Old Fort Niagara

We took a really cool field trip on Friday to Old Fort Niagara. It sits right at the point where the Niagara River emerges from Lake Ontario. We had to pass the exit to Niagara Falls to get up there, but even still it was just about an hour's drive.

The fort was built in 1726 by the French, then it was taken by the British, who gave it to America after the Revolution, then it was recaptured by the British in the War of 1812, and then the British gave it back to America at the end of that war.

The buildings have been restored, and the largest building is a really neat castle. There are also lots of cannons everywhere that the boys got to see and touch. And there was even a musket-firing demonstration, which was cool, but it sent Thomas into a fit of tears because it was a bit loud.

It was a beautiful day to be out -- it was sunny and clear, but fairly crisp. The grounds were so well manicured, and it was amazing to see just how big Lake Ontario is. If we looked close, we could even see Toronto across it on the horizon!

Here are some photos of our adventure: