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FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012:
Very early Friday morning it was a quick 59 minute flight to
Toronto on Air Canada's commuter airline, Jazz.
By 10:00AM I was all settled in at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Toronto
which is pictured below between Roy Thomson Hall and the CN Tower.
All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.
The first thing I did was walk across the street and go up the CN Tower.
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower standing 1815 feet tall.
When completed in 1976 it was the world's tallest free-standing structure.
It held the record for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Left to right below: The CN Tower, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel taken from the CN Tower
and the Toronto financial district also taken from the CN Tower
In the middle picture below is the Toronto City Hall behind the Sheraton Hotel.
The main observation deck is 1,135 feet above the streets of Toronto.
The "Sky Pod" is 1,465 feet high and it can be seen below on the right.
After leaving the tower I had some lunch and then walked over to the Toronto City Airport.
You can see the airport in the picture above on the left.
From here I took a short helicopter flight around downtown Toronto.
I only took the video camera on the flight. In the email below are
some screen grabs from that video. Pictured below is me before the flight.
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Hello Folks, I am taking a very short trip to Canada. I am spending my first night in Toronto. It was a quick 59 minute flight from Indianapolis this morning to get here. The first thing I did after picking up my rental car was drive into town and check into the Ritz Carlton Hotel. After getting settled I walked across the street and went up the CN Tower. Below is a picture of the Ritz Carlton Hotel from the top of the tower. It's the tall building in the center of the photo. Below is the Toronto skyline from the top of the tower. There is also a glass floor where you can look straight down to the ground. The pictures above were taken from the main observation deck at 1136 feet above the ground. I then went up a little further to the "Skypod" which is 1465 feet up. You get a nice view from up there, but the way the windows are partitioned and angeled, it's impossible to take pictures, but I tried. While at the tower I also rode a motion simulator thing of the Amazon. It wasn't worth crap. I had some lunch next and then walked over to the Toronto City Airport. It was a nice walk along the harbor. You have to take a ferry to get to the airport which is on an island in Lake Ontario. It is probably the world's shortest ferry crossing. The picture below shows the airport from the top of the CN Tower. From here I took a short helicopter flight around Toronto. The pictures below were taken from the flight. Camera bags weren't allowed on the chopper so I only took my camcorder. So the pictures below are screen grabs.  It was a very small chopper.  The flight only lasted about seven minutes but we got some really nice views of downtown.  We flew right in front of the CN Tower, you could almost reach out and touch it.  It was a very nice day here in Toronto. I got a nice view of the Toronto skyline from the airport as I was walking back to the ferry. I am pooped. It was about a 45 minute walk each way to the airport and I only got about four hours sleep last night. I'll write more tomorrow. Tim |
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012:
Saturday morning I took a walk around downtown Toronto.
I walked past both the old and new City Halls.
I walked through the canyon of skyscrapers in the financial district.
After my walk I returned to the hotel for breakfast and then checked out.
I drove past the Ontario Parliament Building before leaving town.
Traffic was very heavy on the QEW all the way to Niagara Falls after leaving Toronto.
I checked into my hotel overlooking the falls after arrival and then took a walk along the Niagara Parkway.
I first walked by the American and Bridal Veil Falls.
There were a lot of people in town since it was a weekend in summertime.
My walk continued in front of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
I stayed at the Marriott Niagara Fallsview Hotel just above the Canadian Falls.
I took the incline railway back to the hotel after my walk.
My hotel room had a very nice view of the falls.
