detour: niagara falls

It has been quite an excellent ten day holiday hiatus. On December 21, David, Buster, Bella, and I piled into the car and drove West to Ohio for a week long holiday with my parents. Our time there could best be summed up by the words: quiet, relaxing, cozy, and calm. We lounged in our pjs for long hours, walked in the neighborhood for exercise and ate until our bellies were too full. The time both ticked by slowly and flew. Before we knew it, we had to say goodbye to my parents, which is always hard. I wish our family lived closer or I wish we could teleport, either would do.

On our way back to Boston, we took a little detour. For the past four years we have driven to and from Ohio for the holidays and always pass the exit for Niagara Falls. Each trip we say, “Let’s go see that some time.” But, we inevitability never do. On the way to Ohio, we are always too excited to get there.  On the way home, always too tired to stop. Finally, this time, we decided to take the detour and see the falls.

We drove no more than thirty minutes out of our way and found ourselves in the parking lot for the falls. We were giddy for our little adventure. It was cold and icy in Niagara as we carefully made our way to the falls. You could hear the roar of the water from a distance and Canadian and American flags flew side by side as we made our approach. The falls and the surrounding grounds must be beautiful in the Spring and Summer, but I really enjoyed the  crispness and grayness of Winter. We were not alone. A few other tourists braved the icy air to view the falls. The power of the water was palpable from where we stood. The mist brushed our faces and we held close for warmth. I imagined men in barrels taking the plunge over top and wondered what the water and the drop off felt like. It was a short detour, but I am glad we took it. It was definitely a fun way to end our holiday.