I wonder if I can trick myself into thinking it’s still summer, if I go back a month to my Toronto trip. Worth a try, although it’s hard to be fooled after standing in the rain on the weekend watching my son’s first rugby game of the season. The original reason for going to Toronto was to attend a wedding and to visit family, but there was a lot of touristy stuff thrown in too, since my younger son didn’t grow up “back East” like the rest of us.
Rib Fest
The trip started out really hot and sunny, so we began the weekend with a swim in the pool and ended it with a trip to Rib Fest to try out the corn bread, blooming onion, fries and of course the ribs. It’s a competition between BBQ places from all over, so you know you’ll get something tasty. The crowds were a bit too much for me, so we took all our goodies back to my sister’s house.
CN Tower
No trip to Toronto is complete without a trip to the CN Tower, which for three decades after opening in 1975 was the world’s tallest free-standing structure at 1,815 feet, 5 inches. It’s still the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, according to the official website. We took the glass-paneled high-speed (15 mph) elevator up to the indoor lookout at 1,136 feet (346 m). It was a cloudy, windy day, but it made for a pretty cool misty picture.
We walked down the stairs one level to the outdoor lookout (fenced-in of course) and looked down through the glass floor. It’s such a long way down that I really couldn’t bear to put my full weight on it! I could only reach out with one foot and had to leave the other on solid ground — such a chicken!
Finally, we went to the Sky Pod, which is at 1,465 ft (447 m). My son would have loved to have done the Edge Walk (picture from the CN Tower website), but the wind was too strong. (So glad my daredevil couldn’t go out there.)
Niagara Falls
We did a quick day trip to Niagara Falls (Canadian side), which should have been a drive of about an hour and a half, but took a bit longer because of road work. Still, it was a nice enough road trip in good company and well worth it to see the Falls again.
My son’s must-do was the Voyage to the Falls Boat Tour, which is by far the best experience there. (The Journey behind the Falls is okay, I guess, but you’re separated from anything too exciting by wire fences — humbug on safety!)
My sister and I thought we wouldn’t get too wet and so we were standing right at the rail when we came closest to the Falls. Apparently, we misjudged! My hair was dripping as much as it had been after my morning shower! The water came at us so fast that I couldn’t even get the plastic hood of the rain poncho up in time. It was a lot of fun, though.
Medieval Times
What could be better than attending a feast in the queen’s castle and cheering on your knight in a jousting competition? It’s quite a show and the food is good too — no utensils of course!
We were greeted by a man who reminded me a bit of Sir Guy of Gisborne, if just a bit deficient in the leather department. (The lighting wasn’t great, so neither are the pictures, but you get the idea.)
We were in the Black Knight’s section (second knight from the right), cheering and waving our banners.
One of them looked a little like Thor. But I have to be loyal to my knight, since he did throw me a pink rose!
When the meal and the show were over, my son and I went outside to walk to the train station. Immediately, it started pouring rain and I was wetter than I had been on the boat at the Falls! This was the day after the flash floods in downtown Toronto, when there was an amazing last-minute rescue of two men stuck in a flooding elevator. They had only a foot of air left when the police got them out! Luckily, we only had to deal with wet clothes.
Wedding Weekend
The weather for the wedding turned out well, and we enjoyed the pub fare at the venue before the ceremony started.
On the Sunday, we visited my husband’s family before heading home on the Monday to recover from all the activity. Somehow I was thinking of the song below, needing “home for a rest”. (Rest assured, though, that I definitely was not “sick from the drink” nor “drunk since I left”!)
I'm Feeling This 
I have fond memories of visiting Toronto many years ago and Niagara Falls a few less many years ago. Sounds like you have a lovely trip!
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It was fun, if busy. And of course it was great to visit with the family.
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The CN Tower pic is terrific even better than Richard’s eerie IG pic from a few weeks ago that he took looking upward. Yours is a lot more polished and monumental. I like the pic looking down (who’s head is that in the pic?) where the sharks swimming are visible. I’ve been on that boat on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls too and got soaking wet when I went to Toronto in 2009. The dude in the Medieval Times pic does look a little like Sir Guy!! Congrats on the pink rose!!!
The trip looks and sounds like you guys had a wonderful time except maybe the rain.
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Thank you! I’ve never been much of a picture-taker, but now that I’m blogging, I’ve got my phone at the ready all the time.
There’s a head in the picture through the glass floor? I see my foot… where’s the head?
Niagara Falls is fun. I thought my son would want to do the zip line, but once we’d done the boat, he was satisfied with the experience.
Medieval Times is a blast. It was just me and my son, so I splurged and got us seats right in the front row… hence the rose. I kept hoping that Sir Guy himself would ride in!
We did have a good time and we managed to squeeze a lot of activities in.
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Oh Sue you are an awesome pic taker, Richard could definitely take some lessons from you. You have a great eye for clarity and vividness. That is pretty darn close to Sir Guy look alike there. And the boat jaunt pic is fantastic, I would probably lose my phone overboard trying to snap pics while waves came and soaked me.
The head is a foot so my mistake, I thought it was maybe your son’s head gazing down and you snapped the pic next to him. The one pic next to the sharks pic looks straight out of BS1 episode 10 when Daniel is up at the Television tower looking for the thing a ma jig that Hector had hidden there. I love Toronto-it reminds me of NYC and San Francisco rolled into one metropolitan city..
