Ontario’s 2.5-mile Niagara Glen trail leads through the Carolinian Forest to overlooks above the Niagara River and the astounding Niagara Whirlpool. Be sure to have your passport before taking the short drive through Canadian customs. To reach the Glen, take I-190 west to enter Ontario via the Lewiston- Queenston Bridge. Continue to the Niagara Glen Nature Center, where you can park for $1 USD. Access to the reserve is free. Since you are so close, consider a visit to the famous Inniskillin Winery in the quaint town of Niagara on the Lake to sample some of the region’s renowned ice wine made from naturally frozen grapes.
Godspeed and Discove ry surely rejoiced, finding “Goodly tall trees, faire meadows, and white hilly sand,” as noted in one of the ship’s logs. They were destined to establish the New World’s first permanent English colony in Jamestown. But Cape Henry came first, and First Landing State Park— Virginia’s most visited state park—celebrates this historic event, protecting 2,888 acres of wilderness with 1.25 miles of unspoiled beach. That wild chunk of land on Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach, rich in both culture and history, was designated as a state park in 1931. The park’s Chesapeake Bay Center features a history museum that tells the story of the first English settlers. Life-size figures are matched with excerpts from the diary of English explorer George Percy, one of the expedition’s leaders. The center provides visitors with background information about the park and includes an aquarium and wet lab operated by the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. But it is the park’s more than 20 miles of trails that quickly lure visitors outdoors.
www.niagarafallsstatepark.com | 716-278-1794
First Landing State Park, Virginia It is hard to imagine the feelings of excitement and vulnerability felt by the first English colonists as they approached the shores of present-day Virginia in 1607—following a harrowing four-month sail across the Atlantic. When the land of Cape Henry (so named by the settlers in honor of Prince Henry, Prince of Wales) came into view, those aboard the Susan Constan t,
Hikers, cyclists and runners flock to the Cape Henry
A couple strolls a boardwalk in First Landing State Park, Virginia’s most visited state park. Photo credit: Visit Virginia Beach
STATE PARK STAYCATION
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 34
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