Three Day Weekend in Toronto
As you can see...we made a wee little visit to Toronto!
It was SO awesome to get another stamp in the passport! Except they didn't actually stamp it...how annoying is that?!
S and I hit the road last weekend for a loooong, 8 hour drive up north to Toronto. S had a charity hockey event, and I was excited to hop along for a chance to accompany him while exploring a new place. I was a bit unsure of what to pack, since our trip wasn't exactly a vacation and it was a lot chillier up there this time of year. Fortunately it all worked out and we were able to mix a little of play with lots and lots of hockey! The weather worked out great too. Sunny, chilly, and crisp - perfect early spring strolling weather!
On Friday, when we arrived, S played a bunch of hockey games. In fact, all weekend he played back to back games! He did a great job, and I was so impressed in his ability to easily bounce from an 8 hour car ride to skating fast up and down the ice. It was so fun to cheer him on again, just like high school! :)
Saturday, we had a little more free time. We got an early start and tried a simple Canadian breakfast at Sunset Grill - we were amazed with the amount of bacon they piled on our breakfast plates! I fueled up with some coffee, eggs, and french toast. We stayed downtown in the entertainment district of the city, right in the center (next to the stadiums and the CN tower). Being centrally located was great - now that I'm looking back, we were in a great location with access to lots of scenic parts of the city. Lake Ontario, by the way, is beautiful! I wish I saw more of it, aside from the long glimpses I got from the QEW.
In between hockey games, we dined with S's friends at Gretzy's, sharing some small plates and indulging in some not-so-small plates like nachos and wings. Classic sports pub food! After lunch, we split ways before the next hockey game. I had compiled a list of cafes I was hoping to try, and settled with Fahrenheit after reading some good reviews about it online. It was tucked on the corner of Lombard and Jarvis Streets, and couldn't have been cuter. It was definitely small, but luckily after I ordered my diablo cappuccino a few seats opened up and S and I sat for a while before heading back to the rink. I can't deny a good cappuccino in a new city!
Undoubtedly the BEST part of the trip was Saturday evening. We caught up with one of S's colleagues, B, who is a Toronto native. We met right outside of the hotel, near the CN tower and grabbed some drinks at Real Sports, a massive sports bar that is right outside where the Toronto Maple Leafs play. It was a sports-filled weekend, and this bar was the ultimate cherry on top in regards to all things sports. I loved hearing from B all about Canadian culture - we got on the topic about food and got a little carried away - so much so that we ventured back out into the city in search for some Beavertails. Imagine a flaky and crispy flat doughnut smothered in nutella, peanut butter in reese's pieces! That's a Beavertail :) Needless to say I felt a little guilty after eating it but it was soooooo worth the hype. Seeing a new city with the help of a tour guide, who also happens to be a friend, is always ideal. So, B, if you're reading this, thanks for the warm Canadian welcome and for showing us around :)
When the weekend was over, and the Sunday scaries set in (ahh!) we were dreading the long drive home. We knew we had a long day ahead of us, but we made a point to hit Niagara Falls - the Canadian side! Luckily for us it was on our route anyway and it was only a few minutes off of the road. Hands down, one of the most memorable moments of any road trip I've ever taken! If you've never done Niagara Falls, you've GOT to do explore the Canadian side. It was only a few minutes that we stayed, but the falls were so mesmerizing. It's just so funny to think that even though the falls are always there, and that water is always falling...it's really hard to sufficiently explain the sheer beauty and majesty of the falls. I couldn't take my eyes off it. It was a photographer's dream! That water was so blue, and the mist....ahh! It was the perfect ending to a fun weekend full of sights and eats.
Canada, thanks for the warm welcome. Can't wait to head back up to you!