Maid of the Mist: Must ride for every family

The Niagara Falls have always been an awe-inspiring barrier to travel along the Niagara River. Early travelers had to portage goods around the falls until the first of four Welland Canals connecting Lakes Ontario and Erie across was completed in 1824. But this still left the trouble of crossing the river to ferries and the first steamer christened the “Maid of the Mist” began as such a venture in 1846. But the completion of a bridge across the canyon deemed it obsolete within just 2 years. So, a business pivot and some clever politicking to create the longest continually operating State Park in the US fostered the conditions for the Maid of the Mist to become a 175+ year icon in NY state.

After witnessing the crowds when we popped down for fireworks the night before, we knew we had to be in line for the 9:00am opening on Niagara’s busiest weekend. Since we walk faster than bumper to bumper traffic, we parked in a structure a few blocks away and beat feet for the ticket line. Normally I prepurchase tickets, but unsure if the long lines would result in a plan change, we purchased at the ticket booths. The Maid provides weather permitting rides to the falls April 1 – Nov 5, but Niagara Falls State Park is open 365 days a year.

With line queues marked at over 2 hours long, this place is no stranger to huge crowds. Guided by a small army of employees, the lines moved swiftly toward multiple ticket windows. With a simple pricing structure, payment is quick, and we were quickly shuttled toward the elevators.

After the quick zip to the canyon floor, the line continued toward piles of blue ponchos emblazoned with “Maid of the Mist”. Childrens’ sizes are available, so no need for kids to swim in ill-fitting adult ones. With each boat carrying 600 passengers and trips embarking every 15 minutes, the wait to get on the boat at this point is short. We had just enough time to marvel at the canyon marking the border between the US and Canada before politely racing for a spot at the front of our boat.

Most people raced to the top deck, but unsure if the kids would enjoy the mist, we opted for the front of the bottom deck, so the dry zone was quickly accessible. After just a couple minutes, we left the dock and headed into the center of the Niagara River.

The roaring falls provided heavy competition to the narration coming across the speakers. Normally, I hang on the guide’s every word, but being in this majestic canyon and feeling the immense power of the raging river was intoxicating. Turns out, the kids were enamored with the rainbows appearing in the backlit mist, dancing and laughing the entire ride.

While the boat doesn’t go under the Horseshoe Falls, it gets close enough to take your breath away and inflate the ponchos. Since the tour is a round trip, passengers on the starboard side that missed the grandeur of the American Falls on the way up can marvel at them on the way back.

While 15 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot of time, it was the perfect amount to experience the majesty of this world wonder. Once back to the dock, we bumbled through the crowds to get a quick photo op at the Crow’s Next beside the American Falls and let the kids to a little rock climbing to get their jiggles out.

Once finished at the bottom, a quick elevator ride to the top revealed another ridiculously beautiful view requiring a photo. Finally, as all attractions seem to these days, the herd reached the gift shop full of heavily inflated wares allowing passengers to proclaim they took a ride on the famous Maid. Shops full of cheaper trinkets also line the streets leading to the Falls, in case you like to pinch pennies like me:)

After a perfect morning on the Maid of the Mist, we decided to head down to Buffalo for some wings and history. On another trip, we’d definitely hit up:

• Cave of the Winds boardwalk is supposed to be a really neat way to walk below the falls. After reading that the actual cave has collapsed, getting so many great views on the Maid and seeing the crowds forming, we opted away from this experience this time.
• Whirlpool State Park is a bit farther down the Niagara River and even more fun are the several jetboats take passengers up the river to splash around the swirling rapids.
• The Canadian side has the better view of the falls with a stunning light show all year, Journey behind the falls and Skylon tower. We didn’t want to get stuck across the border from our puppy, so we’ll make plans to take the motorhome across the river next time.