Two Nights, Four Meals in Niagara, Part 2

We began day two with a morning walk to look at the Falls. Then we checked out of the Country Inn and Suites and drove over to Lundy's Lane where we wandered about the site of the historic 1814 battle at the top of Drummond's Hill. The afternoon and evening of July 25, 1814 saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the War of 1812. Though the battle itself was indecisive, it marked the failure of the final American attempt to capture Upper Canada. There is also a monument to Laura Secord, who is buried in the cemetery there.

It being Cinco de Mayo, we were in the mood for some Mexican food, and so, again on the recommendation of TripAdvisor contributors, we headed to a strip mall in the north end of Niagara Falls to ¡Frijoles! for lunch. The food here is all fresh, homemade Cali-Mex. I had a couple of tacos – chicken and steak – Baja-style, with the white lightning sauce, while my wife chose the quesadilla. We washed everything down with a couple of Mexican fruit sodas. The cost was less than $20. If you're a fan of this kind of food, you couldn't do better.

Then we headed back downtown where we checked into the Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview. Why didn't we stay a second night at the Country Inn and Suites? Here's where my points and miles collecting hobby comes into play. Carlson Hotels (of which both Radisson and Country Inn are a part) currently has a promotion whereby Club Carlson members can earn a free night after completing two stays. Not two nights, two stays; hence the requirement to change hotels. So my little manoeuvre earned me a free night I can use before December 31 at any Radisson or Country Inn worldwide.

But I also double-dipped, because I earned over 4,200 Club Carlson points for my two nights. Actually, I triple-dipped: I earned a bonus of 1,000 points for each reservation because I booked online. Since free nights begin at 9K points, I'm well on the way to another free night. And because I paid with my American Express Gold Rewards card, I earned membership rewards points which can be converted to miles or points with a variety of airline or hotel partners. But since I earn double membership rewards for travel spending, you could say I quintuple-dipped, probably my best points/miles score ever.

Our final dinner was at Massimo Capra's Rainbow Room in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Falls Boulevard at the foot of Clifton Hill. The celebrity chef has lent his name and his talents to creating a menu showcasing Niagara food and wine. The views are spectacular, service is hospitable, the food creatively presented and delicious. And priced accordingly. Though, surprisingly, wine was a comparative bargain. The bottle we drank, Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catherine Brut Rosé, is $29.95 at the LCBO, but was only $40 at the Rainbow Room.

We left satisfied, but seeking some further adventure, rode the Niagara SkyWheel, then took a taxi to the Fallsview Casino, where, alas, we failed to win our fortune.

The next morning we headed for home.