Toronto Travel Blogs on RealTravel

Toronto journal: Sweaty palms in Toronto

2007-10-18T00:23:15Z

"I was ok here until I happened upon the glass floor."

a entry by HungryJoe from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Toronto is very much the big city. In fact it reminded me of New York. It is a flourishing financial centre for Canada so has lots of tall skyscapers downtown. It is famous for the CN Tower so I paid it a visit. It's a bit like a huge concrete needle, sticking 553m up into the sky (apparently there will soon be something bigger in Dubai, but until then, this is the tallest free standing structure on earth).

A very fast elevator ride brings you to the observation level (346m). I was ok here until I happened upon the glass floor. That's when the palms got a bit sweaty. I couldn't bring ...

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Toronto journal: Final Thoughts

2006-07-26T00:59:01Z

a entry by Marcfest from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

6 months.

183 days from start to finish. January 20 to July 24.

This trip changed me. I learned a lot about the world, and more about myself. I am very different today than I was 6 months ago. Things I took for granted, I no longer. Things that were not priorities enough in my life, are now more clearly priorities. This is all very vague to most of you, but suffice to say that I have new clarity, greater purpose and new objectives going forward in life. No, I am not talking about work.

I was reminded often that we live embarrassingly well in Canada. That our problems are the ...

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Toronto journal: CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame

2007-09-27T04:16:31Z

a entry by Bates' big trip from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Apparently the CN Tower is the tallest completed freestanding building in the world and its observation platform is where Archie, Stan and I found ourselves this morning while Sam was at work. The ride up in the lift takes only 58 seconds but don't let that fool you, once there it is high. Oh yes, it is really, really high. And thin. Really thin. And I think that's why everyone who finds themselves up there is so unnerved. The big donut shaped observation deck seems too large for such a slender structure to maintain, as if a gust of wind or, indeed, too many birds landing on one side of it ...

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Toronto journal: Nostalgic

2007-06-22T04:08:47Z

a entry by Orient from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

“Nostalgic. It is good to be nostalgic. Very important...when we nostalgic, we remember."

There's nothing wrong with the way I typed this quote. No mistakes here. This is how it was quoted from the book, "When We Were Orphans" by Kazuo Ishiguro. But it has sense, don't you think? It is very important to be nostalgic sometimes, because it means we don't have Alzheimer's. Our brain/memory is functioning properly. :D

Pilosopo no? :D Seriously, it is good to be nostalgic sometimes: to remind us where we came from. There’s nothing wrong in looking back. The past, after all, is a part of ...

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Toronto journal: Sure is tall!

2007-03-06T16:20:37Z

a entry by Jenn Jenn from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

From Banff we flew to Toronto, a bit of a long day, but a little quicker (and cheaper) than spending three days on the bus getting there!

Toronto is quite similar to Vancouver, although a lot colder. It’s also a little less attractive at the moment, as there has been a large amount of snow, which sits in big brown piles at the side of the road!

The next day was beautiful and sunny, so we decided to go up the CN Tower. It turned out we picked the right day to go, as the next few days saw pretty bad weather, and the view from the top wouldn’t have been very good. We timed the visit ...

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Toronto journal: Toronto Zoo and "Nine. The Musical"

2007-02-17T05:34:33Z

a entry by Abacaxi from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

toronto zoo.

you have to take a bus to go there. i guess it's about half an hour trip if the traffic is good. maybe even more than that. the guy at the ticket window took $2 off the tickets for the late admission (well...the zoo closes at 4:30 and we got there around 3 pm...well we like sleep in :() so the ticket ended up being somewhere around $20 which was kind of expensive for toronto attractions. most of the things i went to was about $12-15. well anyways i thought $20 bucks were quite expensive too 'cause some pavilions were closed during winter. no giraffs, no lions, most of the ...

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Niagara-on-the-Lake journal: Niagara Falls

2007-02-21T01:30:39Z

a entry by Abacaxi from a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

we found a very cheap way to travel to niagara falls from toronto. costs only $5! both way! :) there's a bus going to niagara falls casino. we were there around 9 am i guess. besides me and marina there were only old ladies everywhere in the bus...well and in the casino also. i mean, you're retired, you have nothing to do, they go to the casino and spend your day at the slot machines and poker tables. well actually it is pretty pathetic. they're all quiet regulars those old people. i mean the casino itself is beautiful. cards tables, black jack, poker, everything. but i guess the whole casino ...

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Toronto journal: Waterfront harbour, lake Ontario and CN tower

2007-02-16T02:50:25Z

a entry by Abacaxi from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

apparently winter is not the best time to visit toronto. the harbor is beautiful though. nice mall area by the harbor with cafes and gift shops, also the new attraction is coming soon - some kind of the inuit (canadian indian tribe) history museum. nice second cup coffee shop with fireplace and cool paintings on the walls. i guess i'm becoming addicted to apple cider and blueberry muffins. :) the most interesting thing i found in the harbor is the music garden. again, it is closed in winter but it is a really beautiful garden set up in a way bethoven symphony would go. i am not exacly sure how ...

