Days 335 and 336 - Maid of the Mist

Miles cruised 35, locks transited 2, distance dropped 67 feet, fuel purchased $0, slip fee $60, daily high temperature 72°f.

The time spent with our grandchildren at Niagara Falls was magical. It was so much fun to see them together for the first time. Saturday afternoon was very hot and the line for the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the falls was very long. Perhaps a two hour wait. We had already walked over to the falls and back on the trails. A quick consensus was that air conditioning and beer trumped the falls. We headed for the Hard Rock Cafe and had a good lunch. After lunch we took the grandkids swimming in the pool at the Sheraton. That evening we picked up pizzas and took over a section in the hotel lobby with a big screen TV, six high back chairs and a table. It was a great place to watch the Olympics.

On Sunday morning we were in line for the Maid of the Mist by 10:00 am. The best thing about the line was there was no line. We bought tickets and walked right onto the boat. Everyone gets a rain poncho. They even have baby sizes. It was a good adventure as the boat goes into the mist from the falls and everyone gets soaked. I explained to the grandchildren that boating isn’t always this wet and windy, sometimes it is much worse.

Priscilla, John, Jackson, Alison, Oscar, JP, Eleanor and Rachel.

The Maid of the Mist.

Niagara Falls

Monday morning I returned the rental car and made one last trip to the Mariposa bakery. We could not leave Orillia without stocking up on corn muffins and butter tarts.

Orillia is the hometown of singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. They are so proud they named a alley after him.

We were underway at 10:00 am and headed north on Couchining Lake. We passed two swing bridges and locked down 22′ then locked down 45′. The lock #43 is the tallest standard lock on the Trent.

The scenery along the river continues to be stunning with granite rocks close by us. This is vacation home country for people from Toronto and the rivers are lined with summer homes and boat docks.

Bonus photo

We arrived at the Big Chute Marina at 3:00 pm and plugged in. We have a front row seat next to the Big Chute Marine Railway. We will will transit the Big Chute on Tuesday.

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote of the day.

“Never go into strange places on a falling tide without a pilot.”

Thomas Gibson Bowles

Thomas Gibson “Tommy” Bowles (15 January 1841 – 12 January 1922) was the founder of the magazines The Lady and the English Vanity Fair, a sailor and the maternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters.