Hennepin

This well positioned sign in English and French reminds us that the Belgian missionary Louis Hennepin (1626-1705), who accompanied the explorer La Salle, is credited with introducing Niagara Falls to Europe when he published descriptions of his travels in 1683. The book is called "Description de la Louisiane".

Fallsview Trail

It has come to my attention that what I have been calling a promenade is also known as the Fallsview Trail. The name makes sense. The morning light made for some interesting photos. As we approached Horseshoe Falls we noticed everything was wet. No surprise here since those falls churn out mist like some crazy factory on overdrive.

 

Queen Victoria Park

What makes the Canadian side pleasing is a long strip of parkland, most of which seems to be called Queen Victoria Park. The fact of it being beautifully manicured and full of interesting structures gives the place a touch of Old World gravitas. The building at the bottom is a restaurant called Queen Victoria Place; the circular, fortress looking structure to the left of that seems to be where the lights are projected onto Horseshoe Falls.

gazebo by morning

Mrs. agreed to get up bright and early, grab a coffee and stroll on the promenade, sans crowds. It was a wonderful idea. Above, the gazebo featured in the movie "Niagara". Apparently they built the fictional cottages featured in the film here. The cottages were removed post filming, but the gazebo lives on.

lights and fireworks

From our hotel room we could see Horseshoe Falls lit up and changing colors. That was followed by fireworks which humorously exploded over the reflection of Mrs. in the window. I think we had the option of opening the window (which explains the glare-free photo above), but then I was terrified of dropping my phone from the 7th floor. Apparently the lights and fireworks happen every night in the summer.

promenade, part 4

On my return walk I got a really close look at the falls,  as well as a glimpse of the gazebo structure that would later appear in the movie "Niagara" (more about that later).

promenade, part 3

Further down promenade I encountered Horseshoe Falls - the other big piece of the falls. That first part is called Bridal Veil Falls. The horseshoe name fits its shape, and for whatever reasons it seems to produce a lot more mist, like some sort of nonstop smokestack. That landmass to the left of the falls is Goat Island.

promenade, part 2

As if the big fat panorama and the rainbow weren't enough - a boat! This was either the famous Maid of the Mist, which leaves from the New York side, or Hornblower's Niagara City Cruises, docked on the Canadian side (bottom photo). After scrutinizing the photos, I believe this is the latter. You gotta love the squiggly foam.

Niagara Falls promenade

Went for an afternoon stroll on the Canadian side promenade. I will go so far as to say this is one of the great promenades of the world, since you get an extended, big fat panorama of the falls. And if that weren't enough, a rainbow! Lesson learned: go for that afternoon stroll... despite the crowds and the heat.

black squirrels continued

Some of these black squirrels had an unexplained white tuft on their tail. Another genetic variation I suppose. I'm not sure why the squirrels were so amusing to look at, but they were.

 

what squirrels look like in Canada

I was struck by these black squirrels in all the surrounding parks. Supposedly they're a variation of the Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) which is the familiar American squirrel. Later in Michigan we would see more of these.

views from the hotel

I can't deny that the Sheraton had some nice views, like the one above from our room... but the restaurant (below) was so busy that we never actually got to eat there. Needless to say, Niagara Falls is the Grand Canyon of the east coast, and possibly even more crowded.

the Canadian side

These pictures sum up the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. The short version is this: it's better than the American side (although in fairness I still haven't checked out Goat Island). It still has crowds and flashy hotels (like the Sheraton seen here, where we stayed). It still has tacky sprawl. But... it's got a full, direct view of the falls, a fabulous promenade, and the saving grace: about an equal amount of attractive, verdant parkland as there is ugly, manmade sprawl.