A Day in Niagara

In June of 1997, one of the women who attends the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto organized a bus tour down to the Niagara Region and I bought a ticket. The bus was a very comfortable coach and it was nearly full.

Our first stop (once we had reached the Niagara area) was at the new Butterfly Conservatory which is near the Lewiston Bridge. I had never been inside a place devoted solely to butterflies before and I would describe the experience as 'magical'. We knew that this was on the itinerary for the day so many of us wore light colored clothing and ended up wearing one or more butterflies during the visit.

  One of the butterfly feeders - the pink liquid in the dish is a sweet nectar which butterflies enjoy

This is Helenka and, on the top of her blond head, is a butterfly (it is hard to see due to the vegetation in the background).

  

Jack had a butterfly affixed to his pant leg.

The pathway through the conservatory was elliptical and passed through sub-tropical vegetation.

 Also - a second butterfly feeder. As I exited an  attendant stopped me - I had a butterfly on my hat and the insect had to be rescued.

 From the conservatory it was a short drive to the falls and my favourite way to view them.

Above the falls and the walk along the edge (of course - behind the railing) gives me an odd feeling as if I was about to plunge into the torrent!

The lip of the cataract. 

The Maid of the Mist was nearly made invisible by the mist! The waterfall in the background is the American Falls and the land to the right of that cataract is Goat Island.   

A bed of tulips with the American Falls in the background.

From Niagara Falls it was a short drive down river to Queenston Heights - the site of one of the battles in the War of 1812. At that point is this monument erected to the memory of the British General Brock.

Over to my left from where I took this photo is the beginning of the Bruce Trail. While I was in the St Catherines area on one of the walks - which is not far from Niagara Falls - the hikes that I went on did not end nor begin at that point.  

A garden at Queenston Heights. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a lovely community situated along the Niagara River. It is the site of a highly respected theater festival.

The main street was lined with flower boxes full of tulips and daffodils.

The town clock.

 The venerable Prince William Hotel

And to express the bemusement that I felt while there  - a caleche passing a modern motor coach.