www.maidofthemist.com
Driving towards Niagara Falls was one of the most thrilling times of the trip. On the ride over from Pennsylvania it was my turn to ride in the front seat of the bus with Benji. It had been a very long six hour drive third day in the excited talk from the first two had died down and things had long turned stale riding in the bus.
Driving on the New York State Thruway we passed over the Niagara River it was me who spotted the mist of the Falls in the distance creating a small rainbow in its wake. The river itself was very turbulent, cascading towards its ultimate destination made me think of the film River Wild, although I think anyone caught white water rafting this river will find themselves desperately trying to back paddle back to shore.
As part of the trek Benji had booked us tickets to ride on the Maid of the Mist boat ride past the Falls. The half hour ride cost $12.50 which includes a complimentary raincoat that was ever so helpful, as you get doused by the water around you.
After purchasing tickets you allowed access to the
Observation Tower to catch the lift down to the boarding area. Up here you get to see the falls in all her glory. Niagara is wider than she is long; however at 52 metres high she is still extraordinary sight. The noise from this vantage point is a low rumble but this is to be expected with the 2.09 trillion litres falling into the Horseshoe Basin an hour. Adjacent to the falls are wooden steps allowing the brave or depending how you look at it, foolish get close enough to the falls to have a cold shower.
On the tower we were a stones throw from the Canadian border, looking over you could see the high rise buildings of the city Ontario beckoning us but we would save that adventure for later, our mission now was to board and survive the Maid of the Mist boat ride.
The boats are large to hold of 300 passengers and it was reassuring to be riding in a boat that looked like it wouldn’t buckle at the sight of an iceberg.
Riding towards the falls was pure exhilaration, the only way to describe it is like when you stick your head out
a car window and you are travelling so fast you cannot catch your breath. It was comical to look around and see a boat full Violet Beauregard’s blown up like overgrown blueberries because of the powerful winds that was filling our raincoats.
While nearing the falls, for a moment its is easy to panic and worry that the boats will not stop in time and you will be sucked in and spat out by the churning water but it is that fear that makes it even more exciting as you reach the pinnacle of the trip and you are stood right in front of the wall of water crashing down around you. As I watched in amazement I wondered is this how someone would feel as a tsunami was coming towards them. The low roar from the Observation Tower had now become a loud roar that consumed all you could hear. My thoughts went back to 1901 and the story I was told about Annie Taylor the first women to conquer the Falls. I better explanation for conquering would be she dropped herself off the edge in a wooden barrel. Poor Annie expected fame and fortune but ended up dying in poverty.
When the boat retreated back to shore and I managed to peel my eyes away from the fall, it was nice meeting eyes with people knowing you have all shared in the experience and all exhibited the same goofy grins on our faces.
That night we returned to see the falls light display. The lights that come from behind the falls give the feeling of Disney’s Fantasia and change from shades of red and yellow to green and blue. Looking back over to Canada some of us decided to resume our mission to visit Canada because we had heard we could go on our Visa’s. Big mistake. I almost was barred entry back into America by the simple turn of a turnstile because I had left my other important visa documents in my suitcase. The man at the booth didn’t check anyone’s documents going out but was hasty to check peoples on the way back. Luckily due to my over anxiousness I asked before locking myself out. It was scary to think I was a few steps away from becoming an illegal immigrant.
Despite feeling less like Marilyn Monroe in 1953’s Niagara and more like a poodle after a wash and blow dry the six hour drive here was well worth the leg cramp. The only negative was that the area surrounding Niagara Falls was so commercialised, although this is to be expected after it is a honey pot for tourists, I could not help thinking that it would have been more of a natural spot out in the sticks with the occasional signposting and maybe a portaloo. Though I am ashamed to say I came away with a key ring, no commercialization can tarnish the immense presence of the Niagara Falls.
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