After a very busy and enlightening stay at Lily Dale, the oldest and largest Spiritualist community on the planet, it seemed only appropriate to visit one of the oldest and the largest waterfalls in the world (as measured by water volume).
Legendary Niagara Falls, located 60 miles from Lily Dale is a place my son Ogden, nor I, had ever seen before and seemed like an appropriate grand finale to a fun and adventurous 3 weeks together. This time spanned from Newport RI, to the Catskills of New York, then on to Children’s week at Lily Dale and finally to Niagara Falls. Our “Maiden of the Mist” boat tour was probably the highlight of our whole trip, as the boat remained perched for several minutes at the base of the Canadian falls, close enough to get a constant soaking , to hear the thunderous roar from the mineral rich green waters of Lake Erie rushing down the rock face and into the Lower Niagara Gorge below. What struck me mostly about this legendary hot spot was how this remarkable place of raw nature cut a swath between 2 major cities in 2 countries. Two Countries, 2 Bridges, 2 Cities (both with the same name) and one amazing natural wonder connecting it all. This is the “wonder of the world” known as Niagara Falls. Revered by Native Americans and settlers alike, charged with unfathomable and harnessable energy, it’s little wonder why this tiny place in a vast world attracts millions of visitors per year.
On this day the gushing waters, symbolic of the emotions and the subconscious at their most active, were crashing down upon the rocks to form plumes of mist which rose high enough in the unstable moist air mass to feed the clouds and create a micro-climate all it’s own. The pure energy of the falls and the ionization of the air it created brought us out of our heavy moods (knowing that our vacation together was about to end). It gave us the sense of vitality and well-being that waterfalls are famous for. The urban setting of Niagara Falls actually added to the mystery in a way, symbolic in a sense of man and nature coexisting with one another, each one in their utmost extremes. I left there feeling uplifted and hopeful about our journey here on planet earth, with a sense that the raw power of nature can bring two cities, and in fact 2 nations together, co-existing as one. When I left the falls I felt complete.