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Hello folks, I left Toronto around noon. Before I left I took a walk around downtown Saturday morning. Below is the old city hall. And below is the new city hall. Dan and Kevin were here just a couple weeks ago. Below is where they stayed. It's the Sheraton Hotel across from city hall. It was a beautiful day on Saturday. Below are the tall buildings in the heart of the downtown financial center. After my walk I went back to the hotel and had breakfast and then checked out. On my way out of town I passed the Ontario Parliament Building. Next I drove straight to Niagara Falls. It seemed to take forever. It is only about 80 miles but the freeway, the QEW, was bumper-to-bumper traffic the whole way. When I finally got here I checked into the Marriott Fallsview Hotel. It is built around what used to be the Minolta Tower. It is now the Tower Hotel. I have a nice view of the falls from my room. This place has changed a lot since I was here many years ago. It has casinos now like every place else in the world. I stopped in here for a very short while later in the day.  I took a nice long walk along the falls. Below are the American Falls. It was very crowded here today. Not unusual I suppose for a nice day on the weekend in summertime. In the picture below you can see the bridge to the United States. Below are the Canadian Falls. You can see the Maid of the Mist boat there in the center. Going to be here for four nights and fly home on Wednesday. Tim |
SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012:
On Saturday I crossed the Rainbow Bridge into New York state.
I spent the morning on Goat Island. Goat Island is a small island in the Niagara River,
located in the middle of Niagara Falls between the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls.
Terrapin Point is on the northwestern corner of Goat Island, next to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Terrapin Point provides nice views from the very top of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
The other side of the island looks over the Bridal Veil and American Falls.
Luna Island is the small island between Bridal Veil Falls and the American Falls.
Looking straight down from Luna Island you can see the Cave of the Winds Trip.
The Cave of the Winds trip takes you closer to the waters of Niagara Falls than you would think possible.
An elevator takes you 175 feet deep into the Niagara Gorge. Then, clad in bright yellow ponchos
and wearing special footwear provided, you follow a series of wooden walkways beneath the falls.
Of the many Niagara Falls attractions, I think this would have to be my favorite.
Being just a few feet from the base of the thundering falls is an incredible experience.
On the Hurricane Deck you are a mere 20 feet from the billowing torrents of Bridal Veil Falls.
The rushing waters loom above you, dousing you with a generous spray
as you face the thundering Falls head-on.
Before leaving Goat Island I took a small walk onto the Three Sisters Islands.
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Howdy Folks, This morning I visited the United States of America. I crossed the Rainbow Bridge into the U.S. and visited Goat Island. Which is an island in the middle of the Niagara River between the American and Canadian Falls. Below is Terrapin Point which overlooks Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Falls). Then the other side of the island overlooks the American Falls. Also from Goat Island is the Cave of the Winds trip. You take an elevator down 175 feet through solid rock to the base of the American Falls. You get a bit wet down here. But I managed to stay relatively dry by skipping the Hurricane Platform. I probably would have ventured up there if I wasn't carrying two expensive cameras. The last thing I did was walk out to Three Sisters Islands. Three little islands in the Niagara River linked together by walking bridges. Below is a picture of the hotel area where I am staying from one of the bridges. It was early afternoon when I finished with Goat Island. At this point it clouded over and the forecast called for afternoon storms, so I headed back to the hotel. Weather is supposed to be nice here on Monday & Tuesday. Crossing back into Canada took forever. The line to go through customs was backed up across the entire length of the bridge. The fireworks that I thought were on Friday & Saturday nights were really Friday & Sunday, so I was able to see them tonight. The pictures below are screen grabs. The first is the American Falls at night.  And the last picture of the day is of the fireworks.  That's all for today, Tim |
MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012:
It was a nice day on Monday, but kind of windy and cool.
I began my day with a visit to Journey Behind the Falls.
At Journey Behind the Falls, I experienced the awesome spectacle of one-fifth of the
world�s fresh water crashing down beside me to the basin below. During summer daylight
hours, over 2,800 cubic meters of water thunders over the brink every second,
travelling 65 kilometers per hour!
The Skylon Tower is an observation tower that overlooks both the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls
from the Canadian side of the Niagara River. The tower is 520 feet high.
It wasn't very pleasant on top.
It was cool to begin with and the wind up there was blowing at gale force.
Monday afternoon I visited the Niagara Park's floral clock and
Butterfly Conservatory which are located just north of the city.
Late Monday afternoon I rode the world famous Maid of the Mist boat.
We sailed in front of the American falls and then on into the belly of
the beast, below the thunderous Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Friday evening I visited the Fallsview casino and won a little money.
I had dinner at the casino's Grand Buffet before returning to my hotel down the street.
I snapped some nice pictures of the falls from my hotel window Monday evening.
