A Close Encounter with Niagara Falls and the Maid of the Mist
By Meg Brunson
Growing up just 90 minutes from Niagara Falls, this is a wonder of the world I've experiences multiple times... but my kids have not been here since my oldest two were tiny - and I am the only one who's ever been on the Maid of the Mist, which brings you right up to the base of the falls! Niagara Falls is one of those super-tourist locations because people simply want to experience it's wonder... but, not everyone boards the Maid of the Mist - and I am here to tell you that if you're going to visit the falls, you really should experience this boat excursion at least once!
The day we had planned to explore Niagara Falls was rainy - but we knew that we were planning on getting wet aboard the Maid of the Mist anyhow, so we did not let some rain ruin our day!
We got extremely lucky, and after buying our tickets and going through the line to get our ponchos, as we were preparing to board the boat, the cut the line off with us. This meant that we got to board the next boat first! I made sure to ask the staff: where is the best place to stand aboard the boat? Where will we have the best views and experiences? The front left!
So as soon as the boat docked, we walked on and secured our places in the front left of the boat! We were up on the top, and the wall of the boat was high enough that it made it difficult for my four and six year olds to see flat-footed... soon enough, that would be a blessing in it's own right.
It was a rainy day to begin with - and I swear it was more misty than usual... as we got closer to the falls the wind and mist was INTENSE. Maybe it was our amazing placement - but it was so wet that I could not keep my eyes open. The wind blew my hood off and my hair was drenched. The little two were protected by the wall of the boat, and my big two hid under their hoods. It might sound awful - but it was not. We were screaming and laughing and having the time of our lives because we had no idea how crazy this was going to be!
After the wet and wild boat experience, we walked the short distance to the Hard Rock Cafe - this just happens to be the restaurant I've always dined at when visiting the falls, and it was great to visit with my family and see all the rock-and-roll memoribelia on the walls and listen to some great music while we ate.
If the weather was nicer, we probably would have spent more time at the park... but we loved every moment we did spend here, and it certainly would not have been the same without the Maid of the Mist! Learn more about Niagara Falls State Park and the Maid of the Mist at https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/attractions-and-tours/maid-of-the-mist
Read about some of the other adventures we're having on our Year-Long Road Trip!
© 2019 Meg Brunson
All opinions expressed are my own. See more on Instagram!
Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live full-time in an RV exploring the US! As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to providing freelance services for other small businesses on how to best leverage Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy. Meg also hosts the FamilyPreneur Podcast, a podcast for parent entrepreneurs raising entrepreneurial children. Learn more about Meg at MegBrunson.com!