Our time spent at Niagara was full of quiet adventure. It was not a wild, strenuous ride in a barrel down the tumultuous falls- ha! Thankfully, that was not one of our "goals" for this trip, although Emery did ask us frequently if we could jump/ride a boat/float down the falls. I guess maybe that was on her list. Instead, it was surprisingly simple and restful- even the hum of the falls could lull you to sleep, and the rushing water was awe-inspiring, but also had a peaceful, therapeutic effect.
So, I'd better warn you- this post may mimic the falls soothing nature and not be the EPIC thrill of a tale that you have grown accustom to on this website. HA!!!! (juuuust kidding) It's simply a story of another box checked off our bucket list- and another wonderful memory to reflect on when the desire for a stable, consistent home beckons us once again.
We'll start with the magnificence of our glamping site! This place was a PERFECT spot that beckoned us to extend our stay another night. There was so much to do and explore on the grounds that, quite honestly, it made leaving to see the falls a challenge.
Something you may not know about Fletcher and I, is that we are, by nature, HOMEBODIES! We LOVE the comfort and conveniences of a quiet, safe home. We worked tirelessly and meticulously to make our previous home (the house version) full of beautiful design, comfortable furniture, convenient technology (my hubby is a technology-loving geek; I say that with admiration, mind you), atmospheric lighting, a constant mood-setting soundtrack, and best of all: a beautiful panoramic view of the majestic Colorado mountains from all our main living areas. In fact, our view was so beautiful and our house so cozy that we rarely felt like we needed to leave it's confines. All our attention, finances, and time went into the details that made our home most comfortable to our family of four, and we appreciated the details of the indoor space so much, that leaving it became less and less appealing.
It was just more convenient to look from our windows and avoid any of the discomfort that actually being IN it might bring.
The truth is, Fletch and I often prefer comfort and familiarity to the risk and adventure that might produce a sense of fulfillment. It was a sad but true realization; which led us to this lifestyle! Even tho we have left behind the familiar house, we still find ourselves battling the familiar desire to just stay where we are and let the comfort of our present keep us from the uncertainty. It's almost a daily battle around here- but we're getting better and better at saying "yes" to the great outdoors, and the mystery of what that may bring. We're trading our VIEW of the majestic to a life lived IN it.
This glorious Glampsite only added to our battle. The website even says, "your home away from home".... but better. The site included a unique kid's park, 3 pools (one salt water, a kiddie pool, and a regular pool- all heated!), putt-putt golf, beach area alongside the lake, private island, plus a good-sized store so you really could stay on-site "forever". Like I said, it took more effort to say "YES" to exploring the falls, and even tho we knew we wouldn't regret it, the ease of what is directly in front of us always seems more appealing. We convinced ourselves to explore beyond the Glampsite and were rewarded for "our efforts"- ha! The views were exquisite! Well worth the trek just 15 minutes away.
On our first day of exploring we did two of the tourist-y adventures in order to experience as much of the falls as possible. Maid of the Mist is a boat ride that takes you around the falls and then right into the heart of Horseshoe falls, the largest of the three falls at Niagara. This experience is surprisingly intense, although we were safe on the boat deck the entire time. With the violent currents, churning waves, wildly whipping winds, powerful roar of the falls on all sides, and the mist spraying us from every direction, we returned to the dock looking like we'd weathered a hurricane! The attractive plastic rain gear that they provide for us, is more than just fashionable. Evidently, some days are not as “misty”, but supposedly we lucked out and got to experience it on a more wildly windy afternoon.
After a bit of exploring alongside the falls, we rode a trolley to the Cave of the Winds… which isn’t a cave at all and has nothing to do with caves, but, in fact, is an outside, self-guided walking tour along Bridal Falls. Pretty cool, but certainly misleading- ha! The wooden decks are actually built into the falls- so we got up close and personal with the power and force of these natural wonders. Being that close to them is beautiful, exciting, slightly slippery and slime-y (the deck HAS been in the midst of waterfalls for many months- so I guess that's to be expected), and it is also another experience that makes you grateful for the included rain gear-this time with matching sandals! Oo-la la! They say being on the top deck of the falls mimics the feeling of being in a tropical storm. Cold! Wet! Windy! Oh my!
We kept expecting an “indoor" portion of the falls, since a girl at the front desk told us about the attraction and mentioned it, plus the name alluded to it. Concerned that we had missed something, I stopped and asked a worker on our way out where the indoor "cave" part was? He told us that it hadn’t been open to the public since the 1920’s! Almost a 100 years ago! HA! I guess the young girl at the front was A LOT older than I realized, which explains her memory loss and confusion. haha!
The "Cave of the Winds" deck is rebuilt every year. The structure is never exactly the same, and it takes 6 weeks to build during the spring, and then 4 weeks to take down at the end of October. I’m once again in awe of the incredible things human beings are capable of and willing to do in order to experience the power and beauty of nature.
The next time we ventured out from our Glamp-ground was to see the falls from the Canadian side. This time, we left in the evening so that we could see the falls aglow (every night, the falls are lit up with color-rotating spotlights). This was a highlight for us and we are glad that we saw Niagara falls from the Canadian side as it's more commercialized (which, to me, means there are MANY options for food/activity/etc), cleaner, and has a myriad of places to view/photograph/admire the falls. We especially enjoyed walking the cobblestone sidewalks on the Canadian side. I love the old world feel to cobblestone streets: the clatter of the loosened stones, the look of them in the moonlight- it added to the magical, inspiring mood of the evening!
We had a wonderful dinner with a window-side table overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. The waitress was magnificent and made wonderful recommendations: Shout out to our new friend, Elenitsa! The food was delicious, but slightly overpriced as we were also paying for the priceless view. Speaking of priceless views... sometimes those views come with a incongruous surprise. In the midst of dinner, Fletcher looks out the window and says, “LOOK! A SKUNK!” Sure enough, in the middle of the courtyard area, was a giant skunk hobbling from one flower bed to the next. He walked right past a group of people with their backs turned to him, and disappeared into the bushes. I'd hate to be the gardener that has to trim and weed those beds. HA! It was such a random surprise to see a huge skunk, right in the middle of such a populated and commercialized place.
One more thought before we end this rambling post: the girls enjoyed seeing the Falls, but were equally impressed with the rolley polley they caught that was crawling alongside the railing. HA! They may appreciate the magnitude and majesty of it more in years to come. If you are adding Niagara Falls to your family's "GO SEE" List- you may want to do it when your little ones are old enough to get excited about standing and looking at rushing water, or just expect that it's not going to be quite as entrancing for them as it might be for you. Then again, maybe that's how all natural wonders are for kids. Any thoughts? Are yall's kids impressed with "nature-watching"? Leave us a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!
