It's been almost two months since we were in Canada, but Toronto is too spectacular to not post about. I'll go ahead and tell you now that this trip was so short that we were barely in the city for 24 hours. {18 hours is my best guess.}
So, it was a brief spectacular.
Toronto is about 5 hours from Pittsburgh {give or take a half an hour for border clearances}, and you get to travel through Erie and Buffalo on the way. If you haven't seen either of these cities, this should make the drive interesting for you. Erie's Peninsula Drive and Presque Isle are quick stops that will prepare your eyes for all the lovely water you'll be spending time next to for much of the drive.
Being that this was my first time out of the US, I didn't know what to expect with customs/border crossing. The car lines were a bit odd, as there were no clear diving lines for lanes, and everything curved before getting to the final slots to pass through. A lot of cutsies were going on.
A quick glance at the passport, and you're through. Once you're in CAN, you'll be able to change some dollars for Canadian currency - AND, be aware of the transaction fees with your debit and credit cards once you're there - give your bank a call before you plan your trip.
Traffic coming into Toronto can be a bit annoying - keep your music upbeat or audio book blasting. Husband and I listened to Serena by Ron Rash {excellent book if you've the time to read it}, and the drama kept us from thinking about the packed parkway {QEW - Queen Elizabeth Way}.
We checked into our hotel {Hyatt Regency in between the Fashion District and the Financial District} and headed to the rooftop pool for a bit. We then got ready for the evening and went to dinner at Canyon Creek Chophouse. The food was good, but the lighting was bad for photos. And, we didn't want to be THOSE PEOPLE who used flash to take photos of said food. The only photo that somewhat came out was of the most mundane dish: lemony calamari.
After eating way too much {this is vacation, y'all}, we headed to Air Canada for the unmentioned-until-Husband-approves concert. Canada does not hold back on their arenas. Air Canada was polished, roomy, and I'd imagine a great place to watch a hockey game. However, we were here for a concert.
A BEYONCE CONCERT.
Yes, I convinced my Husband of almost five years to take me to a diva concert. How? By convincing him it was an anniversary present, and would take the place of our usual big trip {we'd done New England, NYC, and Chicago}. My Husband is cost-conscious, so he took the bait.
When the lights when down, the stadium was packed. Queen B had artful videos to show us before the main event, including a few women empowerment compilations. I love her.
Husband was so good throughout the concert, letting me sing songs to him and take selfies.
Lots of them.
The show lasted almost 3 hours, with lots of outfit changes. I would expect no less from Beyonce.
We avoided the traffic jam leaving the concert and walk-danced the two blocks back to the hotel. It was a perfect set up.
The next day, we checked out of the hotel and headed for brunch at Cora. The restaurant is a breakfast, brunch and lunch place that has locations all over Canada. We wanted something easy and quick before leaving town, and this was it.
For this American, it's a bit like IHOP, but far more polished. Almost everything on the menu comes with a HUGE portion of fresh cut fruit. They even cut the grapes in half.
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We left Toronto shortly afterwards, thinking we'd come back soon for a longer stay.
I've even started a list.
On my list for our next trip to Toronto:
Art Gallery of Ontario {Especially for the David Bowie special exhibit}
Kensington and St. Lawrence markets
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This week at work has been a LONG one. I'm looking forward to this weekend of catching up on school work, finishing at least one book, taking a bike ride or two and seeing Husband for more than just a few hours at a time. Viva la weekend!
Ah, I've never been to Toronto, but it looks lovely! And I should go, too, since it's not too far away.
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