Certainly by now you’ve heard of the record flooding New Jersey experienced this past week after our torrential rainfall. Something every good New Jerseyian (or is that Jerseyite?) does at times of record rainfall is head to the Great Falls in Paterson.  So when neighbor Kim proposed a field trip yesterday, I was more than game. It was a beautiful day for a change, sunny and mid 60’s.

The Passaic River falls 77 feet, making the Great Falls the second highest falls on the East Coast. Second only to the mighty Niagara Falls!

The river (we think) crested on Tuesday, but on Wednesday it was still pretty angry! With a mighty roar it thundered over the rocky cliffs.

We decided to walk over and go across the bridge for different views.

The river before it reaches the cliffs.

On the opposite side of where we were, with some of Paterson’s old factories in the background.

Just before crossing over the bridge there was a beautiful rainbow in the mist. I tried several different angles and shots.

On the bridge! Pretty scary! (Doubling up on rainbows.) The mist coming off the falls was just like being in the rain. We were drenched by the time we got to the other side.

On the other side of the falls there was this little observation point where you were ever so close to the falls. Motion sickness alert! It was mesmerizing watching all the water coming straight at you. It made me feel very unbalanced.

The following photos were taken from that vantage point in each direction. First photo is looking to the right. Middle photo is looking straight out at the water, and final photo is looking left and to the main section of the falls.

We walked around to view them from the back.

And back on the bridge again.

They surely were a sight that I might never see again.

P.S. Video to come!

P.P S. Since it was St. Patrick’s Day when we went, we tried to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but did not succeed.