Why YOU Need To See Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls.

You've probably heard of it.

Depending on who you talk to, it is one of the 'Wonders of the World'.

It most certainly should be.

Niagara Falls is located in the Niagara River, on the border of the United States and Canada. Nestled snuggly between two of the Great Lakes, it is a crucial part of the network of lakes and rivers that allow passage from the interior of Canada/USA through to the Atlantic Ocean.

I live a mere ten-minute drive from the brink of the falls. 

As a teenager, I worked in a building every summer that had a view of the falls right outside my window. My work breaks were spent on park benches, watching tourists as they experienced firsthand the wonder that I was fortunate enough to see every day.

You'd think that after forty years of living a stone's throw from the falls, I would be bored of it by now.

This couldn't be further from the truth.

I fear that words could never do justice to the absolute awesomeness that is Niagara Falls, but I'll give it the old college try.

'Niagara Falls' is really a collective of three waterfalls.

Two of the falls are located in the United States- the Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls. In order to have a good view of either of these, they really should be seen from Canadian soil. From Canada, you can look directly across the river, and have a crystal clear view of those two sets of falls. Let's not joke around though - these two are NOT why you come to Niagara Falls.

No, you come to see the Horseshoe Falls.

Image Credit: CanvaThe Horseshoe Falls is a behemoth of magnitude unchallenged by any other natural body of water. It is the Everest of waterfalls.

The Horseshoe Falls is just that - a waterfall in the shape of a horseshoe. Approximately 170 feet high(1), with a ridge that is almost 3,000 feet long(2), the Horseshoe Falls is host to 90% of the 5.9 million cubic feet(3) of water that goes over Niagara Falls collectively per minute.

This, combined with an almost 90-degree immediate drop creates a force that even the gods would respect.

To stand on the brink is to witness a stampede of water, each drop chasing the one before it. Mesmerizing and intimidating all at once, your eyes will be drawn to the power just as your heart is warning you to keep your distance.

The water cascades over the brink, seeming to suspend for just a fraction of an instant before hurtling straight down and pounding into the basin below. The force of the water when it hits the lower bowl creates a roar that allows no room for any other sound.

At the bottom of the falls, there is a nest of large boulders. These boulders have fallen away from the ridge and come to rest at the bottom of the falls - to be pummelled over and over again as the water falls upon them. The shape of the ridge, and the configuration of boulders at the bottom, are constantly changing as the water erodes the crest itself.

As the water thrusts off the ridge and hits the basin below, it generates a mist that rises up, up, up into the air high above the falls itself. The mist moves with the wind - often landing gently on the city of Niagara Falls, Canada.

This mist helps, in the summer, to create beautiful green parks and flower gardens that host guests wishing to sit and watch as the falls continue in their mission of ushering water along the Niagara River. In the winter, the mist creates gorgeous ice mosaics along the riverbank, and down through the gorge itself.

It takes my breath away every single time.

No matter how many times I see it.

For the adventurous, there is the ability to go behind the Horseshoe Falls - through a system of tunnels that open to show the back of the curtain of water. Or, you could take a boat ride to the basin below the Horseshoe Falls - almost seeming close enough to touch the water cascading down.

But there really is nothing like just standing at the brink and watching the water drops chase each other over and down.

A word of advice - if you have the opportunity, you must see Niagara Falls at least once in your life. See it from the Canadian side, which is hands-down a better viewing platform than the American side.

To boot, when you're done viewing the falls themselves, the Canadian side is host to a plethora of entertainment, nightlife, great restaurants, casinos, and nature opportunities!

Niagara Falls is just one part of what makes Niagara so spectacular. It is a worldwide draw, but it is not what keeps people coming back. That is for another blog :)

Until next time……………………………………XO-JGF

(1)https://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/index.php/waterfall/Niagara-Falls-106

(2)https://www.britannica.com/place/Horseshoe-Falls

(3)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls