From WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo:
He’s feisty, playful, and a bit of flirt.
You’d never guess by looking at 1-year-old Stryker that the Harbor Seal pup almost lost his life.
He was hit by a boat in New Jersey earlier this year and needed one of his back flippers amputated.
Because he’s no longer able to survive on his own in the wild, he was brought to the Aquarium of Niagara.
As I was moving the AccessNiagara.com web site, I came across this old newspaper scan. I can’t remember at all where I got it from, but it highlights the historical event of when a couple of the Maid of the Mist boats had a fire. It happened in 1955, and the photo/article mentions it was the 50th anniversary, so I assume this is from 2005.
Yesterday afternoon the Hornblower Guardian took a drive down Clifton Hill. I’m not clear on which boat it was, or what it’s purpose was, but it looked kind of funny having such a big boat going down the street.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
After 167 years, one of Niagara Falls’ most iconic attractions is sailing into the Canadian sunset.
The Maid of the Mist is concluding its tour-boat excursions on this side of the Niagara River for the final time Thursday. The Maid has been around since 1846 and has been owned by the Glynn family since 1971.
Hornblower Niagara Cruises will operate on the Canadian side of the gorge starting next spring.
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.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The narrow road takes a hairpin turn down the gorge — and your heart stops.
It’s one of the natural wonders of the world and even on a damp January day, with the Falls a thousand shades of white and grey, the sight of all that water churning over the edge is still breathtaking.
It’s awesome and exhilarating and the most beautiful place on Earth to do business.
This is the headquarters of the world-renowned Maid of the Mist, that spectacular boat tour whose name is synonymous with Niagara.