F is for Falls – #atozchallenge

I love visiting all of the offbeat and quirky places when I’m out on the road. But, I must confess that I am also addicted to the beauty of nature in all its forms.

One of the more splendid beautiful objects of nature is the waterfall. Every state in the country has waterfalls, those though some are more magnificent than others.

Sumoflam at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky
Niagara Falls

Like millions of other tourists, I have most certainly been to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and to American Falls on the American side. These are beyond spectacular!

Though the roar of Niagara Falls will always be in the back of my mind, there are others that I’ve drawn me closer in that I have enjoyed.

 

You can almost feel the mist and hear the roar of Niagara Falls in this photo
American Falls on the Niagara River in New York
Maid of the Mist boat at the bottom of Niagara Falls filled with tourists
At Multnomah Falls in Oregon

When I made my first trip to Portland Oregon in 2011, one of my main objectives besides visiting voodoo doughnut, was to visit Multnomah Falls. Of course you know that one! That’s that beautiful tall waterfall with a bridge going in front of it that shows up all over the place.

When I first saw photograph of that waterfall I had to research and find out what it’s name was and where it was and when I realized it was in Oregon it became the top of my list to get to and I didn’t make it.

 

Multnomah Falls in Oregon…one of my favorite places in the US
Some tourists enjoy Multnomah Falls from the bridge

The wonderful thing about going to Multnomah is that there are numerous other waterfalls along the highway before you get there. So, along the way I did drop by to see a couple of them. In their own right, these are beautiful waterfalls.

Horsetail Falls in Oregon
Wahkeena Falls in Oregon

Over the years and over the miles on my road trips, I have made it a point to visit waterfalls and in some cases have just come across some.

Otterville Falls in Otterville, Ontario, Canada
A small waterfall in Red River Gorge, Kentucky
Sumoflam at Yellowstone Falls

One of those that I made a point to get to was the beautiful waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park. The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River are magnificent. Of course, this canyon in Yellowstone was forged by the river.  The walls of the canyon a filled with stone that is yellow and this is where the actual name of the park comes from.

Yellowstone has numerous waterfalls, but none as glorious as this one.  Indeed, this has to be one of America’s greatest waterfalls to visit.  I certainly was in awe.

Yellowstone Waterfalls
Another smaller waterfall along the road in Yellowstone National Park

Another of the classic waterfalls that I have enjoyed thoroughly is right here in my own state of Kentucky. Cumberland Falls is down in Southern Kentucky near the Tennessee border. This lovely waterfall is similar to Niagara Falls, but of course, not nearly is huge. The falls themselves are beautiful, but this waterfall is also known for its famed “Moonbow”, something which I have yet to witness.  Sometime….

Cumberland Falls in southern Kentucky
Grand Falls of the Little Colorado in Arizona

One more waterfall of note today must include in this is in the desert of Arizona of all places. This waterfall is typically only visible in the springtime as the remainder of the year there’s typically nothing but a trickle. I am referring to the Grand Falls of the Little Colorado River. This large stairstep waterfall is located east of the Grand Canyon near Cameron, AZ. The Little Colorado River always flows red because of all of the red sandstone. When there are heavy rains in the spring, the falls can be seen in their magnificence. As a tour guide in Flagstaff in the 1980s, I was able to visit Grand Falls numerous times. And I’ve been able to pick up a couple of wonderful photos of it.

A tourist observes the grandeur of the Grand Falls of the Little Colorado in Arizona in 1984
David and Julianne at Chagrin Falls in Ohio

Most of the waterfalls I’ve noted above are not in the middle of towns, but on the outskirts are far removed. There are, however, some waterfalls that can be seen within towns. Perhaps one of the most interesting is the town of Chagrin Falls in Ohio. This town is south of Cleveland and actually has two waterfalls flowing right through the middle of town. You can stand on one bridge and look at one fall to your left and one to the right. The town is a little tourist attraction because of the falls and has restaurants that reside right on the edge of the falls to where you can eat and look at the beauty of the falls. On our visit in 2016 we did not have time to sit down and eat there but we still got to enjoy the waterfall.

Chagrin Falls, OH
The waterfalls on the Snake River called Idaho Falls

Another set of lovely waterfalls in the middle of a town are those in Idaho Falls, Idaho. From the waterfalls you can actually view the Idaho Falls Temple of the Mormon church but also enjoy the lovely view of the falls from the pathways to go along it.

 

Snake River in Idaho Falls
With my oldest daughter Amaree at the same Great Falls in 2006

Heading east from Idaho Falls to Montana, there are the famed Great Falls of the Missouri River located in, you got it, Great Falls, MT. Back in the days when Lewis and Clark we’re traversing the Missouri River, they came across the falls and all of their glory but now the falls have been dammed up a bit. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful sight to visit.

Great Falls of the Missouri in Great Falls, MT
Memorial Falls near Great Falls, MT

The same Lewis and Clark start of their adventure on another river waterfall in Kentucky and Indiana as they passed by the falls of the Ohio River. Today, these falls or not so exciting to see as they probably were back in the days of Lewis and Clark.

Webster Falls near Hamilton, ON
Side view of Webster Falls in Ontario

For the real fan of waterfalls, perhaps the best thing to do is go into Hamilton, Ontario northwest of Niagara Falls. There are a number of waterfalls that feed into the Niagara River eventually. One can walk literally to the side of many of these waterfalls and look down. There is Tews Falls and a couple of others that were very nice and easily can all be seen the same day as one sees Niagara Falls.

Tews Falls near Hamilton, Ontario

I have yet to hit many of the huge waterfalls in California. I have missed some of the other big ones in the United States and Canada as well, but I’ve been fortunate enough to see a number of them. In the following photos you will see a few other waterfalls including one in Alaska and some from other points across the United States.

Ragged Falls in Algonquin National Park in Ontario
Indian Falls from the parking lot of the Indian Falls Log Cabin restaurant in New York
One of many waterfalls seen along WA 123 in Washington near Mt. Rainier NP
Lovesick Falls in Ontario
With my wife at a waterfall near Mendenhall Glacier not far from Juneau, AK
A far off waterfall in Glacier National Park
A small waterfall in Clifton Mill, OH
Taughannock Falls in New York

When you are on the back roads of America, always keep your eye open for a sign to a waterfall. You’ll be glad that you did.

8 thoughts on “F is for Falls – #atozchallenge

  • Oh, man. Now I have to add “see a moonbow” to my bucket list!
    Very pretty, thank you.

    Enjoy the Challenge!

  • I too love nature. When I take pictures I always take a ridiculous number of pictures of water and foliage and lizards and birds.
    I think my favorite of your fall pictures is the one at Red River Gorge. I’m a sucker for understatement.

  • I love Niagra Falls! I’ve only seen it from the Canadian side when we were traveling from Michigan to New York. We stayed the night at a hotel on one of the top floors and had a great view. There were fireworks that night that we watched from our room. Great memories. 🙂

  • Arlee Bird

    You’ve captured some nice photos here. I’ve seen a few of these in my own travels. In my younger days when I was still living in East TN I used to make it a point to visit just about every waterfall I could find in the area. Rarely do I take pictures, which is sad, but I still have some of those memories while others have been forgotten.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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