On The Road Again: Niagara Part 1
By: John Kumiski
As we rolled out of Allegany State Park, we had a choice. Should we visit the County Fair in Little Valley, or head directly to our next campsite? The question became moot when we passed the Seneca Iroquois National Museum. I immediately banged a u-turn to visit the Seneca.
I found the museum fascinating, as did Susan. The worldview of the Seneca was very different from mine. For example, their Creation Story is based on life in the Sky-world. The Sky-world is their beginning from the spirit-world, and it is their ending to the spirit-world. The entire story in itself is very powerful, but too long for this piece. Interested readers can find it here.
Exterior of the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum.
The bead-work in the museum was stunning. I can't say that I liked many of the designs, but there was a pouch decorated with beads and porcupine quills that was fantastic.
The Iroquois have a lacrosse team. No surprise there, they invented the game. They compete in international competitions, frequently medaling. Their story is in the museum, too!
Some aspects of the relationship between the Iroquois nation and the United States are on display, too. As with all the other Indian tribes, this relationship was frequently one-sided and dishonest. At least the five Iroquois Nation tribes survived.
I don't write much about food, but of course we have to eat. Further up the road I stopped at a farm stand and bought four ears of corn, one tomato, and six nectarines. Produce fresh from the farm is one of the great things about this trip! The way the food is shaping up, the eating theme looks to be fresh produce, freshly baked goods such as breads and scones, fresh cheeses, and wines. Simple foods, but nutritious and healthy. Our big meal of the day is lunch, and for dinner it's light fare.
At Duffs Famous Wings.
All that having been said, we'd be driving through Buffalo. In the world of food, Buffalo is known for chicken wings. I wanted to get some real Buffalo wings, not from a chain restaurant, on my trip through town. Siri brought us to Duff's Famous Wings. Twenty greasy and delicious wings later, we'd had our fill and were ready to find our next campsite.
Our campsite neighbors at Allegany State Park told us that after we arrived at Four-Mile Creek State Park, our next destination, we should visit Wilson. There was an eating and drinking establishment there they recommended, the Sunset Grill. We found our site at Four-Mile Creek, then went to Wilson and found the place. It was behind a gate, with a sign that said, "Admittance for Yacht Club Members and Guests Only."
I asked my phone for the nearest winery. It brought us to Schulze Winery, a small, family-owned operation, and we sat down for a tasting. Susan also bought some crackers and a wedge of Havarti cheese. Who needed the Sunset Grill?
Niagara Light, by the fort.
Four-Mile Creek State Park Campground lies right on the edge of Lake Ontario. I wondered why many of the waterfront campsites had a chain-link fence between the site and the lake. Maybe the cliff in between had something to do with that! We slid down the steep bank behind our unfenced site, and watched the sun sink into the lake, Toronto barely visible on the far shore. Awesome.
Morning found us at Old Fort Niagara State Park. The French built the first fort here in 1679, and built the first building of the current fort (the Castle) about 300 years ago. The fort commanded the entrance to the Niagara River, where it enters Lake Ontario. Whoever controlled the portage here controlled all access to the other four Great Lakes, and all the Indian fur trade. Its strategic importance could hardly be overemphasized. Needless to say, the British wanted it, too. The fort changed hands after a nineteen-day siege and bombardment during the French and Indian Wars.
Shortly after this, those rebellious Americans wanted the fort. They captured and then lost it, but the British turned it over to them when the Americans won the Revolutionary War.
Inside Old Fort Niagara.
The Brits still wanted a piece of that strategic action, and they still owned the real estate on the other side of the Niagara River. They built another fort, Fort George, on what's now the Canadian side, less than a mile from Fort Niagara. The forts exchange cannonades during the War of 1812. The Americans again lost the fort to the British after a daring and bloody night-time assault. The fort was returned to the USA at the end of the war. No shots have been fired in anger at either of these forts since.
An actor portrays a French soldier inside Old Fort Niagara.
A shuttle bus brought us to Niagara Falls. Our campsite neighbors back at Allegany had told us the American side of the falls was a disgrace. The town of Niagara Falls was run-down, almost seedy, with cheap tourist shops cluttering the roads by the falls. The showcase building in town was a large, brightly lit casino, ironically owned by the Seneca Indians!
We walked down the pathway to American Falls. People of every description thronged the area, speaking many different languages, everyone excited, everyone enjoying the day. There were crowds along the railing, and the falls- well, it's Niagara Falls. Absolutely amazing. I don't know whose idea it was to go over in a barrel, but they must have had a death wish. The falls are magnificent, majestic, stunning, and obviously extremely dangerous.
Between where our van was parked at Old Fort Niagara and where we were at the falls, there are several other parks and some lovely communities. But the shuttles only run to 6:00 PM. We caught the penultimate bus, and rode an hour back to the van. We then returned to our campsite, and found our passports. Tomorrow we'd be crossing the international border.
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