Surprise visitor

The other day I was headed down Niagara St. with the intent of taking a walk on the Bird Island Pier in Buffalo. It's the only place I know where you can walk under an international crossing, and it's a nice place to stroll on a summer day.

Before getting there, though, I saw a spiffy sign on a railroad crossing for a waterfront park. OK, I'm as curious as the next fellow, so I turned the car into Squaw Island. After going down the driving lane on the railroad bridge, I was on the Island.

OK, I'm late to the party, since some of this has been around for a couple of years, but they are making progress there.

That part of Squaw Island used to be the city dump, but authorities have done some good work cleaning up the place. There are some small parking lots there, a bike/hiking trail on parts of the island, and several places to stand and watch the river go by. You really think you are a long way from the city of Buffalo when standing on the island, with Canada almost a stone's throw away.

Since the sewer authority is also there, I do wonder if there's a certain fragrance on certain days. The path should go along the water with a clear view. And the place needs to be kept up a little better. A little lawn-mowing would go a long way.

But ... it's a start. You can see a master plan for the area by going here.

One of the good things about big cities is that you can often find little places that are surprises. This is such a place.