Hello from Niagara Falls: The Tropical Splendour
of Bird Kingdom and a Musical Encounter with Charlie Brown
So far
I had already enjoyed a great day, full of action: after a tour
of the tropical court yard at the Best Western Cairn Croft I had
gotten a great 360 degree view over Niagara Falls from its most
famous landmark: the Skylon Tower. A wonderful IMAX movie “Niagara
Falls: Miracles, Myths and Magic” introduced me to the colourful
history of this place, and the actual vessels of many daredevils
who had gone over the Falls (in some cases with tragic results)
sent shivers up my spine in the Daredevils Gallery, also housed
in the Niagara Falls IMAX Theatre. Then, my first hand exploration
of these majestic waterfalls as part of the “Journey Behind
The Falls” experience gave me an up-close and personal impression
of the sheer power of the millions of litres of water that tumble
over the edge of the Horseshoe Falls every second.
One of the viewing portals in the tunnels behind the Horseshoe Falls
Now that I was thoroughly chilled on this grey and clammy day,
I was looking for a quieter place where I could warm up and I found
the perfect spot: Bird
Kingdom, a tropical aviary housed in the former 1907 Spirella
Corset Factory.This building, one of the first concrete poured buildings
in Canada, housed the Niagara Falls Museum from 1958 until 2000.
A tiny tropical bird at Bird Kingdom
Bird Kingdom is a relatively new attraction in Niagara Falls: the
building was purchased in 2000 and a new 50,000 square foot addition
enlarged the original space. Today the complex houses a number of
different bird habitats. The first one I saw is the small aviary
that houses more than 40 species of small birds, some very colourful.
On the east side of the exhibit there is a large panorama window
that overlooks the Niagara Gorge. All sorts of cheerful bird songs
filled the air and little birds were flitting all over the place.
Colourful amphibians
From here I passed into the nocturnal area which houses all sorts
of creatures that come awake at night: from owls to bats to crickets
and various reptiles you get a good look at animals that normally
remain hidden from us. These animals would normally be asleep in
the day time, but a smart strategy of keeping the rooms dark during
the day and turning the lights on during the night reverses the
body clock of these elusive creatures so visitors can actually experience
them.
The waterfall
The darkness of the nocturnal area opened up into the large bright
expanse of the Main Aviary which impresses with its 35 foot tall
palm trees and a 40 foot waterfall. This space is the world’s
largest free flying aviary. The architectural jewel of this area
is the Java House, an authentic hand carved teak nobleman’s
house from the Island of Java that is 125 years old. The intricately
carved details of this unique structure captured my attention and
I took a bit of time to relax in this inviting space. Coffees, teas
and iced drinks are on offer inside the Java House and invite visitors
to sit down for a while.
Intricately carved details of the Java House
Outside again I admired some of the large and colourful birds that
live in the Main Aviary. More than 35 species are represented here,
and one of the most eye-catching is the intensely red coloured Scarlet
Ibis, a resident of tropical South America and incidentally the
national bird of Trinidad and Tobago. The Scarlet Ibis only turns
red from its original grey/white colouration once it ingests red
crabs in tropical swamps.
A Scarlet Ibis
Curious Blue and Gold Macaws peaked down at me from their high
perches and a large Pied Imperial Pigeon, indigenous to the Indian
Ocean and Australia, was just starting to feed and slowly walked
around the ground, picking up kernels. I also spotted a Red-billed
Toucan, normally a resident of Central and South America and one
of the most colourful specimens of the aviary.
Pied Imperial Pigeon
On my way out of the Bird
Kingdom I briefly stopped off at the Macaw Market, a shopping
area on the main floor that offers all sorts of bird-related collectables.
A visit to Niagara Fall’s Bird Kingdom was a great way of
warming up in a tropical environment, surrounded by exotic feathered
creatures and a jungle-like environment.
A mischevious Blue and Gold Macaw
It was now late afternoon and I decided to catch a rest for a couple
of hours. I drove to my new home for the next two days: the Kilpatrick
Manor Bed and Breakfast. Located on Second Street, not far from
Niagara Fall’s train station, I drove up to a beautiful Victorian
mansion and met Nance Kilpatrick, who together with her husband
Kevin, runs this impressive bed and breakfast.
Nance Kilpatrick from Kilpatrick Manor B&B
Nance showed me to my room for the next two nights: the luxuriously
decorated Hunniford Room, featuring a large king-size bed with a
sitting area, a fireplace, a high-definition television and a phenomenal
private bathroom with full-body jets. Slippers and bathrobes were
waiting inside the antique armoire. No doubt I was going to be comfortable
here! I just wanted to fall into the imposing king-size bed and
relax in the softness of the high-quality linens.
The dining room
Nancy was gracious to give me an entire tour of the house which
included the two other guest rooms and their magnificent bathrooms.
Nance then sat down with me for an interview. I am always interested
in learning the story of bed and breakfast owners, because just
as each B&B is unique, so are the owners. Nance and Kevin’s
story and their international hospitality experiences are indeed
special, and this young couple is truly passionate about providing
the best possible guest experience that they can. Their upscale
bed and breakfast has enjoyed great success since its beginnings
two years ago, and Kevin, a professional chef, will soon start offering
catering services as well. Kilpatrick Manor is also a favourite
for romantic getaways and offers special getaway packages that include
romantic massages. Nance and I spent a good hour and a half chatting
before I had to rush to my next activity for the day.
One of the luxurious bedrooms
My last stop of another intense day of explorations was the famous
“Oh Canada
Eh?” Dinner Theatre. This theatre company has two locations:
one in Niagara Falls and one in the Canadian Rockies, more specifically
in Canmore, Alberta. Since 1994, when the Niagara Falls location
opened, “Oh Canada Eh?” has put on more than 3100 performances.
It has been voted “Attraction of the Year” a total of
six times since its inception and has done road shows in Toronto,
Buffalo, Cleveland and even as far away as Palm Beach.
Sleeping accommodations for a princess...
This dinner theatre performs a variety of shows, including “The
Rocky Horror Show” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect,
Now Change”. The longest running performance is the “Oh
Canada Eh? Dinner Show”, which features a variety of Canadian
icons, including singing Mounties, lumberjacks, a hockey player
and many other typically Canadian characters.
Ready to enjoy tonight’s performance, “You’re
A Good Man, Charlie Brown”, I sat down at my table inside
the large, chalet-like building. The hearty dinner featuring French
Canadian split pea soup, roast beef, Atlantic haddock, roasted chicken
with roasted potatoes, vegetables and salad was very tasty and filling,
and I enjoyed my conversation with my neighbours at the table: a
retired couple from Brampton who took their granddaughter on a special
trip to Niagara Falls. Over maple chocolate cake they told me that
they regularly book outings in Niagara Falls with their grandkids
since there are so many things to do for young children.
The rustic, chalet-like Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre
After dinner the entire cast of the Peanuts came to life and re-enacted
a day in the life of Charlie Brown. Enthusiastic performances and
great singing by young actors and great costumes evoked all the
famous characters – Charlie Brown himself, Lucy, Schroeder,
Linus, Sally and Snoopy. Ultimately, Charlie’s quest for what
it means to be a good man is resolved – simply trying your
best and making the most out of what life gives you. The entire
audience, old and young, could relate and had a good time, and their
enthusiastic applause confirmed it.
Another day full of new impressions had passed and Niagara Falls
had shown its multi-faceted face to me. As I fell asleep, wrapped
into the soft linens at the Kilpatrick Manor, I was thinking that
I had only one
more full-day left in Niagara Falls, and this day would be dedicated
to exploring one of the most popular tourist areas in this town:
Clifton Hill…