Due North

 Can a talky three-hour play by George Bernard Shaw hold the attention of an average 10-year-old boy who's far more into the Bucs, Steelers and World Wrestling Federation than late 19th-century theater? Issues like this concern parents planning a weekend expedition to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  Many readers are well-acquainted with Niagara Falls. A comfortable four-hour drive from Pittsburgh, it's certainly an accessible weekend destination. The range of activities in and around the two villages on each edge of Niagara Falls offers plenty of attractions.

I have enjoyed the Falls on numerous occasions and in all seasons. Neither my wife, Sari, nor son, Ben, had ever been there, but I was confident they'd appreciate the thundering majesty. Even though Niagara's flow has been tamed over the last 30 years by hydroelectric projects and efforts along its edges to hinder erosion's inexorable grind, the sight of the 175-foot-high, mile-wide falls is, by any standards, way cool.  In the three centuries tourists have been coming to view the cataract long billed as the "seventh natural wonder of the world," vantage points have been developed from every possible perspective; observation towers bristle from both banks; sightseeing helicopters circle overhead. Maid of the Mist voyages, which depart from the Canadian shore, have carried countless visitors into the swirling maw of the Horseshoe Falls. And a few miles downstream on the Canadian side, the Spanish Aerocar provides a bird's-eye view over the river's half-mile-wide maelstrom, the Whirlpool.  The American shoreline has always seemed somewhat less frenzied than the Canadian. The enjoyable parkland lanes of its Goat Island offer numerous gawking spots. In fact, for my money, the Hurricane Deck of the Cave of the Winds, the slippery, wooden boardwalk that leads up under and into the edge of the American Falls, is one of the most awesome places I've ever traveled, at least on an elevator. Standing in that eternally driven spray, with 35 million gallons of Great Lakes thundering past every minute, is an experience like no other on earth.  Niagara Falls has been the scene of numerous honeymoons, publicity stunts and other feats of daring, from barrel riders to tight-rope walkers. In 1860, for example, Charles Blondin crossed over the chasm three times, on the final pass stopping mid-wire to cook an omelet on a portable grill. For a final thrill, he had a marksman on the Maid of the Mist shoot a hole through his hat!  These daredevil activities have been curtailed, but there's no shortage of high-energy attractions for kids of any age; casinos, water and amusement parks, virtual reality experiences, IMAX theater, and any number of fine hotels at either Niagara-at-the-Falls.  But what about Niagara-on-the-Lake?  Located 20 miles north of the Falls, where the Niagara River, unburdened of the 362 feet of altitude differential which separates the two Great Lakes, flows quietly into Lake Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake has been the summer setting since 1962 for what is now North America's second-largest repertory theater group.  Eclipsed only by the Shakespeare Festival staged each summer in nearby Stratford, Ontario, the Shaw Festival has grown from local presentations of plays by George Bernard Shaw to an annual, seven-month-long celebration of a century of theater that attracts more than 300,000 visitors to the village.  Thinking it a good idea to expose the kid to some culture, we selected the long Labor Day weekend last summer as a good time to go. We called at the last minute and booked reservations at one of the area's dozens of small inns and B&Bs and also ordered tickets for two of the plays being offered, Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan," and an English murder-mystery, "Shop on Sly Corner." Just to make sure everyone got some exercise, we loaded the bikes on the back of the car.  The bikes proved to be a fortuitous decision, as they gave us a quick, easy-to-park way to tour the tourist-thronged sights of Niagara Falls, N.Y., our first stop. Swooping across the roiling river on the bridge to Goat Island was a sweet pedaling moment, as were the paths and park drives on the tiny island that separates the two falls of Niagara. And I was right about the appeal of standing in the falls to Ben, if not Sari.  Dried off and back in the car, we followed the Robert Moses Parkway along the New York side of the gorge, past its close-cropped parks and impressive hydroelectric installations to the Queenstown Bridge, and a quick trip through customs into Canada, the land where your dollars go farther.  Make sure you make the first exit off the bridge onto the scenic Niagara Parkway, which winds for a few miles north along the river through lush fields and woodlets to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Passing the reconstructed stockade of Fort George is definitely the best way to approach the village, unless of course, you happen to be rushing to make a curtain time, in which case, there's no good way.  