Hamilton's Aviary & Churchill Community Garden

Saturday seemed like a beautiful day for visiting Hamilton's Aviary and Churchill Community Garden and boy was I right! It is always a pleasure to see all the exotic birds that live at the Aviary. It is home to Parrots, Doves, Silki chickens, Golden Pheasants, Peafowls, Canaries, Ducks and many more! Also, during this time of year, some of the birds have offspring to take care of and it is a treat to see. The Peafowls had one little peachick that followed the peahen every where she went.

 







The the birds' homes are surrounded by the Churchill Community Garden which makes for a nice ambiance for the
birds and for your visit. Plenty of vegetables herbs and flowers growing row upon row, plot upon plot. Even if you do not garden, you can still relish the landscape and hard work put into the garden, or at least I certainly do.

The Aviary is also home to Plant Lover's Garden which is a garden with flowers and plants from four various habitats combined into one wondrous garden. The plants originate in such abodes as  mountains, forests, ponds and bogs. It is beleaguered by a brick fencing several entrances; some of them hidden. It reminds me of the garden described in The Secret Garden, like a place you'd ran away to when trying to get away from home for the day as a little girl. 

 

If you've never visited the Aviary it is located in Westdale and can be reached by driving, or through the Cootes Paradise Trails that connect Westdale to McMaster University.
It is free to visit, but donations are definitely welcome as they help take care of the birds.

For more information you should definitely check out Hamilton's Aviary Website and Churchill Community Garden Blog.

Signing Off,

A.Mihaela

Image Thursdays: Open Streets Hamilton

Photo Credit: Open Streets Hamilton

Open Streets Hamilton is a great event that started here last year during Super Crawl.
The idea: close down as many streets as possible from motorized vehicle use while allowing pedestrians,bikers, bladers, boarders etc. to use it in order of bring awareness to a clean commute and green modes of transportation.
Now combine that with Hamilton's rockin' Art Scene and you got yourself an awesome Sunday funture (fun+venture).
This year the Open Streets Crew managed to get two days to feature this event. One of these days happens to be THIS Sunday (June 24th 2012). 

Where: James St. between King St. & Guise St.
When: 10:00-17:00 

So if you want to check out what the Buzz is all about in Hamilton, get on your bike and pedal on over to Open Streets this Sunday! 

Photo Credit: Eucharist Church, Mount Hope

So my featured picture today is "Blessings of the Bikes"

I love this poster! It is also and advertisement for an Open Streets event a year ago, done by a church group.
Religious or not, if you like to bike or if you love your bike, you can appreciate this poster.

 Happy Open Streets Funturing!!! 

Photo Credit: Open Streets Hamilton

Waterfall Tuesdays: Webster's Falls

Webster's Falls

Webster's Falls is probably one of the most famous waterfalls in the Hamilton area. It is located in Dundas just outside of Flamborough. Personally, my acquaintance with Webster's Falls started when I was a little girl about 6 years old. We had recently immigrated to Canada and my parents made their first friends who happened to be Romanians as well. They had been living in Canada a lot longer than us and so they introduced us to the beauty that was slightly hidden from the eye. Webster’s Falls was one of the first places that I had ever visited. On my very first trip to Webster’s Falls, we trekked the many steps to the bottom of the falls and ventured underneath them.


The best sensation is being between the rock formation and the heavy flow of water; truly breathtaking. For those you have been to Niagara Falls and experienced “Journey Behind the Falls,” you haven’t actually experienced being behind a waterfall until you are so close you can feel the mist on your face, until you can touch the water coming down.


After my first time, I must have visited Webster’s Falls one hundred times. Whether with summer day camps, picnic trips with the family, weddings, walking the dogs, bringing new visitors, bringing not so new visitors, photography projects for school, or just plain fun, one thing is for sure; Webster’s never gets boring!

Me at Tews Falls

Webster’s is located on a river the passes through the Niagara Escarpment in Dundas in Specer’s Gorge. It has been said to be 7 waterfalls in total in around this area, 2 of which have easy access by car (Webster’s and Tews).  However, there are many trails that you can venture on, including the Bruce trail, to try and find the others.  Some of the paths are more difficult and are not meant for strollers. Nevertheless, if you are looking for an adventure and have youth in your heart you check definitely check this out!

Webster's Falls

In my past years at University, I have found that many international students make this trip at least once during their stay in Hamilton. It goes without saying that it would be great to see even more young people out and about this beautiful area, especially transplants university and college students.


As always, I’d love to hear about your own experiences and see your pictures from Webster’s or the surrounding area.


