秋天的童話——尼亞加拉公園大道

Picture yourself 1)rollerblading through a gallery of Impressionist paintings. Now you’ve got some idea of what it’s like to 2)cruise the river-hugging Niagara Parkway during the brief but brilliant fall-color season.

The route that Winston Churchill called “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world” puts on its best dress once a year， usually during the last week of September and the first couple of weeks in October. As a native of the region， I can only say one thing to visitors who come to visit the famous Niagara Falls: “Don’t miss out on the other natural wonder of our world!”

The historic Niagara Parkway， which locals call simply “the river road，” follows the winding curves of the Niagara River that divides Canada and the United States as it journeys from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. 3)Landscaped during the Depression注1 of the 1930s by the Niagara Parks 4)Commission， this route is used today as much for 5)recreation as for transportation. You can drive the entire 35 miles or get off at any point along the way and walk， bike or rollerblade the trail that runs 6)parallel to the water.

If you’ve visited the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls， you’ve driven part of this road already – but only a part. There’s a lot more to see. In autumn， the loveliest 7)stretch is the section that runs between the small towns of Queenston and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Here， the maple trees lining the river create a shifting 8)panorama of red， orange and gold from early to late October. The grass is still green at this time， and the river， 9)glimpsed between the dark tree trunks， is a pale， silvery blue.

The color is so 10)dazzling that you’ll probably want to stop and stay still for a while to appreciate the full beauty of the area. There are several 11)scenic lookout spots along the way with small parking areas. From Queenston’s Heights Park， you’ll discover a 12)commanding view of both the river and Lake Ontario. Find a bench where you can sit and 13)contemplate your surroundings， or share a picnic lunch with a 14)companion. You can find two restaurants here， one casual and one fine dining， both with great panoramic views of the river.

While you’re in Queenston， and still in the mood for appreciating beauty， you might want to stop and visit the Riverbrink Art Gallery， which 15)boasts a fine collection of historic Canadian art， including work by the “Group of Seven” (a group of Canadian landscape painters in the 1920s); Dutch-Canadian landscape painter Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-1872); and Irish-born Paul Kane (1810-1871)， who 16)documented the Canadian West in his famous pictures.

At the north end of the Parkway， where the river runs into Lake Ontario， you come to Niagara-on-the-Lake， a 17)bustling 18)resort town famous for its theater festival – the Shaw Festival (which celebrates the works of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw)， its 19)winery tours， 20)heritage homes， historic 21)fort and flower-filled main street. While the clothing， gift shops and 22)boutiques along Queen Street are attractive， take time to explore the side streets here， as well. You won’t be disappointed. Lined with early 19th century houses， this is the kind of leafy， picture-perfect neighborhood you usually see only in the movies.

Down at the lakeshore park， you’ll find a Victorian-style 23)gazebo facing the water. It blends perfectly with the rest of the town， but – surprise! – it’s much younger than everything else. It was built for the movie The Dead Zone， an adaptation of the Stephen King novel starring Christopher Walken， when it was shot here in 1983.

When you have had enough exercise， stop for 24)refreshments at one of the many restaurants in town. The century-old Oban Inn and the trendy Epicurean注2， with its leafy backyard 25)patio， are popular favorites. You’ll find restaurants and cafés offering seafood， steaks， Italian and Chinese food， and more along Queen Street. If you’re planning to attend the 8 p.m. show at the Shaw Festival， make your 26)reservations for 5:30 p.m. to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy your dinner.

On an autumn day， you can celebrate another natural， local treasure， the grape harvest， by 27)indulging in a glass of Niagara wine. What better way is there to celebrate a brief but 28)bountiful season?

想象一下踩著輪滑穿過一個掛滿印象派油畫作品的畫廊，那么你就可以隱約體會到在短暫而明媚的秋日里沿著尼亞加拉瀑布公園大道駕車漫游是怎樣的了。

每一年，這條曾被溫斯頓·丘吉爾稱為“世界上最美麗的周日午后自駕游公路”都會換上最漂亮的衣裳——通常是在九月的最后一個星期到十月的中上旬。作為當地人，我對那些到此觀賞著名的尼亞加拉瀑布的游客只能說一句話：“千萬不要錯過另一個世界自然奇觀!”

歷史悠久的尼亞加拉公園大道被當地人簡稱為“河邊路”。它始于伊利湖，沿著位于美加交界、迂回曲折的尼亞加拉河一直延伸到安大略湖。這條路于上世紀30年代大蕭條期間由尼亞加拉公園管理局進行園林美化，如今其休閑功能與運輸功能相當。你可以駕車走完全程35英里（約56千米）的道路，或者在沿途任何一處停下來，順著與水流平行的小徑步行、騎車或者踩輪滑。

如果你游覽過加拿大境內的尼亞加拉瀑布，那么你其實已經駛過這條公路的其中一段路程了——不過只是一部分而已，還有很多好看的景觀呢。秋天里最迷人的一段路是從小鎮昆斯敦至湖上尼亞加拉鎮。整個十月，這里沿岸的楓樹創造出一幅由紅、橙、金三色組成的色彩變幻的全景圖。這時的草還是綠油油的；至于河流，從粗黑的樹干間一瞥，呈現出淡淡的銀藍色。

這片色彩令人眼花繚亂，你或許想停下腳步逗留片刻，好好欣賞這片美景。……