One-Tank Trip / Southern Ontario
A maple mecca beckons near the Falls
PELHAM, Ont.—Oh, Canada! Home to millions of maple trees and of course, maple syrup. With Ontario as the fourth-largest producer in the world, one has to wonder why the Toronto Maple Leafs just don’t adopt a big ol’ pancake as their logo.
One Tank took a maple syrup trip into Canada to a place called White Meadow Farms. Family fun is the name of the game here, and your kids might just learn a few new things.
The maple syrup season is a great way to usher in spring. Warm days coax sap up to the developing buds, while freezing nights drive it back down into the roots. It’s the only time of the year sap collection occurs, which makes it a favorite annual “tanker.”
Located on the Niagara Escarpment not far from Niagara Falls, White Meadow Farms features all that’s the best about maple syrup production—pancakes, a good story and a walk in the woods.
White Meadow Farms’ fabulous Pancake Weekends are in full swing. Here’s what you can look forward to on your trip. All prices are in Canadian funds.
• Sugar Bush Adventure. Using costumed staff members, this adventurous trek does a super job at telling the story of maple sugaring. Ticket ($6.90 adults, $5.50 children) includes a tractor hayride that drops riders at the wooded trail entrance. (The wagon is smartly enclosed in clear plastic to protect against cold wind.)
The story begins with the Native Americans, and a demonstration of hot rocks submerged in sap filled hollow logs. Visitors learn the legend of the hatchet in the tree (can’t give it away) that led to maple syrup discovery along with some interesting woodland animal pelts and facts. Nearby, is a “wingspan” check, where you spread your arms to see what type of North American bird you’d be.
Next up are the 1700s, with large iron kettles boiling syrup over a wood fire. How much sap is needed to boil down to its wonderful edible state? If any youngsters are learning metrics, they’ll get a workout here, as it’s all about liters. Visitors can try their hand drilling a sap hole and find out how old a tree has to be to produce usable syrup (hint: a string is involved).
In the mix is a fun experiment in determination. Using a huge handsaw, visitors can cut off a piece of trunk to be branded with maple leaf. A real fiddler eggs on would-be loggers with a merry tune. (Lazy bones can purchase a premade souvenir for a buck.) While friends saw, others can snack on a snow maple taffy sucker ($1). Imperfect looking, but nonetheless delicious, youngsters literally ate this concept off its wooden stick.
Moving into the 1800s, you’ll learn that maple syrup production introduced a “pan” evaporator system, which for the most part, is still used today.
Finally, a wonderful display shows how taps and sap buckets evolved throughout the years, leading up to today’s plastic tubing that moves sap downhill to large collection tanks. You’ll see the bright blue lines at the end of the trail with sap running through them.
Throughout your walk in the woods are interesting tree plaques and informational tidbits— just enough to keep the youngsters’ interest without being too wordy. There’s also a semi-rickety wooden bridge that delights the little ones.
Be sure to wear warm clothing and proper footwear (boots highly advisable). Hit the rest-rooms in the Maple Lodge before heading out, as there are only portable toilets on the “Sugar Bush Adventure.”
• The Maple Lodge. Slurp up maple syrup in this darling lodge. The food is served cafeteria style, so the kids will be right at home. Get in line and pick out your food. Pancakes (buttermilk and seven grain), French toast, maple baked beans, maple muffins, bagels with maple chive spread, maple cheesecake, maple rolls, scrambled eggs, sausage, pea meal bacon, home fries and an assortment of drinks, including maple tea and coffee. Meal combinations included: The Sapling (one pancake, sausage and home fries) $4.99; Niagara Gold (two pancakes kick out of the world map with with peaches and maple pins that indicate where visitors streusel topping) $6.50; The Pioneer have traveled to White Meadow (pancake, scrambled Farms. eggs, home fries, sausage) $6.99; The Canadian (pancake,
If you go
French toast, home fries, pea meal bacon and maple baked
Pancake Weekends run Saturday beans) $8.99.
and Sundays through Pitchers of maple syrup are April 11. Open every day during
filled and flowing on long banquet Canadian spring break (March style tables, where you just 16 to 20). Pancakes are served might make some new friends 8:30 a. m. to 3:30 p. m. Easter as you drench your pancakes. weekend hours are Good Friday
Be sure to look closely at the and Saturday 8:30 a. m. to 2 wonderful maple syrup painting p. m.; closed Easter Sunday. The in the lodge entrance. It will first Sugar Bush wagon leaves surprise you to see what it’s at 9:30 a. m. with the last wagon painted on. leaving at 3:30 p. m. The Maple
• Sugar shack. Attached to
Lodge is handicap accessible, the pancake lodge is the sugar but the Sugar Bush Adventure shack where they boil down the is not. sap over a wood fire and have For more information: (905) samples of their maple syrup 682-0642, and products, like jams, spreads www.whitemeadowfarms.com . and a maple beef jerky. Visit here after the trip to the woods, Directions
as it will make more sense to the youngsters.
Cross the Peace Bridge and
• Petting barn and kettle follow QEW to exit 27, McLeod corn. The farm has an animal Road. Turn left at McLeod, then barn with a calf, goats, sheep, right at Montrose Road and llamas and rabbits, all serenaded take to Lundy’s Lane. Go left by Chick-A-Mation, a hilarious onto Lundy’s Lane (heading trio of mechanical hens that away from Niagara Falls). It sing country music. For your turns into HWY 20/HWY 58. own little critters, a nearby shed Continue, then take a right at houses the homemade maple Merrittville Highway to Holland kettle corn operation; a perfect Road (just after Merrittville snack for the ride home. Speedway). Go left and
• Maple Sweet Shop. Before continue as Holland Road turns heading home, stock up on into Effingham to the end (you maple syrup, jams, barbecue can’t miss the green barns). Go sauce, coffee, teas, maple fudge right to the parking lot entrance and more. The kids will get a at White Meadow Farms.
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