Niagara Falls - American Falls

Heading east, I arrived at Delaware Park, a 376-acre historic park consisting of Hoyt Lake, the Buffalo History Museum, Buffalo Zoo, a statue of Abraham Lincoln (16th US President), a replica of Michelangelo’s David, and home to the second largest free outdoor Shakespeare festival in the US.

Within its grounds is the 1840s landscaped Forest Lawn Cemetery and the final resting place of: 13th President Millard Fillmore; born and raised singer/songwriter Rick James; Seneca tribe orator, Sagoyewatha, who spoke for the rights of his people and was a prominent negotiator with the US government; and explorer Frederick Cook, who claimed to be the first man to reach the North Pole in 1908 (although that’s a much-debated topic).

Two blocks away east of the park is Martin House, one of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style designs. Frank was an exceptional late 19th century to mid-20th century architect, who, over a period of 70 years, designed more than 1,000 structures. Over 300 buildings exist across the United States with a handful in Canada and Japan. His creative style was so extraordinary that eight of his buildings were listed as UNESCO sites.


Wright’s prairie style design is recognised by its deep overhanging eaves, beautiful geometric stained-glass windows, terracotta tiles, verandas and custom-made furniture to complement the building’s internal architecture. Martin House was built in 1905 and it was a complex of six buildings that included Barton House, Wright’s first officially completed building in Buffalo.


Less than a mile away is another of Wright’s buildings, the Walter Davidson House, which is characterised by its double-storey height bay window filled with diamond-shaped leaded glass. Wright also designed an administration building that was demolished 46 years later and the one and only boathouse that was built 102 years after it was drafted. For any architectural enthusiast a tour of his many buildings is certainly worth the effort.


Leaving Buffalo, I travelled across Grand Island and headed to Niagara Falls State Park for a wander around Goat Island where the Niagara River splits. At Terrapin Point, I had another thundering view of Horseshoe Falls, then headed to Luna Island. Crossing an arched pedestrian bridge onto Luna Island, I arrived at a central viewing point of the smaller Bridal Veil Falls to my left and the American Falls to my right. Nearby is a 9ft (2.74m) bronze statue of Nikola Tesla, in recognition of his contribution to the construction of the first power plant in Niagara Falls. Diagonally opposite on the Canadian side is another Tesla monument.


Back onto the mainland, I finished this stretch of my journey at the Niagara Falls Observation Tower. The Tower’s outdoor observation deck extended over Niagara Gorge, affording me uninterrupted views of all three waterfalls. Here, I lingered as I absorbed the magnificence of Niagara Falls and kept my eyes on the lookout, hoping to spot a peregrine falcon or America’s national bird, the bald eagle.



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