- I recently went on the Niagara Falls boat ride, Maid of the Mist, and found it was totally worth it.
- I was expecting a flashy, crowded tourist trap, but it was a small group with lots of room onboard.
- The views were spectacular and the ride was unexpectedly thrilling. And I want to go back.
When I went to Niagara Falls for the first time on a recent trip through Eastern Canada, I knew I had to try the iconic boat ride that takes you up close to the falls.
Source: Niagara Falls State Park
Within Niagara Falls, located on the boarder of the US and Canada, there's a boat tour known as Maid of the Mist.
I first saw the Maid of the Mist boat tour in an episode of "The Office," back in high school. From the TV screen, it seemed like a flashy tourist trap, but still something I'd want to do once in my life.
My journey began at the Observation Tower, where I got my ticket to ride, which cost $25.
Then I followed a staircase down to the river where the boat was docked.
On my way down, park workers handed out large, plastic ponchos to keep us dry from the misty waterfalls during the ride. It was gigantic on me, but there was only one size.
As we got closer to the boat, the wind became fierce. It reminded me of being on the top deck of a cruise ship on a breezy evening.
Once I boarded the boat, I realized I had two options: stand on the lower deck, where I would get pretty good views while being partially protected from mist by the roof above ...
... Or the top deck, where I would arguably get better views and likely wetter.
I decided to go for the top deck, especially since I had this big poncho protecting my camera.
It wasn't the tourist trap I was expecting. The boat wasn't crowded at 6 p.m. when I boarded, and the lack of crowds made finding a spot on the edge easy.
I even had enough room to walk around the deck of the boat and take in the most spectacular views unobstructed by human heads.
Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), the American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. The Maid of the Mist takes visitors near all three.
Source: Insider
The 20-minute tour started and ended on the American side, briefly crossing into Canada to get to Horseshoe Falls next.
As we were passing the American Falls, I spotted a rainbow. At first, I thought I had just gotten lucky that my trip was timed with a sighting.
But as the days went on, I realized that rainbows are plentiful in Niagara Falls because the sun shines through drops of water, "reflecting light into the colors of the spectrum," according to Niagara Falls Tourism.
Source: Niagara Falls Tourism
As we approached Horseshoe Falls, the air filled with mist, making it difficult to see.
At one point, I looked up and found myself engulfed by views of the U-shaped Horseshoe Falls.
Seeing the water crashing down right in front of me gave me a sense of thrill that I wasn't expecting from the boat ride. I felt like I was in a "Pirates of the Caribbean" film.
By the end of the ride, I was completely soaked, but I managed to keep my camera dry. The sense of thrill I got from the ride made me want to go back with my loved ones to watch them experience it for the first time.
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