From the Niagara Falls Review:
I was cold. I was soaked. And for one last time, I loved every second of it.
It was easy to take the Maid of the Mist for granted over the years, never realizing how special it really was. People who’ve lived here all their lives have never ridden it, assuming it was just another tourist rip-off. Just another postcard.
It wasn’t. It never was. The Maid was different. She was history and nature. She was scary and spectacular. When the ride comes to its apex, when you’re looking up at the Horseshoe Falls, when you’re being drenched by the Niagara River … you feel lost in time.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the recorded announcer says, “this is Niagara Falls.” No cotton candy or waffles down here. No ferris wheels. Just pure, raw power. This is why they’ve come here for centuries. Since I’ve lived here, visiting friends and relatives always ask what they should see. The answer never changed: Don’t miss the Maid of the Mist.
It was as good as it gets. And on Thursday, it was time to say goodbye.
A sad day for Niagara Falls and Canada…
I don’t know how it’s a sad day. A company that has been taking advantage of us for decades, who couldn’t compete in a fair competition, and who is now still in business only because of very questionable sweetheart deals with New York State, is now gone. They will be replaced by a new company that is paying drastically more than MOTM ever did or was willing to, will offer much better vessels and, by the way it looks, a better experience all round. The only thing lost is the name, and that will soon be not a big deal either. Seems like a pretty good day to me.
Wait until you see the prices…