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Toronto journal: second city, california dreaming and high park

2007-02-09T16:37:18Z

a entry by Abacaxi from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

second city.

stand-up comedy at it's best! second city is a very small theatre close to downtown toronto. very nice and cozy place. the tickets were suprisingly cheap for such an event. it was $12 regular and $6 for students. my isic student card works really well here. the only other time i was able to use it was in the art gallery in boston. so anyways...second city is a group of very famous stand-up comedians, who perform live on stage. it's pretty much just series of short funny plays. the show was about 2 hours long and for the last 30 minutes or so they did some improvisation. at ...

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Toronto journal: downtown Toronto

2007-02-04T06:07:05Z

a entry by Abacaxi from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Woke up at 6:30 am. Cold. Very cold. -14C. the first thing to do – grocery shopping. I guess I had culture shock. It was overcrowded. And I don’t mean just regular busy. It was OVERCROWDED. Crazy people running around the store getting food. The counters were empty in a matter of minutes. As if there’s a hurricane coming! Weird Canadians. :)

Marina and I went downtown. She said I’ll see some really weird characters there. I didn’t understand what she meant by weird characters at that time, but now it’s all perfectly clear to me. Some people around here are just scary. Mostly bums. They ...

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Ajax journal: New Beginnings...

2007-01-12T20:59:53Z

a journal by iNFiNiTi from a trip to Ajax, Ontario.

Hey everyone,

Welcome to the blog. This is where it all begins. Thanks for coming to check it out and hopefully in return you'll find some interesting reads, nice photos, links to other cool stuff and maybe, just maybe...a new appreciation for the hidden gems out there. As I was once told, pay attention and you will be rewarded.

Much love to all.

Dave

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Toronto journal: Ripping Up the T-Dot

2007-01-05T17:17:13Z

""hello, I'll be your safari tour guide today."

a entry by Liz Bolivar from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

My first few nights in Toronto have been a great time thus far. The first night Curt picked me up in the Airport and we didn't actually get to his place until around midnight. I met his roommates who were quite nice, and then we had a few cocktails to catch up. Then it was most definatley bedtime, especially since I was up until 5:30am the night before I left trying to finish the 5th season of 24! (I still have a disc left dammit!)

The next day Curtis was supposed to have class, but he wasn't feeling too well. But he sucked it up and came with me and Meags (who drove us all day!) ...

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Etobicoke journal: always an experience

2006-12-08T00:51:14Z

a review of Costco, a thing to do in Etobicoke, Ontario.

Did you know that Costco has an unlimited return policy? All you need is the receipt. You don't even need the original packaging. You can return something because you "weren't satisfied" even a couple years later! How can anyone compete with that?!

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Toronto journal: The BIG T.O.

2006-08-29T01:05:16Z

"Now I know what the centre of the universe is really like!"

a entry by Nicolle from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Toronto is such a beautiful city...with the high humidity that has destroyed my hair do, sitting on the tarmac for a half hour, and the hour and half traffic jam has been my trip highlight so far. Nah, I'm just kidding - the BIG T.O. is cool to see as I've never really toured the city. I hit up the Distillery District for some lunch with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin today. Which is an old whiskey distillery that boomed during the American prohibition and now houses many cool shops and restaurants in old brick buildings. And, I've been told where apparently lots of movies are filmed - like ...

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Toronto journal: Stunning Niagara Falls

2006-08-04T12:34:35Z

a entry by Skaize from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Like i said earlier..Toronto is down right freezing at just -2 degrees.

Not here for long though unfortunately, but here to see the mighty falls of the Niagara..which has claimed the lives of many as well as been overcome by many 'daredevils' at that. cRaZy people i must say!

First night in Toronto and well...lets face it, it's the first time seeing snow...we had a snow ball fight. Was like we were little kids again...people in the street must of thought we were crazy! lol but we'd better get some rest for the long day ahead of us...as we had only come to see one thing...that is ...

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Toronto journal: Our trip to Toronto

2006-08-08T03:21:37Z

a review of Casa Loma, a thing to do in Toronto, Ontario.

Casa Loma (House on the Hill) is a great place to go and visit. Completed in 1914 for $3.5 million by Sir Henry Pellatt, it's a medieval style castle with a great view from the top floors of downtown Toronto. Unfortunately, 10 years after building it, Sir Henry Pellatt was forced to abandon it.

It costs $10 to enter. It's hours are 9:30-5pm. Make sure to get there by 4pm though as they don't let people in after that. There are plenty of tour buses that run from Downtown Toronto. Our one dropped us off at Casa Loma and you buy the tickets on the tour bus. You can look around really ...

