Feature
The Trip of a Lifetime
Elizabeth Mohn
1Dear Diary,
2Today, my family and I are traveling home after our amazing summer vacation. For the past week, we have been visiting Niagara Falls in Canada. Since I didn't have the time to write during our trip, I will tell you all about it now.
3A little more than a week ago, my mother and father started packing our suitcases to prepare for our trip. My entire family woke up early Sunday morning, packed the car, and began our expedition to Niagara Falls. When we reached the American-Canadian border, I was excited to enter a foreign country for the first time.
4When we arrived at our hotel, my family and I checked in and put our bags in our room. The hotel we stayed in was a grand, old building that was filled with many elaborate decorations. Later on, my younger brother Stevie and I wandered out onto the hotel balcony. From this location, we could see the top of Niagara Falls! The scene was so majestic that it looked like an illustration from a magazine. My sleep was fitful that night because I was so eager to visit the falls.
5After breakfast the following morning, we decided to take our first trip to see the falls. When I first saw Niagara Falls up close, I was stunned in amazement. The falls are gigantic! They are truly one of the most magnificent natural sights in the world. The rest of my family was impressed by the splendid waterfall, too. My brother wanted to get even closer to the water, so he clambered up one of the embankments. Our parents, however, forced him to climb back down quickly—it's not safe to get too close to the powerful water. In fact, the rushing water was strong enough that we could hear its roar from our hotel room each evening.
6After our first day of visiting the falls, we had many other adventures in Canada. One day, we took a boat ride underneath Niagara Falls. While we rode on the boat, an employee told us some interesting facts about the falls. She said that the falls on the Canadian side of the border are about 160 feet tall in most places—that is taller than a ten-story building! In addition, the employee explained that many people throughout history have attempted to ride over the falls. Although this is against the law, some people have passed over the falls in barrels or other structures. Of course, this is an extremely dangerous practice, so you won’t catch me attempting this feat anytime soon!
7After a long, yet adventurous week, I am actually happy to be returning home. We had a wonderful trip, but now I can show my grandparents the dozens of photographs I took during our vacation. Perhaps we could visit Niagara Falls again next year—after all, this was definitely the trip of a lifetime