We've spent the last few days visiting family and friends in the mid-west; good times but not too much site-seeing to report on.
Today, we took the Canadian route out of Michigan, which had us re-entering the U.S. across the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls. Neither of us had been to the Falls since the mid-1970's. For me, it brought to mind three random and unrelated thoughts about Niagara:
(1) Thomas Cole, often considered to be the father of the Hudson River School of Art, painted an interpretation of Niagara around 1830; the original is on display at Vermont's own National Park (Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller) in Woodstock.
The painting portrays a placid scene, but even in Cole's day, the true view would have included hotels and tourist traps, not too different than today.
(2) I remember reading years ago that among other daredevils to survive a ride over the Falls, there was one named "Jean Lussier" of Massachusetts (no known relation) who did so in a large rubber ball. See http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/niagara8.htm or GOOGLE "Jean Lussier Niagara" for more information.
(3) Of course, who can forget the 1950's Marilyn Monroe / Joseph Cotton film titled "Niagara"? Apparently not the Niagara Falls souveneir shops that now sell DVD copies!
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