To keep up-to-date with what's happening at Webster's Falls be sure to check out the Hamilton Conservation Authority Website News! 




Signing Off, 


A.Mihaela

Hamilton's Green Space: Fifty Point

This week, I ventured out to Fifty Point Conversation Park and Marina. This is probably one of Hamilton's most diverse parks in terms of things to do when you visit.
Usually I go to Fifty Point for day long bbq get together with friends and family.

 

The reason we love it so much is because the park is dog friendly so long as its on a leash. The only place where this doesn't apply is Fifty's Dog Beach where dogs are allowed off the leash and free to swim and walk around.

Aside for the dog beach, Fifty has its own human beach, volleyball nets, pond, courts, rentable halls, camp grounds, marina and even a cafe! 

It's a great place if you like fishing, day boating or simply want to enjoy some family time including your pets. 

Maybe you want a venue to through your daughter's first birthday party (like this past weekend), whatever you can think of, Fifty Point is a great place to visit during the summer months. If you get the Hamilton Conservation Annual Pass, Fifty Point is one of the parks included. 

It is a safe environment with a great staff! My favourite part about Fifty Point is that it even has some maintained paths that you can walk on that span the perimeter of the grounds. It goes through the human beach, on a cliff looking onto Lake Ontario, through the dog beach to get to the marina and to the main boat house. 

Even if you are in West Hamilton, Fifty Point is worth the travel on the QEW East. 

Signing Off, 

A. Mihaela 

Waterfall Tuesdays: Albion Falls

Albion Falls

Having lived in Hamilton most of my life, I am quite embarrassed to say that I have not seen majority of the waterfalls this city is so famous for. This is just one of the reasons why I have decided to blog about the nature that Hamilton has to offer. Not only do I aspire to reach other young adults, but I hope to explore and learn more myself. 
For some reason I always found Albion Falls overrated, probably because I used to go tobogganing on Albion mountain when I was younger, but for some reason I never quite made it to the falls themselves. Upon visiting them, I have changed my opinion completely; they are wonderful and should not be underestimated. 
I think my favourite part about the falls is that the water flow is not that strong and you can walk on the different layers that make it up.
These falls are located on the far east Hamilton mountain sitting right under Mountain Brow Blvd. If you dont have a care don't sweat it!  The Mohawk bus (41) Eastbound can take you there. Just get off at the end of the loop for the closest drop-off station to the falls.

As I mentioned before, Albion Falls sits on Albion mountain which happens to embody a few good trails. So, if you are coming to visit Albion Falls and want some extra adventures, be sure to check out the trails. I myself, have yet to explore them as my visit to the falls ended abruptly due to thunder, lighting and of course rain.  
For more information about Albion Falls: where they are located, lover's leap haunting, nearby trails and more pics check out this wikipedia link. 


Happy Waterfalling! 


Signing Off,

A.Mihaela

Hamilton's Green Space: Waterfront Trail

One of my favourite places to go for a bike ride, a run, or a midnight stroll or watch the sunset is on the Waterfront Trail. For all those concerned of difficulty, dont sweat it. It is about an 8km stretch of cemented trail that spans from Princess point through Bayfront Park, through the Marina, through the Pier 4 Park all the way to the William's Cafe on Discovery Drive in Hamilton. (Outside of Hamilton it spans from Niagara to Quebec.) The reason I love this trail so much is because you don't get bored walking this stretch of land as it sits right on the edge of the water with amazing views. And if that's not enough for you, then maybe going through parks and marinas will! 


I know what you might be thinking '8km is not exactly a walk in the park.' The best part about the Waterfront Trail is that it can be. You can start at Princess point and walk to Bayfront Park. Or you can start on Discovery Drive and go through the Marina just past Pier 4 Park. It is a trail for everyone no matter who you are and what your capabilities are, which makes it great for family outings. 
If you are a born athlete, then this trail is perfect for you. From Bayfront Park to Princess Point there are markers that measure the length so you know how much land you covered already. 




Th Waterfront Trail wasn't always around. I remember being in elementary school, over a decade ago, and the connection between Princess Point and Bayfront Park didn't exist. Back then Princess Point was filled with people picnicking and fishing every weekend. Now, its a quiet place to walk the dog. 
When I came back to Hamilton for University, the trail was a nice surprise. Even five years since I've discovered it, I haven't gotten bored. I love to go and sit on a bench looking into the harbour alone with my thoughts, or biking with my boyfriend after a long day.

I hope you enjoy and please feel free to share your experiences with this trail. 


Signing Off, 

A.Mihaela