Only a 5-hour drive north from Pittsburgh, it’s easy to forget that we’d be crossing a border and traveling in another country. In many ways you’d expect more similarities than differences. What’s similar is apparent, some of the differences however, might be unexpected.
Angie and I were only planning a three-day affair in Toronto. It was Memorial Day weekend, which worked with our time off from work. To us, that meant larger crowds in the US but business as usual in Canada. So, we chose Canada. It would be our first international excursion together. Going into Canada through their customs was a breeze.
We had booked our AirBnb along Lake Ontario about 11 km west of the center of Old Toronto in an area called Etobicoke. The location would give us great views, access to the lake as well as the bike trail that ran along the lake. Our relationship was still in relatively new stages and everything we did was an adventure.
After checking in, we immediately ventured a few steps from our AirBnB to explore Humber Park. A beautiful park totaling 350 acres that sits directly on the lake and splits into two distinct eastern and western sections. There’s a great view there of a distant downtown Toronto we were lucky to check out.
After showering and changing for the night, we found the trolley a few blocks from our lodging and headed out towards Queen Street, just west of downtown. We decided on dinner at the Drake Hotel. The weather was perfect for sitting outside and people watching. The food and service were great. The company I was with was even greater.
After dinner we walked along Queen Street “west” which felt like the center of Toronto’s nighttime world. There we found fashion, cool eateries, plenty of visual arts, manicured parks and music for all tastes that echoed out from the clubs and danced off the buildings and alleyways. The people were friendly and the atmosphere felt more European than American. We easily spotted different cultures and heard numerous languages as we wandered along Queen Street. There are plenty of places to shop if you have the stamina and lots of deserts to experience if you can spare the calories. Eventually we called it a night and Ubered back to our AirBnb.
ALL PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
Subways to Hockey Heaven
The next day we ventured into the heart of Downtown Toronto via the subway. Exceptional graffiti dotted the landscape along our journey. Downtown, even on a Saturday was bustling with activity. We were struck immediately with how clean Toronto was. We would be hard pressed to find much litter. Nonetheless, even in such a pristine city, homelessness reared its ugly head. Just a reminder that the problem is universal to a degree and that mental health and poverty doesn’t go away with tighter border restrictions or higher walls.
My personal goal that day (no pun intended) was to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, which resides in the interesting Brookfield Place and part of the former Bank of Montreal. It houses a huge array of memorabilia and is home to the Stanley cup when it’s not being lugged around by Stanley Cup winners during the off-season. My hometown has become one of the greatest hockey towns in the world with the Penguins winning multiple Stanley cups. The talent that has gone through Pittsburgh with Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby and Malkin has been among the best talent ever produced. Pittsburgh has been very lucky and I’ve been fortunate to be able to have a pair of season tickets to the Penguins for the last several years. I was more than grateful to have a chance to visit the Mecca of Hockey. I also knew Angie, who was not a huge hockey fan, was perfect for me in tolerating my wish to visit probably the last place on her list.
Leaving the Hall of Fame, we walked around the mall area, which architecturally is a really interesting place to visit. It also serves the practical purpose of protecting the people of Toronto from the elements in the harsh winters while giving them a large space that feels like you’re outdoors where you can still shop and eat. One section of the mall, the Allen Lambert Galleria, is a large atrium designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It’s more than impressive. It appears like it was built over buildings while encompassing large city blocks although I believe the building facades are an integral part of the Galleria. The steel arches above mesmerize as they intertwine amongst themselves. The Galleria is recognized worldwide and has been in numerous movies and TV shows.
For dinner we ventured somewhat to the outskirts of Toronto to an area called Greektown. It had become somewhat of an up and coming area over the years. We were fortunate to meet up with some friends there at a restaurant called 7Numbers. With tables right out on the sidewalk, the place was right up our alley. We enjoyed great conversation with our friends and our heads eventually hit the pillows hard after a long day.
ALL PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
The Martin Goodman Trail is a 56 km waterfront trail first opened in 1984. It was named for the Editor of the Toronto Star who died in 1981.
2 Wheels are Better than 4
The next day we got up, grabbed the bikes we had brought with us and headed once again to Humber Park to link up with the bike trail. This section of the trail called the Martin Goodman Trail (west) would take us all the way into downtown Toronto. From there we could then take our bikes on a short ferry ride to explore Toronto Island. The trail is part of an ambitious project to have a bike trail run all the way along the entirety of the Great Lakes along the Canadian side. The trail, an incredible ecological and construction achievement, stretches over 3,000 kilometers. For comparison, that would be like building a bike trail along the entire East Coast of the United States from Maine to the Florida Keys.
