One of the reasons I wanted to go on this waterfall tour for our sixth anniversary was because I wanted to re-experience the elation that I had four years earlier at Fall Creek Falls touching the tallest waterfall West of the Mississippi

Not only did I touch it, but then the falls moved on top of me soaking me from head to toe!

Also, ever since I moved to Tennessee, I have missed being close to water in the summer. We don’t have a nearby beach, nor do we have access to a pool. So, waterfall chasing to get out of the summer heat becomes a wonderful past time.

Although we’ve been to some other smaller falls, Fall Creek Falls is one of those that is thought of as the mothership of waterfalls. The crowds know it too, which is why I wanted to go during the week.

So, on our third day of our trip, the day after Labor Day, we headed to Fall Creek Falls. We hoped that the crowds had dissipated by then. By the sheer fact that we got a close parking spot, it looked like we were going to get a less crowded park!

When we got to the entrance of Fall Creek Falls, much had been built on to one of the nature centers. You can tell much money has been poured into this park. We looked down on two different falls from near the entrance, and then we started our way down.

This park even has a bathroom and parking lot well into the park. There is a drive-up point that is close to the top of the main falls. I think Fall Creek Falls Lodge is up there too. At any rate, it was nice to have facilities half-way in.

We rested before we made our way down the steps to the bottom of the falls. Much of the time my left shoulder was bothering me, so it was hard for me to grab along the rail on my left side. I also remember that the trail was quite sandy from eroded limestone.

We also walked through a cool walkway and enjoyed that breeze about half-way down.

Not too much longer and we got to the bottom—and we planted ourselves on a rock. That was going to be as far as I was going to go this time. The waterfall was so roaring loud from greater volume of water that you couldn’t get as near it this time without getting hurt from the sheer power.

Eventually I did have the courage to at least get down to the pool into the water. The wind was so strong that we had to hold onto a rock to not fall down.

Although I was a tad disappointed that I couldn’t go touch the waterfall again, I was glad that I still got down off the rock and tested out the waters of the pool. At the bottom we also met a man who had lost everything in a fire in California. He told us how he couldn’t get a home insured there because of the fires. He had hiked down in flip flops—which we would not recommend—but for him, he enjoyed his flip flops and an orange to get his blood sugar back up before climbing back up.

Seth and I kissed at the bottom, because despite all the health trials that we had experienced in the last few years health wise—a frozen shoulder, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anemia, Hashimoto’s, estrogen dominance, and now a second frozen shoulder for me, and stomach issues and thyroid malfunction for him—here we were—doing what we wanted to be doing, again, despite the physical obstacles.

We had set in our minds that we would not fail to get back to Fall Creek Falls, albeit heavier and more weighed down with life’s challenges. Thank you, Lord, that we got to go back to where we were to reexperience the beauty!

And even though it was different, and I didn’t touch the waterfall, God once again displayed His power and sovereignty. He had showed me that He would cleanse me completely if I just reached out to touch Him. This time, He showed me that He is so powerful and in control of everything. His power and rain that He brought intensified the force of that waterfall so that we could see its beauty but not get so close to it. Some risk takers who are stronger than I still get closer. But, He still reminds me that if He is in control of the waterfall, is He not in control of everything?

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, The voice of the Lord is majestic. (Psalm 29:3-4)

I also knew that short of Him walking us through the health challenges we would not be back here. We were able to do what we had done before—and we were so grateful.  And we hiked back up. Grateful. We got a good night sleep, prepared for day #4, and even bigger journeys ahead.