44
  That was the magic. That's the high contrast
• 32:47
  experience we talked about earlier.
• 32:48
  That's why you go The elements amplify the flavor.
• 32:51
  You feel alive, you feel present.
• 32:53
  And then there was the culinary surprise we mentioned.
• 32:57
  Food is expensive, but is it good?
• 32:59
  Is it worth 100 bucks for dinner?
• 33:01
  The source highlights a place called Treadwell.
• 33:03
  It's a farm to table restaurant. They mentioned a specific.
• 33:06
  Dish a pork top that justified the cost.
• 33:09
  And this is significant because often in tourist towns the food
• 33:13
  is lazy. It can be because they know
• 33:15
  you're there anyway. They know they have a captive
• 33:17
  audience who have to eat. So they serve mediocre food at
• 33:19
  high prices. But in NOTL, the culinary talent
• 33:23
  is actually chasing the wine quality.
• 33:25
  The wine is world class so the food has to step up to match it.
• 33:28
  It has created a very competitive and high quality
• 33:31
  food. So the food scene is legit, it's
• 33:33
  not just tourist slop. It is absolutely legit.
• 33:37
  There are serious chefs doing serious work there.
• 33:40
  But not everything was a win. We have to talk about the
• 33:43
  disappointments. We need to save our listeners
• 33:45
  some time and some money here. First up, the haunted walk.
• 33:50
  No TL claims to be Canada's most haunted town.
• 33:52
  It does. It's a big part of its
• 33:54
  marketing. And they sell these ghost tours.
• 33:57
  But the source described it as theatrical and campy rather than
• 34:01
  authentic. If you like ghost stories told
• 34:03
  by an actor in a Cape with a Lantern, fine.
• 34:06
  It's a fine evenings entertainment.
• 34:08
  But don't expect a spiritual encounter.
• 34:10
  No, it feels a bit like a ride at an amusement park.
• 34:13
  It's entertainment, not history. It's a bit silly.
• 34:16
  And the shopping. Queen St.
• 34:18
  This goes back to that hollow feeling we discussed it has
• 34:21
  lost. Its a local utility.
• 34:22
  You can buy a $300 Christmas ornament in July.
• 34:26
  You can buy 10 different kinds of expensive jam.
• 34:28
  But you can't buy a carton of milk right?
• 34:30
  You can't buy socks unless they are $50 alpaca socks from a
• 34:35
  boutique. It's a facade.
• 34:37
  It's a mall for tourists disguised as a historic village.
• 34:41
  It lacks the grit and the function of a real community.
• 34:44
  If you actually live there, you are driving to Saint Catherine's
• 34:47
  to do your actual shopping at a normal grocery store.
• 34:50
  And the final disappointment? The source calls them the
• 34:53
  Instagram wineries. We won't name names, but you
• 34:56
  know the ones. You've seen them online.
• 34:58
  The big chandeliers, the massive estates that look like French
• 35:01
  castles, the ones with the tour buses parked out front.
• 35:05
  The source described the experience as herding cattle.
• 35:08
  In drink, photo out, no connection, just processing
• 35:11
  tourists as efficiently as possible.
• 35:13
  If you want slow travel. If you want a real connection,
• 35:16
  you need to avoid the biggest names and find the smaller
• 35:19
  family run spots where the winemaker might actually be the
• 35:22
  one pouring your glass. That's where the real connection
• 35:24
  happens. OK, so we've unpacked the good,
• 35:26
  the bad and the expensive. Now let's look at the bigger
• 35:29
  picture. Section 6 Alternatives and
• 35:31
  verdicts If NOTL is just too polished or too expensive or too
• 35:36
  stiff for you, where else should you go?
• 35:38
  The source suggests 2 strong alternatives for a similar vibe.
• 35:42
  First Prince Edward County. The source calls it the cool
• 35:45
  cousin. That's a perfect description.
• 35:47
  It's about 2 1/2 hours east of Carano.
• 35:50
  It is what Niagara on the Lake was maybe 20 years ago before it
• 35:54
  got so polished. What's the vibe?
• 35:56
  What does it feel like? Barns.
• 35:58
  Gravel roads, hipsters, younger wine makers who are
• 36:02
  experimenting with things like natural wine and orange wine.
• 36:06
  It's less about heritage preservation and more about
• 36:08
  innovation. It feels younger, edgier.
• 36:12
  So less polished, more rusted. Much less polished.
• 36:14
  It's grittier. It's harder to find a fancy
• 36:17
  hotel. You're mostly looking at
• 36:19
  Airbnb's or cool converted motels.
• 36:22
  But if you hate fancy, if you want something that feels more
• 36:25
  authentic and rural, this is the spot.
• 36:27
  It's much better for millennials and Gen.
