If you are planning a trip to Niagara Falls, you should ensure to include The Maid of the Mist on your travel agenda. I first rode on The Maid of the Mist over thirty years ago (the history dates back to the mid-1800s...far before my time). This ferry can be boarded from either shore. I normally stay on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, so I boarded on the Canadian side. The boat ride is located a ten to fifteen minute walk downstream from the Canadian Niagara Falls Visitor's Center. During my recent visit to Niagara Falls in July, I revisited this special attraction from my younger days.
If you follow the walkway down along the river, you cannot miss The Maid of the Mist. A viewing plaza along with tourist shops and restaurant block the walkway, either forcing you around or over the entrance to the boat ride. Tickets booths are set up on the walkway facing both approaches to the attraction. When we arrived, there were three ticket booths operating (coming from the visitor's section direction). I walked straight to the window and purchased my tickets. I used my credit card, which converted the Canadian price to U.S. along with a small International surcharge. In total, it ended up being less than the advertised $14.50 Canadian and slightly better (with the current exchange rate) than the advertised U.S. currency price of $13.50. My son's ticket was $8.90. Children under five are free.
After purchasing the tickets, cattle gates direct you towards a cement walkway that runs along the main structure. As you zig-zag down the walkway, you arrive at an elevator, where you have to wait for an employee to pack everyone onto the next elevator. We were able to get on the next elevator and ride down. As we exited the elevator from the other side, I was able to see a fairly large line forming on the other side for the ride back topside. We followed the cattle gates from the elevator towards a large tent where we were provided with a cheaply constructed blue rain jacket emblazoned with The Maid of the Mist logo. We donned our raincoats and proceeded forward to the docks.
Upon arrival at the docks, they were preparing to board the next ferry. We were near the front and were able to pick our poison. Most people rushed towards the top, exposed portion of the boat. I began by moving forward towards the front of the boat, but did not like the way the uneven floor followed the prow upward. The area also started to get crowded quickly. Looking back at the fantail, I noticed that no visitors were gathered in that area. We moved to the back of the boat, which was far more comfortable. The only disadvantage of riding in the back was the poor quality of the sound system. We had difficulty hearing the history being narrated from that position. What we did have was unadulterated views of the falls and plenty of room to move around. Not having a crowd was a worthwhile trade-off for the narration.
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