My Favorite Vacation Destination

I do not believe a vacation can be significant unless years later you can summon up detailed accounts of it. How is it unforgettable if you are unable to fully describe the views of your impressive surroundings? After I traveled Niagara Falls and St. Louis, with my aunt, I realize what a vacation is envisioned to do: to stimulate the senses in a way never done before. For these reasons, I find my most treasured vacation to be this one I embarked upon with my dear aunt.

Looking back on our stop in Niagara Falls, there is one prominent aspect in my mind: the flowers. Before I can even speak of how majestic the falls were, I must give credit to those vivacious and brightly colored blossoms. The flowers around the city of Niagara Falls, whether by our modest motel, outside of a quaint café or about the town center, were undeniably breath-taking. I still remember looking out at the falls, as I was surrounded by this beauty and thinking to myself, “How often is there such a stunning view as this one?” The falls were no less remarkable, for I saw them from a front row seat on the Maid of the Mist. The omnipotent falls were cascading down so near to us, and it was then that everyone found out the true power of nature. While being in awe at these incomparable falls, I saw the most vibrant rainbow I had ever witnessed, and was compelled to ask myself, ”How often is there such a stunning view as this one, twice in one day?” Niagara Falls had its share of immeasurable views, but the Gateway to the West did not plan on letting me down upon my visit there.

As my aunt and I crossed the bridge into St. Louis, I was not concerned with anything in particular until my wandering eyes happened to transfix onto that arch, that arch that was erected to join the East and the West of our nation and stood so massively as to subdue its metropolis habitat. That initial view has me hooked and I was humbled by the Gateway Arch as I approached it by foot. The feeling of our pioneer brothers gathering there for their arduous trek into the western- unknown was palpable as I gazed upon the semicircle. The sensation I felt at the foot of the monument was only magnified as I journeyed to its top via the elevator. When I walked through the top of the arch, I had the exceptionally rare feeling of being on top of the world. Our time there may have been minutes, but I assure you, it felt no shorter than a century. It was a melancholy descent, but I was required to comprehend that I was only a human compared to this colossal archway, whereas I would not.

Vacations are meant to launch you senses into unimaginable territories. They are not designed to dull the faculties, but to arouse them to their highest degrees. Now I can confidently say my most beloved vacation was when I traveled to Niagara Falls and St. Louis. I have since understood that I am in absolutely no position to express the mystery behind the unfathomable attributed that these flawless locations possess. As I introduced earlier, I must learn my place as the lowly writer who will always be yearning to speak more of these astounding places than they will ever allow me to disclose. (Marie Ripa, Age 18)