The Beauty of the Falls

 When you imagine beauty do you see a magnificent waterfall streaming water into a river below?  I do, and that’s why my recent trip to Niagara Falls was so amazing.  When my family and I first visited the American side I thought, “Wow this is incredible!”  However, I had no idea that the view from the Canadian side would be even more stunning.  I was taken aback by its beauty and found myself watching in awe as the water journeyed from the top of the Falls to the river below.  It certainly was a sight to see and the experience opened my eyes to the world around me.  The trip made me more aware of the magnificence of nature that people take for granted and helped me see the environment through new eyes. 

QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP

I clearly see that basic elements of life are parts of the grand universe we call our home, and since each element is as important as the rest we shouldn’t take anything, even something as simple as a leaf hanging from a tree, for granted.

While on the American side we stayed at a Comfort Inn near Niagara Falls.  Fortunately we arrived the day Nik Wallenda walked over the Falls, so we saw it happen in person!  It was inspiring to watch him do something that must have been terrifying.  I know that I would be scared if I was on a cable above the gushing waters!  After seeing such an amazing accomplishment on our first night I knew our vacation would be fantastic.  The following day we rode the Maid of the Mist, which is a boat ride that took us up the river toward the Falls.  It was breathtaking to see the Falls close up and it provided us with a great photograph opportunity.  As we got closer to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls the mist sprayed us more heavily and we were definitely glad to have rain ponchos!  Although being sprayed by a downpour of water doesn’t sound like a good experience, we had a blast and loved the view.  Afterward, we got an even closer view by climbing the stone stairways next to the American Falls.  Again, we were pelted with water and we were still happy because how often can you be extremely close to a massive waterfall?

The rest of our vacation was spent in Canada, where we stayed at a Marriott overlooking the Falls.  That was incredible because we could see the magnificent view as we talked late into the night.  We also took the “Journey Behind the Falls”, which provided another close up view of the Horseshoe Falls.  There was a tunnel which led to an open viewing area behind the Falls where we saw and heard what it’s like behind a waterfall.  In concept it’s a good idea, but all we saw was a veil of water crashing in front of us.  There was another viewing area outside which provided a great view and another great photograph opportunity.  We could see much more so it was better than the tunnel.  Later, we took a horse-drawn carriage ride, which drove down a street that was in constant view of the Falls.  Our driver told us about the Falls’ history and helped provide us with a fun way to relax and enjoy the view.

Overall my trip to Niagara Falls was incredible and is a trip I will treasure forever.  The beauty of the Falls has opened my eyes to the world around me and made me incredibly grateful to live in such a beautiful world.