Heading home

Niagara Falls and all its power was awesome-ly humbling

After a restful weekend on the eastern shore, we followed Lake Ontario’s shoreline to the west and spent a day at Niagara Falls.  Yes, it’s more built up and touristy all the time.  Yes, parking is expensive. Yes, it is hard to find a spot without being in the way of someone taking a photo... of every single person and infinite combination of people in their group.  Yes, there are areas where the trash and litter distracts from the beauty.

Those are teeny tiny people on the viewing platform

But in spite of all the silliness and carelessness of humankind, the falls commanded attention.  I can close my eyes and hear the crash and rumble.  I can see the textures of the water as it nears and then pours over the edge.

Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls

I can feel the clouds of mist and the breeze on my face.  The pure force of the falls is truly awesome and mesmerizing.  It’s hard to look away.  It’s hard to walk away.

You can just see the sound

There is so much power in that roaring water.   It is a place where we face our own powerlessness.  It is a place where I am reminded of the immeasurable scope of God’s power.  Those enormous, pounding falls contain the tiniest fraction of the power of the God of the universe.  And yet there are so many times I forget that my Father is bigger and more powerful than anything.  Anything.  I loved being there.

Jerry and Nikola hanging out, sharing ideas

Jerry the Wheel had a happy moment paying tribute to his hero, Nikola Tesla.  He got to do one of his favorite things: Talk about Tesla with “the uninformed”.  A curious couple watched us taking a photo and asked about the statue.  It’s fun to watch Jerry light up and share his knowledge with people who
want to hear him.  Because he really does know this stuff.

I’m not sure why Niagara Falls got its reputation as a honeymoon destination.  Anyone?  I felt more small than romantic there.  But I did have the chance to share a kiss with my beloved at Niagara Falls. Because you just have to.  It may be a rule.  I’m not sure.

Before we left New York we spent a nice afternoon with Jerry’s sister, Sue, and his great-niece, Amanda.  It was a fly-by, but it was so good to catch up and hear about their current doings.

Jerry and Sue and Essi relaxing and catching up on what's new

We can tell we’re headed home.  The closer we get, the more we feel the urge to move along and just get there. The last stop of the trip was Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  We thought it might take a day to explore and see the park, but it didn’t.

The entrance sign - just to prove we were there

Cuyahoga is a young, urban national park.  We couldn’t find anywhere to get more information, not a
visitor center or an educational center.  I couldn’t even get a stamp in my National Park Passport.  boo.  So we made do with what we could learn online.  I’ll make my own stamp.

The park has nice trails and biking paths that looked well-used, even midday on a Thursday.  A train runs the length of the park, alongside the canal and little river.  If we lived in the city, we’d cherish this space and be so grateful it was protected.  We were glad to see the park, but we wouldn't make it a destination.  I think we’re pretty spoiled, living in the trees and country the way we do.

Time for home.  We’ve been away longer than we expected.  Seven weeks and two days.  We’ve seen and experienced more than we expected.  Fifty-six hundred miles of memories.  We chose to drive rather than stop.  To bookend the trip, we made our way back to the Lincoln Highway, and drove west toward home.  It felt good.