• 36:29
  Z. And the second option.
• 36:31
  The Finger Lakes in New York State.
• 36:33
  The American twin. Exactly, it's a similar climate,
• 36:35
  similar latitude, very Riesling focus just like Niagara.
• 36:39
  But the geography is huge. You have to drive a lot more
• 36:42
  between wineries. It's better for Rd. trippers who
• 36:45
  want to cover a lot of ground and see different landscapes
• 36:47
  around the lakes. OK, now the moment of truth.
• 36:51
  The final verdict matrix. Who should actually go to
• 36:55
  Niagara on the Lake? I'm going to name a traveler
• 36:57
  profile and you give me the verdict based on our research.
• 37:01
  Let's do it. The backpacker on a tight
• 37:03
  budget. And no, a hard no, an absolute
• 37:07
  no. Why?
• 37:08
  You will bleed money, there is no hostile culture.
• 37:10
  You will feel completely out of place.
• 37:12
  Go to Montreal, you'll have way more fun for half the price.
• 37:16
  The family with young kids. Hard no.
• 37:18
  Even harder no than the backpacker.
• 37:20
  Really, it seems so safe and pretty.
• 37:22
  Think about it. You are dragging your kids into
• 37:24
  antique shops and quiet, whispery tasting rooms.
• 37:28
  They will be bored out of their minds.
• 37:30
  You will be stressed trying to keep them quiet in that hotel
• 37:33
  lobby. Silence we talked about.
• 37:35
  It's not built for them. Unless you just stay at the
• 37:37
  falls where the fun stuff is and maybe day trip for ice cream.
• 37:39
  Exactly, but do not stay in NOTL with young children.
• 37:43
  It's an adult playground. OK.
• 37:44
  The mid range couple in their 30s or 40s.
• 37:47
  Yes, this is the absolute target demographic.
• 37:51
  It's romantic. It's an easy reset from the
• 37:53
  city. The sources tip is use the
• 37:56
  tasting pass to save money and you'll have a perfect weekend.
• 37:59
  And finally, the luxury traveller, the person for whom
• 38:04
  money is no object. Absolute yes, without a doubt.
• 38:09
  Why is it so perfect for them? Because the town is designed for
• 38:12
  you. Private drivers, helicopter
• 38:15
  tours over the falls, private tastings in the library with the
• 38:18
  head winemaker. All that friction we talked
• 38:20
  about The Walking in the cold, the crowds, the long waits.
• 38:23
  It all disappears when you can throw money in.
• 38:26
  O if you're rich, it's basically a perfect frictionless
• 38:29
  experience. It's a luxury product and it
• 38:31
  functions best when you can afford all the upgrades.
• 38:33
  Which brings us to our overall assessment, our final thought on
• 38:36
  the place. You have to treat this trip like
• 38:38
  buying a designer bag. You know logically that you are
• 38:41
  overpaying for the leather and the stitching, but you aren't
• 38:44
  paying for the leather. You are paying for the brand,
• 38:46
  the feeling it gives you and the quality of the design.
• 38:49
  And the specificity of the product, because that's my main
• 38:52
  take away from all this research.
• 38:53
  It is worth it for this specific experience of ice wine in
• 38:57
  winter. Nowhere else in the world does
• 39:00
  this one specific thing this well.
• 39:02
  I agree it is best in class for that one narrow specific thing.
• 39:07
  If you embrace the silence and you embrace the cold and you
• 39:10
  accept the cost, it's magic. If you fight it, if you try to
• 39:14
  do it on the cheap or rush it, it's just a frozen tourist trap.
• 39:18
  Well said. That's the perfect summary.
• 39:20
  So, listeners, pack your Chelsea boots with the rubber soles,
• 39:24
  book your dinner reservations way in advance, especially for a
• 39:27
  weekend, And maybe, just maybe, skip the dessert wine at the end
• 39:31
  of the meal. Have it with the cheese at the.
• 39:33
  Beginning have it with the cheese.
• 39:35
  Before we go, I want to leave you with one final thought.
• 39:37
  We talked a lot about the heritage zoning and how it
• 39:40
  creates this beautiful, perfect looking town, but it also
• 39:43
  creates that hollow feeling on Queen St.
• 39:46
  It raises a bigger question about what some people call
• 39:49
  Disney Fication. What's the question?
• 39:51
  At what point does preserving the past actually kill the
• 39:55
  living part of a town? When you zone a town so strictly
• 39:59
  that a local can't buy a carton of milk or get their shoes
• 40:02
  repair, have you turned a community into a museum that we
• 40:05
  just pay to sleep in? That is something to think about
• 40:08
  while you're sipping that cab. Frank by the fire.
• 40:10
  Thanks for listening to the deep dive.
• 40:12
  Safe travels.