Ever been awed by some Amazing Waterfalls - ever had a chance ride right through them? Well let me tell you....The Maid of the Mist was our Ticket to an incredible Ride!

JUST IN case :-)

The journey begins at the bottom of the Observation Tower, where you're provided with a bright blue souvenir rain poncho.......which you want to put on - but there is no guarantee it'll keep you dry!  I can attest to that :-) And slowly you start cruising by the Rainbow Bridge......

A powerful diesel-engined boat takes you from the Canadian docks past the base of the American Falls, then into the basin of the magnificent Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

A historical ride aboard the world-famous Maid of the Mist is a half hour thrill of a lifetime! I was surprised to find out that it was  North America's oldest tourist attraction, visitors have been enjoying the boat tours since 1846.

Through the crashing waters and massive rock formation this half-hour Niagara Falls tour allows you to experience firsthand the power and intensity of the falls. 

Water rushes all around you as you soak in the excitement and feel the thunder of the Falls reverberate within you.

You're breathing in the fresh air......deafened by the roar of the Falls...........sprinkled by the mist.........slowly you're turning the corner -  snapping a few shots - and then WHAM you're in them and scrambling to get your camera UNDER the poncho! lol

For the next few minutes this is your view!  Definitely a spa treatment like none other - and this WOULD be the time to be wearing 'waterproof' mascara!  And was I ? Noooooooooo......From the neck up and the waist down I was drenched..........AND...........exhilerated! :-)

The Story of the Maid in the Mist
(Ongiaras)
retold by
S. E. Schlosser 

She lost her husband and her hope at a young age, and the beautiful girl could not find her way through the sorrow upon sorrow that was her lot in life. So she stepped one day into her canoe, singing a death song softly to herself, and paddle out into the current. Soon the canoe was caught by the rough waves and hurtled toward the falls. But as it pitched over and she fell, Heno, the god of thunder who lived in the falls, caught the maiden gently in his arms and carried her to his home beneath the thundering veil of water. 

Heno and his sons ministered to the grieving girl, and she stayed with them until her heart healed within her. Then the younger son spoke words of love to the maiden and they married, to the delight of the god of thunder. A young son was born to the couple, and he followed his grandfather everywhere, learning what it meant to be a god of thunder. 

The only shadow on the happiness of the maiden in the mist was a continual longing to see her people one more time. Her chance came in an unexpected and unwelcome way. A great snake came down the mighty river and poisoned the waters of her people. They grew sick and were dying. Soon the snake would return to devour the dead until my people were all gone. It was Heno himself who gave her the news, and she begged that she might return for one hour to warn her people of the danger. The god himself lifted her through the falls and set her down among her people to give warning about the evil snake that was causing such pestilence among them. She advised them to move to a higher country until the danger was past, and they agreed. Then Heno came and took the maiden back to her husband and her home. 

In a few days, the giant serpent returned to the village, seeking the bodies of those who had died from the poison it had spread. When the snake realized that the people had deserted the village, it hissed in rage and turned upstream to search for them. But Heno heard the voice of the serpent and rose up through the mist of the falls. He threw a great thunderbolt at the creature and killed it in one mighty blast. The giant body of the creature floated downstream and lodged just above the cataract, creating a large semi-circle that deflected huge amounts of water into the falls at the place just above the god's home. Horrified by this disastrous turn of events, Heno swept in through the falls and did his best to stop the massive influx of water, but it was too late. 

Seeing that his home would soon be destroyed, Heno called for the maiden and his sons to come away with him. The younger son caught up his wife and child and followed Heno through the water of the falls and up into the sky, where the Thunderer made them a new home. From this place, they watch over the people of the earth, while Heno thunders in the clouds as he once thundered in the vapors of the great falls. To this day, an echo of the Heno's voice can be heard in the thunder of the mighty waters of Niagara Falls.

More Posts on My Toronto Trip

Hollywood of the North - Toronto's - The Distillery ( my Toronto Series)

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property in Toronto - please give my dear friend and Uber Realtor  Sylvie Conde of Sutton Group a call at 416) 564-7431  ~ its her home town and she knows it and Real Estate and Toronto like the back of her hand ~ you'll be in good hands I promise!                                                 

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property in, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Langley or anywhere in the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you would like more information please give Liz  Moras of Landmark Realty Chilliwack a call at- 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@gmail.com.     

Copyright © 2009 By Liz Moras, All Rights Reserved. All photos by Liz Moras. All information provided by this author is only an opinion, it is not guaranteed, may be based on information collected from several sources, and may be time sensitive.  It is not necessarily representative of the opinions of Landmark Realty Chwk. Ltd..