NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — At 105 years old, Emily Bula could’ve chosen to celebrate her birthday with cake and candles, but she had a different idea in mind.
The Western New York native marked the extraordinary milestone with a bucket-list adventure aboard the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls.
“They asked me, ‘What would I like to do?’ And this is what I wanted to do,” Bula said. “It’s beautiful.”
WATCH: WNY native celebrates 105th birthday by fulfilling lifelong dream to ride the Maid of the Mist
Although she has lived in Buffalo most of her life, Bula had never taken the iconic boat ride. That changed this week, just one day before her birthday, with the help of her family—including her niece Staci Mercurio-Johns, who flew in from Houston.
“It’s a blessing,” Mercurio-Johns said. “We’ve been planning this for months. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Bula sat proudly at the front of the boat, poncho on, mist in her face and joy written all over it.
“She was right on the bow of the Maid,” said Kevin Keenan, a spokesperson for the boat tour. “To see that joy in anybody’s face, let alone someone who’s 105 years old, is really fulfilling.”
For Bula, the ride was everything she hoped for and then some.
“Oh, very wet,” she laughed. “I really enjoyed it very much.”
Her family said the experience was unforgettable, a fitting tribute to a woman who proves it’s never too late to chase a dream.
