Dufferin Islands Park and Niagara on the Lake

 Well, here it is Thursday, and I'm finally getting around to writing about what we did last weekend.  Alex, Emily and I just decided to take Saturday and go visit Niagara Falls.  I discovered a secret strategy the last time I visited (when I went to pick up my Sister and her two in Buffalo), and Alex and I wanted to try it out this time.  The strategy:  Avoid paying the $20+ in parking fees and the crowded visitor's center at Table Rock by instead driving a little further up-river and parking for free at the Dufferin Islands Natural Area, and walk the mile or so to to see the Falls instead.  Well, it worked a treat!  In fact, it was so nice exploring the Park, that we spent more time there than viewing the Falls. (The summer-time crowds are so huge that struggling through them to get to the spots opposite for a good view leaves Alex and Emily grouchy - and me with an vague feeling of hatred for all of humanity.  Better to go admire that particular wonder of Nature when everyone else isn't there too.)

Dufferin Islands were formed in an off-shoot of the Niagara River

Lots and lots of duckweed in the water

Shot of  Part of the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Side of the Falls)

After we wore ourselves out walking around, and visited the free-admission greenhouse that was on the way back from the Falls to Dufferin Islands, we decided to check out Niagara on the Lake - maybe find a nice place for lunch there.

Through the magic of 3G, Alex found an Irish Pub

One of the rare times Alex gets to be in a photo, instead of behind the camera.

Nice Pub

Skilled Bartender

After Lunch, we waddled over to the Queens Park, on the banks of Lake Ontario, and noticed that two lots of Wedding photos were being taken on that day.  Niagara on the Lake reminds me of lots of other boutique-y village-y places, filled with B&B's, where well-heeled folks come for a week or weekend and then spend tons of money wining the dining themselves, filling the rest of their time with golfing and/or shopping for art and cute little ensembles for their toy poodles.  But there was a notable difference in the crowd attracted to this particular quaint vacation town:  Lots more people (including both brides) had cigarettes in their hands.  I guess lots of the wealthy here aren't from white-bread, U.S.A. country-club stock; but more European?  That was my guess.  Just an impression from a raised-in-a-lot-of-small-town-American-South gal; so take it as it comes.

The Lakeside was lovely; The temperature was lovely.

Emily loves Dufferin Islands as an idea location for building Fairy Houses.