Niagara Parkway South

Today was spent appreciating the many fine, beautiful (expensive!) homes along the Niagara river. Many of these places appear to have been built recently, probably replacing small homes and cottages that were eighty to a hundred year old. One wonders why a couple with perhaps only two adult children needs six thousand square feet or more of living space. One home, ultra modern, looked more like a corporate headquarters for business! On the other end of the spectrum, it was nice to see how a few grand homes of the past, perhaps the early to mid-1800's, are being kept in mint condition.

We had our lunch and mid-day rest at a pullout beside the river. Once again it was so beautiful to enjoy the peace and absolute quiet in the area. The quiet moving river, no winds, a few birds, and no traffic noises for minutes at a time.

We continue to learn more about the history of this area. At one place, we read information about an electric suburban trolley company that took passengers from the Buffalo and Lake Erie steamships from a wharf near Chippewa down to Queenston to board the ships bound for Toronto.

A field south of Chippewa was the site of several battles between the American and the British during the War of 1812-14. It has been recently discovered that over 800 bodies (from both sides) are buried in this field. Of all the events at the site, the American almost won only one of these battles. The British usually benefited from alliances with Indian warriors.

At one point, we witnessed a killdeer frantically screaming and running along the grass in front of us. We obviously had travelled too close to its nest. The bird kept up the performance for several minutes before flying off in a wide circular route back to the nest.

When we finished the walking today, the mist from the Falls was on the distance horizon.
Pictures:
The mega house

The 'corporate' house

The well-kept house from the 1800's - For Sale if you are interested.