A trip to see Niagara

We visited Fort Niagara and Niagara Falls this weekend. Both are among the most picturesque spots you could possibly find.

The fort is a historically important location. The fort is located on Lake Ontario,

very close to where the Niagara River feeds into the lake. Unseasonably cold when we visited, the fort invites photography. The green of the grass, the color of the bricks and the lake water in the background give a nice combination of hues and vantage points. The many cannons along the walls point in different directions, which direct the eyes of the viewer.

First a French fort and then a British installation, the United States finally took possession of the fort prior to the War of 1812. The location was an important one in the early history of our country.

The day we visited, there were reinactors in Revolutionary War dress discussing

various subjects related to the history of the fort, weapons of the era and the War itself.

According to the folks we talked to, the majority of the fort’s buildings are still made up of the original material (read that, “rocks”) and, unlike some historic places we’ve visited, visitors are welcome to walk into most of the buildings in the facility.

One strange item: There was a sign that, due to my limited knowledge of the French language, did not appear to be in either English or French. I have posted it here. Maybe you can read it.

Because of the cold weather, we discovered for ourselves how hard it was for the soldiers of the era to stay warm and what they did to deal with the wind and cold of winter. As an aside, the wind chill for the fort when we were there, according to something my wife found online, was 27 degrees. We saw a few snow flurries.

Still, it was an enjoyable visit. The history is right where you can touch it. There is a Visitors Center with exhibits and a 15-minute video about the history of the fort. I’d recommend the video, it is very well done.

The fort is in the same general area as Niagara Falls. You can visit both

attractions on the same visit but you can’t see both in the same day and do justice to either. If you can give yourself time, give both places the best part of a day.

We hit the Falls a day earlier and really enjoyed the Maid of the Mist boat ride. You can probably figure out for yourself that there are plenty of photo ops in the area around the Falls. If you bring a camera, bring something to wipe it down after the boat goes by the Falls. Your camera is going to get wet if you use it.

The Park does hand out plastic rain wear for the boat ride, but you can’t get photographs through the rain wear. Just be sure you know how to care for your equipment.

We did not go to the Canadian side of the international border to see the Falls from that vantage point, which we were told is prettier than the American side. Frankly, I don’t see how the Canadian side is nicer. Luna Island, on the U.S, side, was unavailable due to some construction, but otherwise everything we saw was lovely.

The walking trails were not open when we visited. The trails are available seasonally. But we’ll do that on another visit.

We did manage to visit Goat Island and I’d like to go back to the Island on a warmer day because there are plenty of nice locations to see there. As it was, we got some nice images anyway.

We visited the aquarium in the Falls park area, which was nice but a little

disappointing.

We very much enjoyed the busses that cruise around the Park. We saved a lot of steps on a sometimes rainy day by using the busses. We were able to pick out the spots we wanted to see and get there comfortably. When we were there the bus rides were free but we saw signs advertising the price of a bus ride. A seat on the busses might cost something during the summer months.

Included in this blog is a collection of images from both the fort and the Falls. Hope you enjoy them.

 

Thanks for reading.