If you missed the first part of this three part blog post here’s a link to it! Niagara Part One
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 – After touring the USA side of Niagara Falls we went for a ride on the “Maid of the Mist.” As they say on their website:
Hear the crashing waves. See the breathtaking views. Soak up every drop of powerful spray aboard the Maid of the Mist. Build mist-covered memories that will last a lifetime. Soak up every moment of natural and historical amazement — like millions before you have. Journey into the heart of one of North America’s most powerful waterfalls. Hear the thundering roar of 600,000 gallons of water falling right before your eyes. Feel the mighty rush of the mist on your face aboard the Maid of the Mist. It’s the only way to experience one of the world’s most amazing natural wonders right here in the U.S.A.
The tickets for adults are $18.95. If it was triple that it would have been worth it! You will be able to see exactly how happy we were in the photos below. There is a Maid of the Mist that leaves from the Canadian side as well.
The first step was checking out the The Tower’s Observation Deck which extends out over the Niagara Gorge and is the only place in the Park to view both the American and Horseshoe Falls at the same time! Once you view all that, you take an elevator ride down 200 feet to the side of the water. There you receive your blue rain coat and board the Maid of the Mist. Our elevator is the first photo below – yes I took a photo of the elevator! Remember, all photos are clickable to see them larger.
This is the Observation Tower from down on the water.
The Maid of the Mist boarding area
Aren’t we precious in our blue rain coats!
The Rainbow bridge we walked across to get to Canada as seen from the water.
One of the Maid of the Mist vessels.
So that you will know what you’re seeing, the first falls you’ll see are the two in America, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The ones that seem to surround us and have the most mist that hit us are the Horseshoe Falls which are Canadian falls.
The boat goes slowly in front of the American falls and when it gets to the Horseshoe Falls it pauses for several minutes while we took in the experience. The force of water from the falls on the sides and in front cause the boat to not sit very still which made for an exciting and quite wet experience. You cannot prepare for when you need the rain coat hood on so it is probably best to wear it all the time. I didn’t and ended up looking like a wet rat.
These first photos are leading up to and seeing the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.
Looking back at the boat launch.
The amazing American Falls. They are the majority of his area. The Bridal Veil Falls are the area on the right after a rock wall separation. It can be seen better in some of the photos.
After those two falls is a several hundred foot stretch where there are no falls. Seagulls and other beautiful birds fly around the area and seem to make their home on the water’s edge there!
This photo below shows one of the wooden walkways that you can pay to see the falls closer up on. Perhaps next week when we return we’ll try that one out!
I do not think anything can prepare you for the exhilaration of entering the mist near the Horseshoe Falls. The Maid of the Mist sits in place there for several moments and then turns in place to head back. I have nothing to compare the experience to! The photos and videos may look like a lot of white but it’s beautiful white when you’re there!
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After turning around we headed back in front of the American and Bridal Veil Falls.
Here we are pulling up to the boat launch ready to go back up to the top of the Observation Tower and then over the bridge to Canada!
Next, we went across the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side and it is as different from the US side as night and day. This video is looking down on the Maid of the Mist turning around from the Canadian side.
We were quite blessed while we were in Canada to get to visit with the Aschliman family. We first met them three years ago while watching the Callithumpian parade in Decatur, Indiana. To find out they were also in Niagara Falls when we were was amazing, and we took advantage of this opportunity to visit them in Canada.
While we are in Niagara Falls our son Chip and his family are enjoying time with Mickey in Disneyworld! More on our visit with the Aschliman family and our visit to Canada in part three which I’ll put together tomorrow!
Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear
Click on the links below to go there!
Wacky Wonderful Wednesdays published on Wednesdays
Some Things I Learned About Dementia published randomly
BECAUSE HE LIVES 
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