Exploring Niagara

Book excerpt: As one of the Seven Wonders of the World - not to mention the honeymoon capital of North America - Niagara Falls is indisputably one of this continent's most important tourist destinations. For the millions of visitors - year-in, year-out - and for residents of the area, author Hans Tammemagi's Exploring Niagara turns a wide-angle lens on one of the most diverse and fascinating corners of Canada and in so doing opens our eyes to the fact that as wondrous as it is, there is a great deal more to the Niagara region than the Falls. Covering both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, and all within about a 30-minute drive of the Falls, the book unveils more than 50 tours and day trips to and through places of interest in the Niagara region. Descriptions of the trips themselves - varying from under an hour to several days - detail the historical and geographical highlights of each destination, and offer up a variety, suggesting tours that can be taken by car, by bicycle, or on foot. Indices and appendixes steer the reader to a wide variety of special interests guaranteed to satisfy all tastes. Geographical phenomenon, theatre and arts festivals, wine tours, conservation areas, bird watching, hiking, re-enactments of the War of 1812 - they're all here and more. Visit Niagara Falls, the Welland and Erie Canals, Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Niagara Escarpment, Queenston Heights and everything in between. More than 18 maps round out this text making it the perfect companion for real or armchair adventure.