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Toronto journal: Connecting the Dots

2006-07-22T01:06:02Z

"...it really becomes a Mensa-like math problem."

a entry by Len and Jenn from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

We thought we'd take advantage of this blog and try out a couple of pre-trip entries. It may be interesting to share our pre-trip adventures considering neither of us have done a trip of this magnitude and are absolutely terrified (and excited of course).

Planning a round the world trip (affectionately shortened to RTW) is really like that high school math problem where you have to find the shortest distance between A and B through a bunch of dots. At first, it looks pretty easy. You just point to a bunch of countries and draw an imaginary line connecting them all. But as we found ...

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Toronto journal: Finally.....Canada!

2006-07-28T05:59:35Z

a entry by TeamEdwards from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

We woke up this morning and were able to fumble through enough French to figure out where breakfast was being served. It was one of the better breakfasts we've had on the road, but for $80 (or $130), it should be! ;) We headed out for Montreal today, but a torrential downpour and a missed exit derailed our plans. No problem! On to Toronto, where we saw the Blue Jays Stadium and the CN Tower (or, as we affectionately refer to it, the "Space Needle like the one in Seattle"). Got some good pictures and video, then went in search of a hotel. After several unsatisfactory stops, we finally found a ...

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Toronto journal: From Bathhouse to Crackhouse

2006-04-11T14:39:26Z

a entry by Kieren & Charlotte from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

We started off by settling into the Canadiana Hostel which is spread out over four converted buildings in Downtown Toronto. We stayed at a private room in No. 56 which, according to a local by the name of Toothless Bill, had a history all of its own. Apparently, before the place was refurbished just six months ago, the front of the building was adorned with a large capital 'B' above the front door - indicating the place was used as a gay bathhouse. Bill explained to us that, when they went in to renovate the interior, there was everything but a bath inside it - there was a trapeze, some ...

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Toronto journal: Canada I Have Arrived

2006-04-25T00:24:25Z

a entry by Grant Lamont from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

I have long wanted to visit Canada, and I will have finally made it. During this time I will visit Niagra Falls and a few ex passangers and what ever else I can find. I can not wait.

Friday 9 June 2006

Had the morning to catch up with life, like washing and all. Then Norm, Coralee and I went to Algonquin Provincial Park. We were off camping for the next 3 days. We set off after lunch and got to camp by 7pm, set up tents, had dinner and went to bed.

Saturday 10 June 2006

Work this morning to more rain as it had been trying to as we went to bed. We had breaky and went ...

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Toronto journal: On my own

2006-06-05T21:19:38Z

a entry by Peta from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

I left Ottawa and so left Alice on Thursday the 1st of June. This is the first part of my journey where I really have to fend for myself! I caught the train down to Toronto, which was really nice, but unfortunately not terribly good for pictures as it rained for almost all of the 4hour journey! After my time in Toronto I am thinking of investing in a compass as I have found that I am even more atrocious at directions than even I had first thought! I went the wrong way so many times my fingers and toes put together couldnt count them all! Luckily I carried a map with me so I did eventually find ...

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Toronto journal: 3 Days in toronto

2006-04-28T10:07:54Z

"Viva Toronto!"

a entry by Brisaya from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

Well I'm back home from a lovely week in Canada! I kept my journal upto date everyday so that I wouldn't miss a thing out when I wrote it here and in my online travel journal. Have a look at my photos some of them are really funny! Day 1 - Travelling Day - Well as you know from my previous post I didn't get much sleep the night before!

My Dad came to ours for about 6am and we left for the airport at about 6:30am so we got there for 7am. We said bye to my dad and checked in for our flight, we were told that the flight was on time which was a huge relief because I had checked on ...

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Toronto journal: A Chil wind and snow as we leave

2006-02-28T04:20:07Z

a entry by skytrails from a trip to Toronto, Ontario.

It was an interesting way to start the day leaving the hotel around 7 am and going across the road to Union station which would see the start of a 3 day journey from Toronto to Vancouver across Canada.

you really get the feeling that this is the start of a long journey as we setting in after a few false starts and funny to say a time when leaving the city we were put upon the wrong track we had to reverse back the way we had come untill we ended up on the right line.

As we move out of the city there is a very dense covering of snow where you see some animal prints and the ...

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Toronto journal: A perfect package!

2006-02-15T17:57:40Z

"A perfect package!"

a review of Pangaea Restaurant, a place to eat in Toronto, Ontario.

I can't believe the quality and value for money that I recieved on three occations at this fine downtown restaurant. The menu was varied and it was hard to pick a fav. The wild salmon on bok choy , waterchestnuts, ginger and a lime-caramel sauce was outstanding. The seared foie gras! They must serve the largest portion in the city, cooked to perfection. On another occation I had their caribou and was quite surprised by it's tenderness and lack of "game" flavor. It was served rare on a german stlye cabbage (sweet & sour) with crispy tempura like onion rings. They had an extensive wine list, a ...

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