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Thank you! I try. I keep thinking I’ll have to upgrade my phone one of these days to get the better camera. I did almost lose my phone out the passenger-side car window a year or so ago, trying to get good pics!
That foot on the glass is all I could make myself do! My son was braver and put his full weight on it. I went to NYC a couple of years ago for the first time and enjoyed it a lot. I’ve never been to San Francisco. Vancouver has some of the hilliness of SF though.
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Yeah I hold onto my phone for a long time. I got a Iphone 6S about 2 years ago which I didn’t know was uber expensive bec I was focused on my monthly bill amount so I will wait until it goes kaput before I get another one. I barely know what this one does and I use it primarily for convenience looking stuff up, checking emails, phone numbers and addresses. My photography sucks usually grainy, shaky or my thumb becomes part of the pic.
Your son is a brave guy!! I have a fear of heights so that far up looking down I would be shaking the whole time..
I really want to try to make Vancouver happen next Spring in April probably. Still waiting to see how my parents are doing and finances but I’m researching and loving what I see!!
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I’m in the same position with a 6s as well. But I use it for everything. It’s camera is okay, but the newer models have a better one. Yeah, my son would really have liked to do the outdoor walk, where they attach you by a cable! It was too expensive and too windy that day, but I don’t think I could have let him do it anyway. If you do come to Vancouver, let me know.
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For sure I would love to meet you! I’m really hoping to go in early April. My sis has kabboshed going w/me bec her Spring Break is early March. I’ve started making a list of things to see and do. Now to find a decent airfare. I started looking for Xmas in Texas visiting my parents and holy moly the fares are like going to freakin Europe. Then I read yesterday that United is changing its boarding system because of the hoarding people do at the gate. Well if the ground folks would do their job and instruct everyone to sit and wait their turn things would go smoother. I fly United primarily to San Antonio bec it is nonstop and by and by cheaper than Southwest or American. Geez…
I would not have pardon the expression balls to walk out there attached to a cable. I would pass out for sure. Speaking of balls did you get to Dracula yet with Greg Wise?
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Oh too bad your sister can’t do the trip with you. You know, it’s hard to say what they weather will be like in April. For the last two years there has been mega-rainfall in April. But then in 2016, there was hardly any. Vancouver does tend to rain, so you’re always better to dress in layers and have rain gear.
I finished Frankenstein, but I haven’t listened to Dracula yet. Right now I’m listening to a Jane Austen book. I’ll do some reviews after a while.
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Great advice!! My Belstaff jacket came yesterday so I think it is waterproof so will be
perfect for that type of weather. I actually don’t mind some rain and cooler weather w layers is my kind of weather!!👍👏
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So the jacket fits and you like it? I’m always afraid to buy clothes without trying them on.
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Yes thank goodness the jacket fits and it is an XL which I thought stupidly would swim on me but no American hips seem to be wider than British women hips. Yeah I really love it. Its not heavy but it is a dead ringer for Lucas’ jacket which I can totally see why Richard ended up purchasing it. To be honest I really love E-Bay now. I have bought several clothing items as well as a cute purse from them in the last month. I am a clothes horse to begin with and I do not like to try on anything. I sort of wing it which can be hit or miss I know. I usually go up in size when I order on line just to play it safe. I think the European and British labels are sized smaller in clothing than the American labels as far as hips and bust go. I do like the Canadian brand Lole clothing out of Montreal and have been lucky to have gotten some of their womens jackets (ie running and puffer vest)for decent prices under $60 on Amazon plus an amazing scarf on Zulilly from them which was a lifesaver in Montreal in March this year. I’m not a mall goer anymore so dressing rooms esp the mirrors just bugged me out. My sister is the same way now. Maybe just aging and the bod doesn’t look as good as it once did ..Are there any Canadian designers that you particular like?
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I seem to have trouble finding stuff that fits and suits me. I don’t mind trying things on. I pull everything my size and style and then try them all. I like Simon Chang for coloured jeans-cut pants — they work for business casual, which is what I usually wear for work. Otherwise, my favourite clothing line is Olsen Europe, even though they seem to design for tall thin blonds, and I am none of those things.
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Yeah I know what you mean. (Un)fortunately I’m a designer whore so to speak but I really like European clothes and the great thing about Ebay is they are so much less expensive than an outlet or store. I’m neither tall nor thin nor natural blonde. I’m more average and curvy(ie boobs and hips) now which I think a lot of American designers take into consideration. I’ll have to google those two you mentioned. I like edgier pieces but not over the top. I’m business casual also..
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I like too that Simon Chang pants come in petite. I’m more of an average height, but with shorter legs I can just wear petite if I don’t go with much of a heel.
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Olsen I like for tops and sweaters and jackets.
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Sounds like a fantastic vacation (and neat that your teenage son is still up for doing all this stuff with you). Teens definitely keep one younger and more active. Although I have to say that after a day with my nieces I am often ready for a day entirely alone.
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We had a lot of fun. My son really enjoys experiencing things, whatever they may be, and so he’s up for anything. He and I are going to see Ian McKellen in the NTLive broadcast of King Lear on Thursday. Neither of us have read the play, so we’re going in cold. I’m looking forward to it.
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