Niagara Falls

Jill's Journal: We’ll leave the true adventure to the daredevils; there was no plunging over the Falls in a barrel for us. However, we did get the privilege of seeing the beautiful Falls from the American side’s Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the country. The Falls were beautiful and spectacular, but to be brutally honest, neither Rob nor I were as wowed as we thought we would be. It reminded me of seeing the Mona Lisa – it’s impressive and beautiful, but the anticipation is so built up that one’s expectations are easily set way too high. That being said, the rushing torrents, otherworldly power, and natural beauty of Niagara Falls are something to behold.

Neither Rob nor I knew much about Niagara Falls prior to our visit, other than the pictures everyone has seen of the massive phenomenon. We’ve since learned "the Falls” are actually three waterfalls, all on the Niagara River which flows out of Lake Erie. The river is a natural border for the U.S. and Canada. As we walked through the park, we first came across American Falls. Right next door is Bridal Veil Falls, separated from American Falls by a small island.

And here's the same Falls after a bridge and a walk to the other side. This is also where you can clearly see the small island that separates American and Bridal Veil Falls.

A longer walk brings one across a portion of the river and onto Goat Island, where most of the State Park is located. This is also the location of Horseshoe Falls, the most spectacular of the three Falls and the one usually seen in pictures. The American side brings you literally up to the top of the Horseshoe and anyone feeling particularly brave could quite easily step over the slight fence and take a 175-foot plunge.
The river and the Canadian border take a sharp turn here so the majority of Horseshoe Falls is technically located in Canada. Since all three of The Falls are essentially on the U.S. side of the river, you get up close and personal with the Falls from the American side, but the best views are undoubtedly from Canada. We could have easily walked over the bridge to Canada but elected to skip the customs hassle and enjoy what we could from this side. Interestingly, the Canadian side looks more like an amusement park (complete with Ferris wheel!) than a site of natural beauty, so kudos to the U.S. for doing a good job preserving “our” side and making it so accessible.

Unfortunately, since we are off-season, the Maid of the Mist (the boat that has taken tourists through churning water to the base of the Falls since 1846) is closed until spring. However, we still got plenty wet from the incredible mist rising from the falling water. It was amazing – you can literally feel the mist, like a light rain, from quite a distance away. And the closer you get, the wetter you get. Look at this picture of the girls – doesn’t the ground look like it had been raining? I think that's what the girls will remember most about their trip to Niagara Falls, the largest waterfall by volume in the United States.