By Jenco Mackey
Niagara Falls is a great place to visit any time of the year or any season. Depending on the time of year will determine how much you bundle up for the Falls.
Whether it’s in the winter feeling the crisp breeze on your face or during the summer feeling the mist of the Falls on your face it’s a place you should put on your bucket list.
There are actually three falls for visitors to gaze upon from either the American or Canadian side. However, if you are an American going to the Canadian side you’ll need to bring your passport to come back from the north. Checking travel restrictions, and for any mask requirements is highly recommended.
From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie mainly on the Canadian side and the American Falls entirely on the American side, separated by Goat Island.
Native Americans living in the region were most likely the first people to behold the power of Niagara Falls. After that, Niagara Falls was discovered by French colonizer, Father Louis Hennepin in December 1678.
History says Niagara Falls was formed starting more than 12,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age when large torrents of water were released from the melting ice, draining into the Niagara River. It has continued to flow creating the Falls we now know today.
The history of the Falls is ripe with daredevils trying to walk across it on a wire or trying to go over it in a barrel with most failing becoming part of the enduring legacy of the Falls.
The first successful attempt at making it over the falls in a barrel happened in 1901 when 63 year-old Annie Edson Taylor, a Michigan school teacher, survived her plunge on Oct. 24. She was bloodied but scarcely injured in any way. She died 20 years later at the age of 82 and remains a legend to many.
The power of the falls is what I like. It is loud and roars with a veracity that is hard to describe or understand without actually seeing the falls in person.
It’s very well accessible on the American side to see the Falls. I haven’t been to the Canadian side yet. Like a lot of things, though, it’s on my list.
Seeing pictures or video of the Falls helps gain a bit of understanding, but standing there at the Falls feeling the mist on your face and hearing it roar is what brings it to life.
You can check out live video of the Falls courtesy of EarthCam by clicking here.
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