Bluey & Bingo Go to Niagara-on-the-Lake — A Victoria Day Family Adventure

It was Sunday morning. The kind of Sunday where the sun comes in sideways through the curtains and the house smells like pancakes.

Bluey was already up. "Bingo! BINGO! Wake up! We're going to Niagara!"

Bingo opened one eye. "Is it the one with the big waterfall?"

"No, the OTHER Niagara. The one with the flowers. And the ice cream. And the FARMS."

Bingo opened both eyes. "I'm in."

Victoria Day weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake — when the whole town bursts into bloom.

The Drive Down the QEW

Mum loaded the car. Snacks in the middle seat. Blanket in the boot. Bluey got the window. Bingo got the other window. Dad drove.

The highway from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake takes about an hour and a half. Bluey counted 47 trucks. Bingo counted 12 red cars. Mum counted zero minutes of silence.

They took the exit at Highway 55 and suddenly everything changed. No more highway. No more concrete. Just vineyards. Rows and rows of green vines stretching to the horizon like fuzzy green soldiers standing at attention.

"This is wine country," Dad said.

"Boring," said Bluey.

"Wait till you see the ice cream," said Mum.

First Stop: The Flower Festival at the Botanical Gardens

Niagara-on-the-Lake in spring is like someone spilled a paint box on the entire town. The Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens were in full bloom — tulips in every colour, cherry blossoms dropping petals like pink confetti, and daffodils standing in bright yellow rows.

Bingo immediately lay down in the grass. "I'm a flower now," she said.

Bluey found a butterfly. She followed it for eleven minutes. Dad timed her. Mum took photos. The butterfly was not impressed.

Inside the Butterfly Conservatory, Bingo held perfectly still and a Blue Morpho butterfly landed on her nose. She whispered: "I have been chosen."

Bluey tried standing still too. A butterfly landed on her ear. She screamed. It flew away. Classic Bluey.

Second Stop: Cows Ice Cream on Queen Street

After the gardens, they drove into the old town. Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of the prettiest streets in Canada — brick buildings, hanging flower baskets, and shops that smell like fudge and old books.

And at the corner: Cows Creamery.

"Two scoops of Wowie Cowie for me!" said Bluey.

"Gooey Mooey!" said Bingo.

Dad got a waffle cone. Mum got the same thing but called it "just a taste." They sat on a bench on Queen Street and watched horse-drawn carriages go by while ice cream dripped down their arms.

Bingo noticed something. "Mum, why does every shop have flowers outside?"

"Because this town loves pretty things," Mum said.

"Like me?" said Bingo.

"Exactly like you."

Third Stop: The Fruit Farms

Down Lakeshore Road, past the wineries, the fruit farms begin. Victoria Day weekend is strawberry season — not quite peak, but the fields are waking up.

They stopped at Seaway Farms, where Bluey and Bingo got little baskets and were sent into the rows to pick their own.

"Only pick the RED ones," Dad said.

Bluey picked a green one. "This one has potential," she said.

Bingo carefully selected each strawberry like she was choosing a diamond. By the time Bluey had a full basket, Bingo had four perfect strawberries. And very red fingers.

At Quiet Acres Farm down the road, Bingo met a baby goat named Gerald. Gerald ate Bingo's hat. Bingo was not upset. "He was hungry," she said. "And it was an old hat."

The Picnic by the Lake

For lunch, they drove to Queen's Royal Park — a tiny green park right at the edge of Lake Ontario where you can see across the water to Toronto's skyline on a clear day.

Mum spread the blanket. Out came the sandwiches (PB&J for Bluey, cheese for Bingo, hummus for Mum, "whatever's left" for Dad). Out came the strawberries they had just picked. Out came the juice boxes.

The lake was calm. A sailboat glided past. Seagulls argued over a french fry. The CN Tower shimmered in the distance like a tiny needle poking the sky.

"Daddy?" said Bingo.

"Yes, Bingo?"

"This is the best day."

Dad didn't say anything. He just put his arm around her and watched the lake.

The view from Queen's Royal Park — where Bluey and Bingo had the best picnic of their lives.

More Spots Bluey & Bingo Loved

The Drive Home

By 5 PM, the car was full of strawberry stains, a half-eaten waffle cone wrapper, one less hat (thanks, Gerald), and two very sleepy Heelers.

Bingo fell asleep first. Her strawberry basket was on her lap, her fingers were still red, and she had a tiny petal from the Botanical Gardens stuck in her fur.

Bluey lasted until Burlington. Then she conked out mid-sentence: "Today was the best day because we saw the flowers and the butterfly sat on Bingo's nose and Gerald ate her hat and—"

Silence.

Dad looked at Mum. Mum looked at Dad. They smiled the smile that parents smile when the car is quiet and the kids are full and the day was exactly right.

"That night, little one, remember Bluey and Bingo's spring adventure. The best days are not the expensive ones. They are the ones with strawberry fingers, butterfly noses, and a picnic blanket by the lake. You do not need much. Just your family, a sunny day, and the willingness to follow a butterfly for eleven minutes."

Your Victoria Day Niagara Checklist

• ☐ Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens — free, open all day
• ☐ Butterfly Conservatory — CA$17 adults, CA$11 kids
• ☐ Cows Creamery — two scoops minimum
• ☐ Seaway Farms — strawberry picking (bring cash)
• ☐ Quiet Acres Farm — petting zoo (hold onto your hat)
• ☐ Queen's Royal Park — picnic with lake view
• ☐ Kurtz Orchards — lavender lemonade stop
• ☐ Greaves Jams — free samples, impossible to leave empty-handed
• ☐ Heritage Trail — 5 km walk/bike along the river

Pro tip: Leave Toronto by 8 AM to avoid the QEW traffic. Come back after 6 PM. Pack lunch to save money — the picnic at Queen's Royal Park is better than any restaurant.