Behind Niagara Falls

Rumbling, roaring, soaring sounds of water. Mist that gives the air a pristine cleanliness. Then sights that you will never forget. You are actually behind Niagara Falls. You can see the falls as few people have. You are up close and personal. Any closer and you would be in the falls and that wouldn’t be good. The water is just so incredibly powerful. The water pounds and pounds against the rocks in a relentless motion.

One would think that this force of nature would be stressful but it is not. People crowd around taking pictures. Everywhere you look, there are people posing in their bright yellow slickers. Well, actually they are more like trashcan liners with holes for arms but they do keep you somewhat dry. Snapshot after snapshot is taken. Everyone wants to freeze this moment in time. To have a memento of this perfect place and time. Somehow, even with the people, the cameras and the booming sound of the water, you can find peace here. We are all drawn to water because it is a part of us. To see water as such a huge force of nature is a wondrous thing. The ocean is beautiful with its waves continuing to charge at the beach, but a waterfall is a completely different experience. But still both of these events can bring us a sense of peace because we seem one with nature.

Ok, I am not a tree hugger. Although I see nothing wrong with hugging a tree if you want to. I do love nature though and Niagara Falls is nature at its finest. Seeing it from the bottom is a completely different experience from seeing it at the top. First you go into the tunnels that the Park Services created for our viewing pleasure. Actually, first you are supposed to put on the tacky raincoats, but I did that last. Then you file in line down a corridor to an elevator. A large group is taken down to the falls viewing stations and instructed to wait to be taken back up. I guess it’s a Canadian thing, but they don’t want tourists fooling with their elevator buttons. Then as you walk down a tunnel, you hear water and see a very small viewing area. I looked at my husband and said, “if that’s Behind the Falls,” I want my money back. We go and look for a minute until we see other tourists going further down the walkway. We follow them. Good move.

We walk out to a large viewing area full of people. Everyone is in awe. Suddenly, I know why Niagara Falls is one of the wonders of the world. The view is magnificent. The view actually deserves the word “awesome.” I even say awesome over and over like a teenager. The view and the sound make the Niagara Falls experience live in your memory forever. In stressful times, try to evoke the memory of the falls in all its glory.

Suddenly, we realize that even though we are in a mist and getting a little wet, we don’t care. Off come the tacky, commercial raincoats and we revel in the perfectly pristine moment. We take each other’s pictures and ask other tourists to take pictures of us as a couple. Suddenly, everyone is helping one another get the perfect couple or family shot. This crowded tourist spot feels like Heaven on earth. Now we know why millions of people every year visit the falls and experience the time of their lives.

If you visit the falls when you can ride the Maid of the Mist, don’t forget the Behind the Falls experience. Do everything possible to make your trip memorable. We certainly did and we have the pictures to prove it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe I should have just posted a picture instead of writing my experience, but for once the reality of an experience was even better than the dream.

Copyright 2006 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved

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