Stumbling and tired, the woman struggled through the forest wishing for a little light yet frightened to death that she might be caught by the enemy. Cold and wet from struggling through swamps, and creeks, and praying she wasn’t lost, Laura kept forging ahead on her mission.
Her undertaking would make her one of Canada’s finest heroines. Her lonely walk helped keep Canada free of the enemy to the south who, it seems, would stop at nothing to steal Canada for themselves. This young woman left 5 children and an invalid husband in her house, a house that was already occupied by the hated enemy, to carry information she overheard from the foreign troops to the British forces. She travelled 32 kilometres through the night and day for 18 hours. Her shoes worn through, and her feet blistered, she successfully got the message through . Her name was Laura Secord. Her bravery gave a warning that resulted in the foreign troops being ambushed and defeated.
On your visit to Niagara Falls you can see her replicated home by taking a drive along the Niagara Falls Parkway. Niagara Parks maintains a remarkable strip of parklands and flowering gardens along the 53 kilometre parkway. There are also plaques and monuments of the great 1812 war against the south.
Of course the first thing will be to visit the falls. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are one of nature’s most magnificent shows as the river plunges over their 53 metre height. The greenish water is spread thinly across the entire curve of the horseshoe. This is dramatically different to the USA falls which is turning into a combination falls and rapids because of the crumbling rock in its face.
You can go down into a tunnel that opens under the falls. On the way you will hear the thunder and perhaps feel the vibration of the falling water on your walk. One viewing platform that provides a good view of the falls will leave you drenched from the spray, but it’s all in good fun.
Others like to ride across the river on a suspended cable car swooping over the Niagara River Whirlpool. Then there are some who like to ride the Maid of the Mist boat right up close to the falling water of the Horseshoe Falls.
For a great view of the falls, ride up to the top of the Skylon Tower. The buffet supper is terrific and if you are lucky and sit on the falls side you can’t have a better view for your supper enjoyment.
The Niagara Parks Commission looks after over 1700 hectares of park land along the parkway and the surprising thing is that this government agency gets no government funds. It pays for itself through the fees collected from its operations.
Happy RVing
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western novels.
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