Nature is not a place to visit, it is home
We weren’t inside the park for more than a few moments when the breathtaking views began unfolding before us. Being a lover of all things nature, especially waterfalls, I was like a child in a candy store. I could barely contain my excitement, running from one spectacular site to another. This magnificent park has 19 waterfalls which pour and spill over stunning rock walls and ledges. Some parts of the trail even allow you to walk behind the waterfalls, giving you a unique behind-the-scenes perspective. As if that wasn’t enough, there are also picturesque stone bridges spanning the various rock walls, adding charm.
I left the park on shaky legs, but with a happy heart, thinking the day could not possibly get any better. I was wrong. Blain suggested that we visit Seneca Lake next. We had no idea where we were going, but serendipitously found ourselves in a parking lot where a woman asked if we were there for the boat cruise around Seneca Lake. We quickly answered yes. The boat was already boarding, so we hustled inside to purchase our tickets and climbed aboard.
The weather was perfect, a balmy 73 degrees as we set sail. While on the cruise we learned fascinating details about the lake and its surroundings from our captain. He pointed out the beautiful vineyards that sat on its banks and regaled us with folklore of the Seneca Native Americans that once hunted there and fished its waters. One story involved a large rock with painted figures near the end of the lake, allegedly painted by a group of Senecas who narrowly escaped capture during the Revolutionary War. Whether fact or fiction, it was intriguing.
Next, we saw Hector Falls, the third tallest waterfall in New York, visible in its entirety only from the water. It was both gigantic and beautiful. A fellow passenger told me about Taughannock Falls, the tallest waterfall in New York, located just 20 minutes away near Ithaca. Taller than Niagara Falls by 33 feet, Taughannock Falls is also the tallest single-drip waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. I was getting quite the education and the mere thought of viewing this waterfall had my adrenaline surging.
As late afternoon approached, we disembarked from the boat, and I had only one thing on my mind: I had to see Taughannock Falls before the park closed at dusk, so we sped off on our next adventure. The hurried trip was worth it, as the destination exceeded our expectations. The Falls Overlook provided a breathtaking view of the 215-foot drop, surrounded by majestic gorge walls over 400 feet high. I stood there, frozen in reverent silence, overwhelmed by its beauty, wondering what it must have been like to be among the first humans to discover this natural wonder. Were they too overcome by its beauty?
The area around the falls was once home to the Cayuga Native American tribe, who were later invaded by members of the Delaware tribe. It is said that the Cayuga captured and killed a young, strong-willed Delaware chief named Taughannock who refused to become their prisoner. They then threw his lifeless body over the falls. According to legend, this is how Taughannock Falls got its name.
We left the park just before dusk and began our journey home in near silence, likely from sheer exhaustion but also from the shared sense of having experienced something extraordinary. It was a life-changing day, one that I will cherish and remember forever. My heart was full, and my phone battery dead from the countless pictures I captured. While some find joy and inspiration in the hustle and bustle of city life, I find it in forests, mountains, lakes, and oceans. I must agree with the American poet, Gary Snyder, that, “Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.”
Rhonda S. Kelley, Executive Director
Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce