We're back
We had a nice (albeit quick) trip to Toronto after the holiday to get away and unwind.Important safety tip: If you go up on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), don't expect many stores or restaurants to be open.
It was raining on the way up to Toronto. Very windy and cold the first night. (This added to the experience as we scampered around town trying to find a place to eat.) We walked to the CN Tower. It was overcast so no need to spend money to go to the top of a very high building to NOT see anything. We couldn't even go there to eat since that restaurant was closed. OK. What's the next plan?
"Someone told me about a brewery or brew pub near the CN Tower. Let's try to find it. Brew Pubs usually have good food."
Yes. Brew Pubs usually do have good food BUT brewery's don't serve food. The Steam Whistle Brewery gave us samples and was willing to give us a tour BUT they do not serve food. So we asked the guy working the counter if he knew of a place that might be open for dinner. He thought about it a moment and made a call to his favorite Thai restaurant. We were in luck they were open AND walking distance from the brewery. We thanked him and took our leave. Nice warm filling Thai food made us feel better. (I need to learn how to make Lemongrass soup.)
Cool Toronto fact: A lot of the buildings in downtown Toronto are linked via tunnels so you don't need to be out in the cold OR drive from one place to another. We discovered these tunnels our first night there. (We like to walk when we're in a new city. We think you see more and get a better feel for the place.) We wanted an alternative to being out in the cold on the way back from dinner. HC said "There's a PATH sign over there. I saw one in our hotel. Let's see what's up with that." And sure enough with a bit of navigation we got from the CN Tower back to our hotel without having to be out in the cold. To clarify, when I say tunnel I don't mean a hole in the ground or a cement lined corridor. These were fancy tunnels with all kinds of stores, banks, restaurants, snack shops, etc.. Full amenities. No indication you were underground except for the lack of windows. This was a brilliant idea. It's usually cold & crappy up here for so many months out of the year it makes sense to make it easy for people to get around AND to get their chores and errands run. I'd love something like this in Pittsburgh.
Using the tunnels to get around became our little game the whole time were were in Toronto. We thought it was the coolest. (We don't get out much)
The next day we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), the Distillery area, and the Eaton Centre. The Distillery area is an old industrial area that is being renovated with art galleries, shops, artist spaces, restaurants, and lofts. It reminded me of the Strip District or the South Side before they tore a lot of the old buildings down. Very cool area. (I want to go back to see how this area develops.) The Eaton Centre was for retail therapy. The weather this day was warm relatively speaking. It's been unseasonably warm in Toronto too!
We stopped on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls on the way home. Grabbed a bite to eat. Went to the Niagara Falls Aviary. Their main room is made to look like a rain forest in Thailand complete with temple ruins you can walk through. Very cool. Afterwards, we walked around and looked at the falls.
And since we were in the neighborhood.... we stopped at Prime Wines and restocked the wine cellar.
Yesterday was a L-O-N-G day. But it was fun.
posted by ChowderHead @ 12/29/2006 10:24:00 AM
3 Comments:
Yeah! You're back! I'm glad you had a good time and got to see the sights! Eaton Centre sounds familiar to me. I was in Toronto over a decade ago and if memory serves me right, I know where you're talking about.
Bummer about the CN Tower. Hopefully next time you'll have better weather!
Michelle: Yep. We're back. It was a good time. Cold weather on the first day & all. Toronto is such a cool city. We will definitely go back!
Eaton Centre is the humungous mall. 3 stories worth of retail + office space & residences. It's connected to the PATH & subway & other buildings.
That's the Eaton Centre I know! I would love to go back some day.
When I was there last, I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages theatre. Amazing! I remember my girlfriend and I walked the city late at night. This was when you didn't have to worry too much about the crazy stuff out there. Ah, those were the days!
Post a Comment
<< Home