The 11-kilometer portion of the trail we rode had thousands of people walking, biking and just hanging out. Musicians played at various spots along the way and numerous vendors selling food and other items could be found in designated areas. It was a relatively easy bike ride along a fairly flat and paved bike trail. Nonetheless it was a decent workout with beautiful views that took you right into the heart of Downtown to the waterfront area.
There we found water taxis that could transport us to the Toronto Islands. A place that looked interesting to explore. The water taxis arrived at several locations on the island. The idea for us was to arrive on the eastern side of the island and ride our bikes the distance of the island so we could depart from the western side. It was an easy ride. To our surprise we discovered a small amusement park on the island we could ride our bikes through. The Amusement Park seemed to cater mostly to families with very young children. It was fairly packed. Angela and I decided to take a short break there to find coffee and get a light lunch. We choose a vantage point where we could people watch and yet not be in the thick of it. Again, the weather was perfect.
Before departing the island, we had considered visiting a rumored nude beach on the island. It seemed like an odd place to have one considering the family atmosphere at the park. We decided instead that we didn’t have enough time if we were to accomplish some of the other things we wanted to explore. Besides, we were just kind of curious and weren’t really prepared to venture onto the beach in our birthday suits quite yet. Taking the water taxi back to the waterfront in Toronto we then biked the 11 kilometers back to our AirBnb to get a shower. We had figured we had biked close to 18-19 miles that day including Toronto Island. It was a perfect afternoon. We’d love to bike this trail again.
ALL PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
Elevators to Literal Heaven
I had planned a special dinner that night. I made reservations for CN Tower. The tallest man-made structure in North America. It housed a restaurant at the top in the saucer like enclosure that rotates around the spire. You have to buy tickets to ride the elevators to the top unless you have reservations at the very expensive restaurant. Even then, you still have to stand in line for the elevator.
The restaurant was ‘ok’. Of course, we weren’t trying to spend our life savings so we both got very modest meals that basically insured we’d be hungry again in a few hours, but the views? The views were spectacular. As the structure rotated around at a stunning 40 miles an hour you found yourself and most of your dinner pressed tightly up against the glass windows from the power of the centrifugal force. Just kidding, it crawled along at a turtle’s pace. Inching along it enabled us to really take in the skyline. From high up on our perch we had an excellent viewpoint of the bike trip we had taken earlier that day. You could generally pick out the location of our AirBnb and even make out the American side of Lake Ontario. What was striking was all the rooftop greenery on numerous high-rise buildings. It was a dramatic panoramic experience that showcased Toronto’s commitment to providing green work and living experiences for its citizens. An experience we don’t regret paying a little extra for. Just plan on a more affordable dinner elsewhere if you don’t feel like dropping a couple hundred to make sure you stay full the rest of the evening. The desert was worth every penny though.
Graffiti Alley for a Queen
After CN Tower we headed back to our AirBnB to clean up and drop off our vehicle, which we had only decided to use to make sure we made it to our reservation on time. We didn’t want to be encumbered with it when we headed back to our old stomping grounds of Queen Street. We wanted to see an area we missed on our first go around called Graffiti Alley. We also hoped to do some shopping and knew we’d want to eat again at some point. We had no problem getting the Uber to Graffiti Alley, but what wound up being cool is when our driver found out we were in Toronto for our first time, he decided to shut off the meter and give us a general tour. Honestly, its humanity like that that makes traveling special.
Graffiti Alley didn’t disappoint. It makes you understand that much more how committed to art Toronto really is. The varying artists that have given some of their best street art, is incredible. Finding this little gem nestled along an alleyway makes Queen Street all the more incredible. It really feels like the center of Toronto. You can virtually eat any kind of food there you want and visit hundreds of different stores. Sure, the alley way is right off Queen Street and Angela was my Queen that night in Toronto.
The next day we headed home. Angie had to work a nursing shift at 7 pm that night. We didn’t have much time to do much else. We managed to stop for lunch just outside of a quaint little town we had driven past on the way to Toronto called Niagara-on-the-Lake. It’s a small touristy town that’s extremely low key when compared to the Niagara Falls Area. That stop for lunch almost doomed us though in getting Angela back on time because we were not prepared with the amount of time it would take to get back into the States. The lines going back through American Customs were extensive, so keep that in mind if you’re in a hurry to get back home.
Toronto is truly a world-class city right up there with some of the worlds best. It’s just a shame that I’ve been so close to it for years and never took the time to experience it.
ALL PHOTOS BY: Angela Erdmann and Thomas Lonero
