The first time I saw the Falls was with Youth Mission Canada back in 1990. I was 20 years old and traveling across Canada. It was a wonderful summer traveling from Ontario to PEI and back. As I recall, it was an overcast day and it started to rain while my Mission team was enjoying being tourists for a few hours and visited the Falls.
The second time I saw the Falls was with my fiance John in 1995 when we traveled to Ontario so I could meet his family. It was a welcome break to borrow his mom's car and visit some family in the Niagara region and see the sights. It was a little cold and I think it started to snow while we were there.
The third time I 'saw' the Falls was a memorable experience. It was during our visit for Christmas in 1999, just after John Nathanael was born. John's Dad and his wife drove us to Niagara. I guess it's only a two or three hour trip but it seemed longer than that. Maybe because I was tired with a new baby and all; maybe because I was in the backseat of the car; maybe because I was hungry and our meal schedule was very sporadic throughout that entire visit. By the time we got to the Falls, the sunny day had turned grey and rain had started to fall. Dad was getting a bit frustrated with all the people and the traffic and trying to find a parking spot. Finally he turned around in his seat and said, "Do we really need to stop? You've seen this before. Finding a parking spot is crazy with all these people. Let's go see the whirlpool instead." My response was, "No, no, that's okay. I have seen the Falls before." So we drove on to see the whirlpool and the Niagara parkway all the way to the beautiful city of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I have to admit I lied that day. When we got home I let John have it. "I am a prairie girl. The prairies DO NOT have waterfalls. The prairies DO NOT have Niagara Falls. When you come from Saskatchewan and go to Niagara Falls, YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR!! It doesn't matter what the weather is like. I was stuck in the backseat and it was three against one. What should I have said in front of your Dad and his wife? How could you put me in that position?" He has had to live with this for 12 years.
So this Christmas we were in Ontario again. This time we had our own vehicle and we took our three prairie boys to see Niagara Falls. Actually we took them twice. First, at night with the lights shining on the Falls. It was gorgeous and it was raining like crazy. We were soaked and we loved it! Then the next day, after all the rain, it got really cold. Everything was ice, but we went again. We didn't stay long because it was frigid, but the Falls were spectacular! No matter what the weather, when you're from Saskatchewan you get out of the car.
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