New England 2007

Ya know this is the third time we’ve been to Canada and for the third time I’m saying “never going there again”, but I know I will when the opportunity arises... So we loaded up the car getting ready to head to downtown Toronto and some Orientals knocked on our car window to tell us that we have a flat. Just fabulous! Hotel desk said take it to “Canadian tire” so we go there and it’s a two hour wait to get our flat fixed. So we head to the local Avis which we should have done in the first place, but didn’t think about it. So the Avis guy gives us a brochure with an 800 number. They tell us to take it to the Toronto Airport and trade it in for another car (since we had already changed the flat). We decided to go ahead with our plans and make the “switch” on the way out of town. So we make it downtown and find a parking garage, walk a Mississippi mile to the Hockey Hall of Fame, which was entertaining even for me. And the building was an old cathedral-looking building with beautiful stained glass windows and elaborate trim throughout. Anyway, this would be a great place to take your kids but not on Labor Day weekend it was a madhouse with lines everywhere. So next up, lunch, we eat at the Lone Star Grill. They were playing country music, but that was the only southern thing about it. The Canadians like vinegar with their French fries and when we asked what the shaker bottle of clear stuff was our waiter was all “you guys must be from the states, eh?” Food was good and then we were off…ohhh another side note Discover Card is not widely accepted here. Just FYI. 

So on to the CN Tower, at this time (Sept 2 2007) the (speaking in a deep voice) “tallest building in the world!!!” So we buy our tickets and get in line…and stay in line….and then an hour and 20 minutes later we see the silver elevators. Finally! Wow, this is like freaking Willy Wonka’s and we are going to blast through the glass roof at any moment. The elevator rolls!!!! I think we have it on tape. OK, so we got up there and Lee walks out on the glass like it isn’t anything! What the…I try to take one step out on the glass and everything turns to jello, my knees, my ankles (that’s right ankles turn to jello too!) So I jump back, that is just the most insane concept ever! I can’t wait to see the video footage. So after the glass floor we went to the outdoor observatory where there is just a wire mesh between you and the outside and there were small show-planes buzzing by the building that had me ducking like a nerd. Time to head out.

We arrive at the car, which is still intact, and we head toward the airport. We arrive uneventfully at the airport and switch out our flat tired car at the Toronto airport for a Grand Prix. Then onto Niagara Falls. We arrive at 7p but it was like Las Vegas on Crack! There were so many people and cars and honking and just madness. That’s the only way I know to describe it. It’s like Las Vegas (minus the casinos) squeezed into two lanes! It took us two hours to go about 15 blocks, and then we missed our turnoff into the hotel parking lot so we had to make the block again. So on the second lap we found the “S” Registration area. We are like valet parking PLEASE!!!! So here we are….were….Sheraton wasn’t really a fancy nice hotel but the location was primo and customer service was awesome. And we haven’t got our bill yet but the valet parking was worth every penny! Tomorrow Niagara Falls.