NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Meghan Strassburg might have the coolest job in all of Western New York as a crew member on the Maid of the Mist Boat Tours in her hometown of Niagara Falls.
For her, it's a family tradition as her grandfather, brother, cousins and other family members have all worked for the Maid of the Mist.
"It's awesome on a summer day because I'm able to go right in the middle of the horseshoe, and get blasted with cool water," said Strassburg who takes the trip to the falls and back 23 times per day.
"I say to myself, I'm never going to find another job like this where I come in contact with thousands of people from all over the world," explained Strassburg. "We're able to bring them on this amazing ride and watch them enjoy themselves...It's amazing, best job ever!"
The Maid of the Mist welcomes more than one million people each year. In the peak season of summer, thousands of people ride the boats each day.
On Wednesday Strassburg took 7 News' Michael Schwartz through her routine aboard the Maid of the Mist. It includes checking on the hundreds of passengers on each trip, docking the boat, and connecting two electric chargers to the boat once docked.
The Maid of the Mists has two vessels. They take seven minutes to charge, as the crew is on a precise schedule. In 2020 the company became the first all-electric zero-emission tour boat in North America.
Schwartz also went into the captain's wheelhouse to see how the crew navigates the powerful and precise ship. The captain told Schwartz that every day is different, due to the power of the Niagara River and winds that provide for dense mist clouds.
It's through the mist where passengers get soaked standing on the bow of the boat, which is less than 1,000 feet from the falls.
"We're able to bring them on this amazing ride, and watch them enjoy themselves," said Strassburg.
