Recently, I went to Toronto to sightsee and visit two of my best friends who I have not seen for over 40 years. I had known my friends since our college days at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and have been best of friends ever since.
I scheduled this trip to Toronto to depart on November 8 so that I could tell others here that I was leaving the United States on Election Day and getting out of the country due to the turmoil of the campaigning. But the main reason for the trip was to see my friends and tour Toronto again.
Recently, I went to Toronto to sightsee and visit two of my best friends who I have not seen for over 40 years. I had known my friends since our college days at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and have been best of friends ever since.
I scheduled this trip to Toronto to depart on November 8 so that I could tell others here that I was leaving the United States on Election Day and getting out of the country due to the turmoil of the campaigning. But the main reason for the trip was to see my friends and tour Toronto again.
With a great exchange rate for the US dollar, it was a great time to travel to Canada (exchange rate is $1 US and you get $1.35 Canadian). The public transportation system in Toronto is quite excellent and well kept up.
There are four subway lines, some streetcar lines, and many buses. Most of the buses run every 15 minutes, even early or later in the day. In the downtown area, there are underground connecting tunnels that have malls with shops, food courts, and connections to above ground shopping and office buildings. With so much to do in the city, I decided to stay within Toronto, so I did not need to rent a car. By the way, Niagara Falls is close by, approximately 80 miles, so you would need a car to go there (or arrange for a tour bus).
There is lots to see in Toronto. The most popular sight is CN Tower, which is 1815 feet high, and is currently the tallest freestanding structure in North America, the third highest structure in the world. There are many other interesting places to see. The Royal Ontario Museum has a potpourri of things to see from artifacts from Rome to dinosaur skeletons. Visiting Fort York is also very interesting, especially regarding the War of 1812. In the battle of York in April, 1813, American troops won the battle and captured the fort and Toronto area for 5 days. Many buildings were destroyed and rampant plundering. Seeking revenge for the sacking of Fort York and Toronto, the British overtook Washington, DC in August, 1814, and burned government buildings, including the White House. Still another interesting site is Black Creek Pioneer Village in the Northwest part of Toronto. Black Creek is a living history from the 1860’s with 40 restored building with villagers dressed in period costumes demonstrating their trades.
Oh! I forgot Chinatown. Don’t miss it—very big, lots of shops. Being the most populous city in Canada and being very diverse, there are many excellent restaurants in the city. Although I am not a beer lover, craft beer is very popular. There is beer tasting and craft beers in a multitude of locations in Toronto.