Toronto, the CN Tower

After a fairly good nights sleep Sarah and I were awake by 6ish and the boys around 7.  We weren't in a great hurry as we knew the CN Tower didn't open til 10.  So, after getting up and sorted we took our cases down to the car that we had parked in the hotels underground car park and walked round the corner to St George's metro station.  We purchased tokens for Keith and I, Sarah and Stephen had reduced student prices.  The metro was fairly simple to use, basically one line north/south in a u shape, crossed by an East/West line.

We got of the metro at Union Street and got our first proper look at the Tower.  The weather this morning was hot and sunny but with a slight cooling breeze.

We found signs to a food court and followed the arrows to an underground central area surrounded by a dozen food outlets, most of which were open selling breakfast.  After a quick browse we decided on Tim Hortons, of which there are many in and around Toronto and on to Buffalo!  We had breakfast wraps and baps, similar to maccy d's.  A major bonus was they served hot tea and it was just like a proper English cup of Tea!

Now ready to start our day we headed past glass panelled skyscrapers for the entrance of the CN Tower.  There wasn't much queue and we were soon headed for the elevators which sped smoothly up to the observation deck.  The glass elevator panels gave us a view of the North of the city as we rose, but it still takes your breath away as you step out to the observation deck and Toronto and its surrounding countryside is stretched out all around you.  We admired the views from here for a while before heading to the lower deck to see the glass floor.  Only Keith and I were brave enough to stand on it.  The view down was quite unnerving.  We walked around the outside viewing platform before leaving Stephen with some WiFi access while the rest of us headed into another lift to the Skypod, some 447m (1,467ft), 147 floors above ground.  Being so far above all the skyscrapers we had seen before and looking down on the, was amazing.  We could also see a group doing the rim walk below us off the main observation deck. Truly spectacular!

 

We met up with Stephen and had a last look at the views before returning to ground level and browsing get the Tower gift shop.   Glad we went in early as there were now queues for the elevators  and also for the ticket office.

We wandered down to the water front area and enjoyed the lovely weather and scenery.  Gorgeous views across to the islands and the turn around to the skyscrapers and glass of the city.  

With the temperature rising and guessing what the traffic might be like leaving the city, we decided not to do the city bus tour and head back to the hotel to get the car on the metro.  Sarah and Stephen had a couple of hot dogs from a street cart, and we stopped at a local grocery store across from the hotel to grab some snacks and drinks for the journey.

The sat nav took us straight back through the city where we had just come from, to union station,  before heading West which was where we found all the traffic.  I would say that most of Toronto was trying get to leave the city, but the other side getting into it was no better.  After a stop/start journey, passing loads of vineyards we eventually made it to the Peace Bridge crossing, south of Niagara.   Was pleased I had read up in the border crossing beforehand otherwise I'd have been worried.  All the other cars were stopping for a few mins then wave through, we stopped, we're asked some questions, then our passports were put in a bag/wallet and we were told we needed our passports stamped, to put on our hazard flashers.  The officer radioed a colleague and told him to look for our car, then told us to proceed towards the building on the right.  We parked up and we're instructed to door 2.  Inside was a waiting room with a few other groups waiting to be called to the desks for processing.   It didn’t take too long, approx 15 mins, before we were called, asked more questions, fingerprinted, photographed and charged $6 each for the privilege!  Why do you always feel like a criminal even when you know it's all normal procedure!

There were toilets there so Stephen and I had a quick stop but security was unimpressed when I paused to wait for him and were equally unimpressed with Sarah and Keith loitering by the car waiting for us.  If doing this again I would suggest just getting out and finding some toilets elsewhere! ;)


Back on the road, it took only about 10 mins to find our hotel, the Oak Tree Inn.  We took some time to relax before heading out to Walmart, finding a polystyrene cool back, and stocking up on drinks and snacks.  

Having discussed dinner, the choice was Longhorn or Cheesecake Factory.  As research showed this was probably the only Cheesecake Factory on our planned journey, CF won!  It was in a mall about 5 mins from our hotel.  As with a lot of American malls, the car park surrounds the mall.  Sods law says we eventually parked at the complete opposite end to CF.  We resisted the urge to stop at the shops and signed in at the desk and got a pager, 15 minute wait was not a problem.  

We started with a shared appetiser of buffalo blasts, then Stephen had BBQ burger, Sarah had spicy crispy chicken sandwich, Keith had chicken and shrimp jambo, and I had Jamaican blackened shrimp.  Completely stuffed, Sarah was the only one to order a cheesecake to go - chocolate chips cookie dough cheesecake with walnuts!  We might have to stop for cheesecake on our way back through to Niagara at the end of the week!