Sip 4: Picking up joy, when the water falls - Experience of enjoying two mighty waterfalls

   

    Nature manages to inspire us in unimaginable ways. Though nature and its mighty troop have been attracting me towards its charm since childhood; my recent role as a blogger has definitely fueled it to higher levels. There is some unexplained relationship between natural beauty of Mother Earth and creative arts. Both these domains go hand in hand, giving rise to exceptional output. Nature instills the desire ‘to create’ as flawless art flows as a result of this motivation. Be it painting or writing, singing or playing a musical instrument, nature truly plays an important role. As a catalyst that brings out the best in an individual, nature and its wonders are undoubtedly hidden gems.

  But, why this sudden appreciation of nature, you ask? Because it crafts the next experience to be featured in my mug list or reverse bucket list. It is impossible to spot out specific encounters with nature, as it continues to spread its love and charm along every passing day. Sight of clouds and blue sky from my window or trees all around the neighborhood are wonderful enough to frame some amazing thoughts in my mind. Though describing one or two adventures with a single component of nature will not justify my affection towards it, it will at least initiate the penning process.

    When you look at the wonders of Nature, you realize it is nothing less than pure magic. Magical show on such a grand scale is definitely a symbol of some exceptional work. How does the creator manage unique paintings of white clouds on a sky blue canvas every single day? Or how can water of the sea extend to such a large scale that it is impossible to define its horizon? How do rivers manage to flow with their sweetness, while oceans prefer their salty status? Also if sunrise and sunset are usual acts of nature all around the world, how do they manage to look wonderful, unique, breath-taking and mesmerizing every single day of the year? Before I lose you all to a dense philosophical maze, let me pull you out to the experience in my title. It is also a way to gather my thoughts and focus on the topic or I shall easily wander around for a long time.

    Our recent trip to ‘Niagara Falls’ has given way to this unique experience in my mug list. World famous mighty water falls with breath-taking views, unimaginable flow and amazing adventure is one of the ways to describe this wonder on earth. 

    When you look at such a coordinated show played by nature, you realize that you are just a tiny particle on this earth. All our problems, difficulties, achievements, worries and praises seem too small and insignificant to think about, while this mighty nature is involved and engrossed in its own hard work. While I will come to its description little later, another water falls worth mentioning are the ones at ‘Yosemite National Park’ in California. Though Yosemite falls were visited last year, its memories are fresh and ripe as if it just happened yesterday. And cherry on the cake, I went there with my parents. (Sorry dear husband, parents always seem to take away the cherries!)

    

A famously famous wonder – Niagara Falls

  When one talks about the tourist attractions of North America, ‘Niagara Falls’ definitely deserves a place in the conversation. So much is the glory of this spot that it continues from several years in the past till today. Photographs of Niagara Falls shared by my Dad (where he looks like a ‘hero’, will save this fun-filled description for a separate post!) from the early 80s depict this fact in a way. Though he visited it from the Canadian side, American view of the falls are equally excellent too. 

   During the subsequent description of his first ever US trip (read foreign), only words such as Niagara and New York were picked by the little admirer in me. So, finally when life chose to give this opportunity, experience of the mighty falls was absolutely exciting in every way. Standing under the American falls, touching the flow of water, feeling its cold temperature and soaking in its enormous fun were some of the most wonderful experiences. Boat ride to the falls was another fun adventure as the water seems inviting yet mysterious at the same time. Colorful lights in the evening and bright effect of sun during the day cast their magical spell. No matter for how long you look at the beauty of these falls, it never seems enough.

  To conclude, this experience was totally out-of-the world making it difficult to frame into words. Flow of huge amount of water from a great height above the surface is what sets this waterfalls apart. Horse shoe shape of falls (though more prominent from Canada) is another feature of this great Niagara. And just when I thought its job was only ‘flow, shine and look pretty’, I was amazed to learn about the large hydroelectric power generation (almost 4.9 million kilowatts).

  Though back from the trip and miles away from this wonder, Niagara Falls can easily continue to inspire me for days on end.

Because why should east coast have all the fun- Falls at Yosemite National Park

   Niagara Falls is closer to the eastern coast of US. In that case how can the western state of California stay quiet? As competitive as it tends to get, California too has wonderful waterfalls at the Yosemite National Park. Waterfalls at three different heights is a unique feature of this spot that draws numerous tourists all year around.

 Giant waterfalls, snow-capped mountains and huge park are attracting gems of this place. Our memorable experience with light snowfall added several stars to this fun trip.

Both these mighty waterfalls have made a strong mark in my memories, making their way into my mug-list. Next time you look at nature or get an opportunity to appreciate its beauty closely, stay quiet for a short while and absorb the experience. Clear your mind off any thoughts and let this wonder guide you. You will be amazed by the output. Give it a chance, it will surely take you more places than you had originally chalked in your itinerary. It makes you forget who you are or what you do as it wraps you in its magical hug. Because that it what nature does, surprise you in the most unimaginable ways!