The exteriors of Niagara-on-the-Lake have changed surprisingly little since its early 19th-century heyday, when the village was a crossroads for shipping and commerce. Its brick-lined, tree-shaded streets are still flanked by elegant, finely preserved, clapboard homes and well-kept gardens.  The shops and restaurants along Queen Street, its main promenade, wear their ambiance well, and certainly provide a clear contrast to the commercial frenzy that buzzes around the falls.  The town itself has few obligatory sights - a pleasant museum and several historic homes. But rather than individual elements, its physical charms are of a whole piece, making it a quiet, pleasant, old worldly, civilized place.  We'd timed our arrival for late afternoon, which provided an opportunity to check into the Canterbury Inn, one of the area's dozens of small inns and B&Bs and shower, before heading out to dinner and the theater.  The Shaw Festival has a reputation for staging excellent productions, and neither the extravagant "Lady Windermere" we saw that night, nor the more intimate mystery "Shop on Sly Corner" we saw at a matinee the following afternoon, disappointed in any way.  Rather than getting an anticipated case of the fidgets, Ben took to his first theater experience like a baby Bear to honey. In fact, it was he who lobbied hard (and successfully) for us to get tickets for a third play, "You Can't Take It with You," which we saw and greatly enjoyed on our second evening. And although restaurants at Niagara-on-the-Lake do have an air of genteel formality, the dining was theater casual, and not too elegant for the admittedly rough table manners of our 10-year-old.  Earlier that day, we had taken our bikes and explored the paved recreational trail through the grassy parkland and woods that flank the Niagara Parkway, an altogether agreeable place to ride. Although Niagara-on-the-Lake boasts a dozen wineries (including Cave Spring Cellars, Inniskillen, Konzelmann, and Reif Estate), we confined our morning's sight-seeing to a tour of the recreated Fort George, the former British military outpost.  Its moated and bastioned wooden stockade encloses eight acres and 10 buildings, including the fort's original powder magazine. It certainly provides Pittsburghers with a good, feet-on example of how Fort Pitt might have looked in its prime. Each day a garrison of local cadets parade and practice colonial army drills in the fort's infield (full-scale Revolutionary War re-enactments will be held the weekends of May 15 and 22). Incidentally, Fort Niagara, on the American side of the river, is another historical delight.  Driving home the following morning, we followed the meandering Niagara Parkway along the Canadian side of the gorge. Rather than keeping visitors at a distance, as is the case on the American side, the parkway encourages people to stop and appreciate the splendid views along the way.  There's a bike trail and numerous parking places for scenic overlooks. In several places, such as the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, adventurous visitors can even hike down to the river side!  The elaborate Botanical Gardens of the Niagara Parks Commission were another pleasant interlude, especially the Butterfly Conservancy, which houses North America's largest collection of free-flying lepidopterans. Walkways and ramps allow visitors to stroll through the lush rain forest inside the conservancy's glass and concrete bio-dome, and watch more than 2,000 colorful individuals from more than 50 different species do their thing. In its own, subtle way, the Butterfly Conservancy is as majestic as the falls. All three of us agreed.   If you go ...  Summer events:Summer evenings can be an especially dramatic time to visit Niagara Falls. Each evening from May 1 to Aug. 23, they're illuminated between 9 p.m. and midnight. There are also fireworks displays every Friday at 10 p.m., as well as holidays (Victoria Day, May 24; Memorial Day, May 31; Canada Day, July 1; and Independence Day, July 4).  Free gift:There's a further plus to driving to Canada: You get a gift when you leave.  Canada permits foreign visitors to reclaim the 7 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) it levies on many transactions. Returning motorists can turn in hotel receipts, as well as sales slips, for a wide variety of purchases, and get back 7 percent to spend right away at duty free shops at major border crossings. Travelers who return by air or rail can also claim GST refunds, but only through the mail, a process which takes about 2 months. Still, getting a nice $US check for 7 percent of what you bought is a very pleasant reminder.  For more information:  Niagara Wine Tours International: Runs daily bicycle tours in the summer to several wineries. 800-680-7006.Niagara Parks Commission: 905-356-2241;www.niagaraparks.com.  Niagara Falls, Canada Visitor and Convention Bureau: 905-356-6061.Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce: 905-468-4263.Shaw Festival: 800-511-SHAW;://shawfest. sympatico.ca  Canterbury Inn: 905-468-7945;www.canterburyinn.on.ca/cbi

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