The barren sky allowed for the summer sun to polish the prepossessing city of Portland, Oregon with its gleaming rays; the sun had not yet reached the highest point of the day. Like birds crowded around bread crumbs, the family, just like hundreds of others, flocked near the entrance gate of the well known waterfall. The sound of the brisk wind gushed through the dormant trees, dripping with sap. The birds chirped lively tunes while scattered in the deciduous trees in the distance. Bare pine trees covered in an unbelievable amount of acorns as the invasive, jittery squirrels roamed around the tourist attraction in search for the roasted acorns up high. 

     As other families were trying to get through the other side of the massive, but narrow gate in one piece, on the left there were a variety of gift shops, food vendors and acclaimed restaurants. To the far right of the enormous, metal entrance was the start of the potentially painful hiking trail to the breathtaking waterfall. The oldest child looked around, meekly admiring the Multnomah waterfall in the distance, completely surrounded by trees that had aged over the years. She examined the tourists waiting in crowded lines, eager to take pictures of the alluring scenery, wondering to herself when she would be able to take the picture perfect photo. In the distance, the exhilarated family had noticed a wooden, splintered bridge in the middle of the tourist attraction, observing and scanning the perimeter, trying to figure out how they could get up there with everyone else. The siblings were looking forward to their day and were astonished by the beauty of nature.

     At the crack of dawn the family spontaneously decided to start their exuberant day with a mildly strenuous hike in the breezy, brumal weather up to the rustic bridge. Once they started the hiking trail, like a baby sloth, the youngest child adhered to their mother for dear life while the oldest children traveled aimlessly up and down the trail not knowing their path, waiting for the adults to catch up. There were many different paths to get to the bridge so the family wandered, lost taking their time to cherish the beauty of nature and all the memories they were making. As the family went further up the six-mile hiking trail, the oldest child of the four paid more attention to the scenery and took more caution of the wildlife and closed off areas, attentively shifting her eyes from left to right than her guileless siblings. The sun had finally reached its highest point of the day and they couldn’t be more appreciative of the summer vacation, they were blessed to go on.

     As the family went on and on, closer step by step to the bridge, the wind swirled around the family whistling loudly to a terrible tune. The sound of fluttering leaves on the old, aged trees were crackling as if it was the sound of paper oscillating through the wind. Their excitement escalated when they were finally able to get a precise, clear view of the waterfall and bridge from a mile away. An hour and a half later, the family had finally reached the top of the interminable hiking trail and onto the jam-packed, teeming bridge. Looking, the oldest child had finally been waiting for this moment, the moment of the picture perfect photo to be meticulously taken at the right angle and exposure. The family took a family photo with the Multnomah waterfall in the back to enable them the power to brag to their close family and friends about witnessing such a bewildering moment in their lives. The pushing of the tourist guides moved the crowd along, so they had just a taste of the waterfall up close.

     They couldn’t explain how dumbfounded the waterfall was. The vivid colors of the waterfall were made of different shades of blue and gray and as the water ran down the stream, it began to turn white. The sound of the waterfall reverberated on its journey across its stream, bouncing off the granite rocks quickly and spilling eel-like over the border to rocks. Noise of the water increased by the second the closer they got to the whirruping waterfall. The late evening was mesmerizing with its borderless flux of lucidity: the ample, ostensibly barren sky stretched out for which seemed like forever. At last, the e sun rays outlined the cotton-ball like clouds in a glow that signified the end of the day for the family.