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Hello again folks, Quite a difference in the amount of people in town today compared to the last two over the weekend. The weather was nice but a little windy and kind of cool. The first thing I did this morning was "Journey Behind the Falls." You go down in an elevator and walk through a tunnel behind the Canadian Falls. They have lookouts where you can see the water coming down. Not much to see in a picture but a wall of white. We did get a nice view of the Canadian Falls from a platform just beside the falls. You can really feel the force of the water coming down here. You also got a nice view looking up the gorge from here as well. Next I went to the top of the Skylon Tower. Boy was it windy up there. The wind was blowing so hard you could almost remain standing. Below is the American Falls from on top. It's a wonder these pictures came out clear. Not easy holding the camera still in gale-force winds. Below is the older resort area, Clifton Hill. You can also see Rainbow Bridge. And below is the Canadian Falls from the top of the tower. On the way to my next stop I passed a floral clock, so I stopped to take a picture. I can't remember what the next place I went was called. It was a butterfly conservatory. It was really quite beautiful. I saved the most fun thing for last, the Maid of the Mist boat trip. We first passed the American Falls.  Then next it was into the belly of the beast, the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. You really get wet here.    When we got to the really wet part I had to put the camera away. I doubt it would have survived. Below is a picture of the boat from on shore. This evening I went back to the casino. It was so crowded in there over the weekend I didn't stay long. It was a lot more pleasant today and I even won almost $100. After I finished gambling I had dinner at the casino's Grand Buffet and then came back to the hotel. Below is a picture of the casino from the Skylon Tower.  I snapped the picture below a few minutes ago from my room window. The sun set a few minutes ago. Tomorrow morning I am going to finish up things here in Niagara Falls and then drive up the Niagara Parkway and along Lake Ontario. I will find a hotel near the Toronto Airport tomorrow night and fly home on Wednesday. Tim |
TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012:
Tuesday morning I checked out of my hotel and headed out of town.
Before getting out of town I stopped at the Whitewater Walk along the Niagara Rapids.
Also before leaving town I took a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls.
The video below is my complete Niagara Falls video.
It includes all the individual videos above and much more.
I drove north on the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-on-the-Lake after leaving the falls.
This beautiful town is about 20 miles north of the falls on Lake Ontario.
This is one of the prettiest little towns I have ever been in.
Below is Lake Ontario from Niagra-on-the-Lake.
It was about a 60 mile drive to Milton, Ontario after leaving Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I spent the final night of my short trip here because it would be a quick drive to the
airport in the morning and it was much cheaper than spending another night at the falls.
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Hello folks, I finished up things in Niagara Falls this morning. The first thing I did was visit the Whitewater Walk. I went down in an elevator into the Niagara gorge and walked along the boardwalk next to the Niagara Rapids. They are class 6 rapids, the strongest there is. Across the street from the rapids is the heliport. So you know I couldn't pass that by. The first thing we flew over were the Whirlpool Rapids. This is very near where I was walking above. The next seven pictures are all screen grabs from my video from the helicopter flight.  The next picture is looking up the Niagara River toward the falls and town.  Below is the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and that is my hotel on the extreme right.  Below you can see both the American and Canadian Falls with Goat Island in the middle.  Below we are on top of the Canadian Falls looking up the Niagara River.  Below is a nice picture of Goat Island from behind the falls.  The last helicopter picture is the American Falls and Rainbow Bridge.  After the helicopter ride I drove up the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-On-The-Lake. This is one of the prettiest little towns I have ever been in. It was another beautiful day today. A nice day for a walk in this picturesque town. Below is the Prince of Wales Hotel built in 1864.  The streets are lined with shops, restaurants and old historic hotels.  The town also sits on Lake Ontario. It was a nice clear day. I could see Toronto on the other side. After leaving Niagara-On-The-Lake I drove to Milton, Ontario. It is just outside Toronto off 401. It will be a quick 20 mile drive to the airport in the morning from here, and a lot cheaper than paying for another night in Niagara Falls. I am going to try to sneak in a short trip to Chicago sometime this summer. My next major trip will be Europe this November. Tim |
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