Beautiful Hamilton and Mississauga

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Ontario is the second-largest province in Canada. It lies on the strip of the Canadian mainland between Hudson and James Bays to the north and the St. Lawrence River-Great Lakes chain to the south. Quebec borders it to the east, the US to the south, and the Canadian province of Manitoba to the west.

The Bruce Trail is an 890-kilometer-long trail great for hikers. The trail stretches from Niagara Falls all the way north to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.

The Niagara Escarpment is a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Starting off from here your hike will take you to some of the most spectacular waterfalls, among them Sherman Falls.

Located on the Niagara Escarpment are over 100 waterfalls. The most picturesque of these are within Hamilton city limits. Albion Falls is the most popular and is also known as “Lover’s Leap.” It stands nearly 20 meters tall and is located where the Red Hill Creek flows over the escarpment.

Other waterfalls can be reached along well-marked trails. The most popular route is the Great Falls Loop. This is a 3.5-kilometer route featuring great views of the surrounding countryside. Tews Falls stands 41 meters tall and is a ribbon waterfall in the Webster’s Falls Conservation Area in Dundas.

The Royal Botanical Gardens RBG are part of the neighboring city of Burlington, Ontario. The gardens are rich in biodiversity and home to over 1,100 species of plants, many of which are native to the region. Among the rarest species found here are the bashful bulrush and the endangered red mulberry tree. Bird watchers will find 300 species here, most of which pass through when flying to warmer climes.

The gardens are divided into a number of areas with the largest being Hendrie Park, the largest cultivated garden in RBG. Here you can see the Rose Garden with a variety of hardier, cold-weather Canadian roses, and the Morrison Woodland Garden with a forest floor covered with trilliums, the official provincial flower, in the spring.

Dundurn Castle dates back to 1835 and is an authentic Regency-style manor house. There are forty rooms. At the main entrance are four huge pillars. This was the home of Sir Allan MacNab, the prime minister of Canada in 1854. Among the highlights here are the original décor and furnishings with history and anecdotes shared by costumed guides. The grounds include a kitchen garden, still in use, and an old coach house which is now a shop. Free garden tours are available.

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is home to one of the largest historic military collections in Canada. Located at Hamilton International Airport it features fully restored and operable military aircraft. The highlight is Avro Lancaster, one of only two iconic WW II bombers still able to fly. Other iconic aircraft include a Hawker Hurricane and a Supermarine Spitfire. There is an annual air show. A gift shop and café are on the premises.

Bayfront Park is located at the west end of Hamilton Harbor. The park is a transformed former landfill site becoming one of the city’s most attractive green spaces.

HMCS Haida has been nicknamed the “ most fighting ship” in Canada since it sank the most enemy tonnage during WW II. It is now a waterfront tourist attraction. This historic destroyer is located at Pier 9. It has been designated a National Historic Site. Informative guided tours are available. On special occasions, the ship’s deck guns are fired.

The Art Gallery of Hamilton was established in 1914. The gallery features more than 10,000 works of art. Its permanent collection has many works by Canadian artists as well as international contemporary artworks. The museum features regular visiting exhibits. Guided tours are available.

The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established in 1963. It is located in the Tim Horton’s Field stadium which is home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team. Displays include the history of the sport in Canada, along with university and school football history. There are displays of uniforms and more than 250 metallic busts. The most iconic sculpture stands outside Gate 3 of the stadium. It is called Touchdown and is a life-sized sculpture of two players, one receiving the ball and the other tackling him.

Beautiful Mississauga

Port Credit is located on Lake Ontario at the southern end of Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. Along here are many walking trails stretching along the waterfront. The area has some of the best parks. There are beautiful lake views and on clear days you can see the Toronto skyline.

Square One is one of the largest malls in Canada. There are 330 shops. The mall has high ceilings with skylights, wide walkways, and a new dining area called the Food District.

The Art Gallery of Mississauga has regular changing exhibits. It is located on the ground floor of the Civic Center building.

Jack Darling Memorial Park is one of the more than 500 parks in Mississauga. It is located on Lake Ontario and has one of the best beaches in the area, tennis courts, a splash pad, playgrounds, and group picnic sites. In the winter people enjoy the toboggan hill, one of the highest in the city. For dog owners, there is a massive dog run.

Celebration Square is one of the most popular gathering spots. There are regular performances on a large stage with large screens. A variety of food trucks see all kinds of food.

Rattray Marsh is located in the southwestern part of the city along Lake Ontario. This is a wetland with wildlife. There are boardwalks and elevated viewing platforms. You can see green herons, wood warblers, or turtles sunning themselves. The park is noisy in the early spring when the chorus of the spring peeper frogs begins. There is a nice beach by the waterfront with rounded rocks in various colors.

Kariya Park is framed by tall wooden fences. It was named after Mississauga's sister city in Japan. Here are beautiful gardens with pathways curving around water features spanned by arched wooden bridges. There are flowering trees and shrubs. In the spring the cherry trees burst into bloom.

In the park is the giant “Friendship Bell” housed in a large wooden gazebo.

Take the beautiful Waterfront Trail. It extends along the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River.

Lakefront Promenade Park lies along the shores of Lake Ontario. It has one of the city's best beaches and four volleyball courts. It is popular for water sports and you can enjoy picnics here. Children love the playground and splash pad.

The Bradley Museum Complex is a park with four buildings. Bradley House is a saltbox-style farmhouse dating from 1830. It has period furniture. The grounds are nice to walk along the trails with large old maple trees.

Benares Historic House is located in the Clarkson neighborhood of the city. There are permanent and changing exhibits.

The Adamson Estate is a waterfront park with lovely views over Lake Ontario. This historic home dates from 1920. The wooded property is a nice place to take a walk. There are white pine trees, the official tree of Ontario. You can see a large historic barn and a pet cemetery.