Toronto - Lakeshore City

I returned yesterday from a trip to Toronto, where I visited my Mom for 2 weeks. The trip was awesome, and I saw more than I expected to see. Toronto is a pretty cool city. I didn't realize that it was right on Lake Ontario and that water is a big part of the culture there. I actually felt like I was in Vancouver at times, with the boats and the huge mass of water reaching out to the horizon.

For the first few days, Mom and I hung out, and she showed me around Mississauga and Brampton. I got to see the house that they bought, which is beautiful! It is the nicest house on the block, half siding, half brick, and full of character. I am excited to go an visit once they are moved in. In the next couple of days we also went to Ontario place, Port Credit, and I went to my cousin Katy's wine shower for her upcoming wedding.

On Monday, July 18, Mom and I went to Niagra falls. It was amazing to see how massive the waterfalls were. The weather was really hot then, too, so having the mist fill the air was quite refreshing and great. We went down into the tunnels beside the falls and got drenched, which was a great relief from the heat. We also read about a child who accidentally went over the falls years ago and lived to tell about it. Amazing! Apparently the falls are not even at full force becuase there is a dam for electricity. You can't help but marvel at the power behind that when you are there.

Wednesday was the day that Mom's friend, Michelle, arrived in Toronto. Jim treated us to an awesome dinner at a Chinese restaurant called Mandarin. They had the craziest buffet I have ever seen and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very unique too.

Thursday was the day that the "extreme touring" began. We ventured into Toronto knowing that the tempurature would reach 50 C with the humidex. Our day started with a ferry ride out to Toronto Island (who knew, there is an island!). Thank goodness for Jack, the GPS, and Mom's brave driving. I'm 99% sure I would've crashed into one of those crazy GTA drivers if it was me in the driver's seat. We got to the island safely, though, and it was beautiful! We walked through the trees, and played in the splash park before catching the ferry back to the mainland.

Once there, we made our way over to the Distillery District. Apparently, back in the 1860's, Toronto was the biggest liquor producer in North America. Anyone who knows me would know that I am not a fan of liquor, but the history behind it is pretty interesting. The buildings were full of that history, old and awesome. It was cool to walk through them and imagine what it would've been like.

From there, we made our way to the St. Lawrence Market. The Market was full of interesting sights, sounds, and of course, tastes. We wondered around, had some fresh fruit and checked out some souvenirs. The market was a huge farmer's market and I can only imagine what it would be like on a Saturday when there are even more vendors.

After the St. Lawrence market, we ventured towards the Hard Rock cafe. Once there, we accidentally found our way into the huge underground mall. It was neat to go further and further down and to discover that we had found the mall!

We returned home and got ready for our trip to New York. It wasn't until we got back, 4 days later, that we continued to explore Toronto.

Our second Toronto day started with a trip to the CN Tower. The place was bustling with activity and it seemed like there was a lineup for everything, but it was for good reason. The Tower is one of those things that you need to see. It is truly huge and the view from the top is outstanding. Even at the top of the huge tower, you could barely see the other shore of the huge Lake Ontario.

From the CN Tower, we met with my cousin Katy, who lives in Toronto and became our tour guide for the rest of the day. We headed to Casa Loma. It is a huge, old castle in a neighbourhood called the Annex. The castle was really interesting and beautiful and I wondered why I hadn't heard of it before. It is definately a must-see.  With 4 stories of rooms filled with old furniture and artifacts, underground tunnels to stables, and huge gardens to explore, we could've spent the whole day there.

Lastly, Katy took us down to Kensington market. I thought that the market was really cool, filled with hippies (druggies) and full of interesting little shops, fruit stands, and eclectic clothing. The market is what I would describe as 3rd-worldish and would definately appeal more to a younger crowd. It was interesting to check it out, though.

That sums up our Toronto adventures. In only a few days we saw so much, and yet there was still so much more to be seen. The extreme heat wave passing through the area made the trip less ideal, but I would definately recommend checking out Toronto. :)