Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S., being established in 1885 as the Niagara Reservation. It was the first of the several such reservations that eventually became the cornerstones to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Continue readingIce carvers wanted – no experience necessary
February is the month when Canadians have most of their winter fun, as lots of events and festivals take place across the country. Indoor, and especially outdoor activities highlight Canada’s cultural, artistic, and culinary diversity, and most of them are free and take place everywhere.
Before the ice age month will come to an end, we decided to go for a drive in the country side, enjoying another sunny and beautiful day.
A quick guide to visiting a lesser-known tourist attraction: Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historic Site
Located on the shores of St. Lawrence River, 11 km from Rimouski, Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse was designated a National Historic Site in 1974. The treacherous shore enveloped in a dense mist was a sufficient proof for us that the lighthouses were much-needed at the mouth of the river, and along Route 132 of Gaspé Peninsula.
Our drive around Beautiful Gaspesié did not include originally this visit, but the grey and rainy morning we woke up with in Rimouski made us change our plans quickly, and here we are, learning about local history, and the dangers of the waterway.
Ice flowers, the winter’s delicate artwork
While our friends from Southern Hemisphere enjoy their hot or humid summer, the Northern Hemisphere is entertained by the beauty of the winter.
As always, in Canada, winter comes as an all-inclusive package: with squalls, and snow, with frigid temperatures, and sun; all winter activities are in full swing by now, you name them!
Falling in love with Gaspésie
The morning when the whole coastline was shrouded in its misty glory is finally upon us. A shimmery haze is slowly replacing the low layer of the clouds, leaving us in a speechless awe.
The best photos of the year: 2021
Despite 2021 being a tough year, with many ups and downs, and hopes for a normal life, we still had our little joys, witnessing the life emerging in the spring, or watching the sunny skies during the summer time! We were happy to be able to learn a bit of Canadian history in Thunder Bay, and considered lucky to be able to hit the road again, having not one, but two road trips, one in Northern Ontario, along Lake Superior, and one in Quebec, around the Gaspé Peninsula (known as Gaspésie).
Even though some wildfires altered the nature in certain areas and then the rain came to wash out the barren earth, we still had our amazing autumn, when the Mother Nature put up the most exquisite golden dress!
Continue readingWhite River suspension bridge trail – Pukaskwa National Park
Out of the hundreds of hiking possibilities in Northern Ontario, the trail going to the White River suspension bridge is the one you won’t want to miss. If you like hiking, you love nature, and suspension bridges, then this is the trail you must have on your list.
Being on the road already for few days, on our West to Northwest Road Trip, we planned carefully a full day on this rather difficult trail.
Playing Santa isn’t so bad!
Cohorts of Santa’s are waiting patiently in most of the stores at this time of the year, alluring the passersby, children and adults alike. They smile, they play, some of them can even dance! With a full bag of surprises, they get eventually a foster house, where cheerful families, longing for the most desired and festive celebration of the year, need a headman for their other decorations.
I always feel super excited when I see so many colourful decorations, and the music plays everywhere, when the stores are super busy with people moving scurrying around, looking for a proper gift. Sometimes I feel intimidated, because it is so hard to chose new ornaments. While I do not over decorate our home, I try to put a personal note every year, as I do not consider necessary to spend lavishly on the eye-catching stuff from every store. Although I want them all😊
Fort William of 1816 – The height of the fur trade in North America
One of the largest living history attractions in North America, Fort William offers a vivid image of the fur trade life. Re-enactment of the old days was our main reason we chose to visit the fort, as we very much enjoyed the cheerful animators from Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. Although the park staff was very limited after the big lockdown from the beginning of the year, we considered lucky to be able to visit it, as the park re-opened mid-summer.
The story of the North West Company and its rendezvous place at Fort William covers but a brief span of history. Between the American Revolution (1776-1783), the war of 1812, and later the Pemmican War, then until its own absorption by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821, the North West Company exercised a virtual monopoly of all trade into the northwest directed from Montreal. As the company’s inland headquarters, Fort William became the pivotal point in a vast fur trading empire, in a peaceful time before the several changes of what will later become Canada, such as 1869 when Hudson Bay Company turned over the governance to the new nation of Canada who decided the future of the North West territories. Anyway, Fort William remains an eloquent proof of peaceful trading times, frozen in time at the height of the fur trade in North America, as it was in 1816.
Hope you will enjoy the little movie, and the cheerful animators of Fort William!
Tip(s) of the day:
- Ask as many questions as you want, all the staff looks knowledgeable, and willing to take extra time to answer all your questions;
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as the site is quite big, and not much shade between the buildings;
- Take water and sunscreen with you, especially during the summer months;
- Admission was $5.00 as of August 2021, for hours of operation and more info you can read here.
~ visited in August 2021
1000 Places and Memories 