NY Yankees weekend in Toronto

This very busy hotel is located in the heart of the city, walking distance to theaters and shopping. With 1590 units and 6 restaurants/lounges it is a bustling place. The weekend we stayed, the hotel was swarming w/ NY Yankee fans. It seemed like a great place for kids w/ a family pool, indoor waterslide and "Camp Chelsea."

The adult only pool on the 27th floor was a great place to relax. Fitness area, weight room and sauna are adjoining, as is outdoor deck.

The guest rooms are well appointed and some have a deck. I was disappointed in the bathroom - dripping faucet, rubber stopper on a chain to plug the sink. Underground garage and valet parking are available for a fee. We did not dine in any of the restaurants at the hotel, but they ranged from casual to fine dining.

The staff was very efficient. We arrived early and were able to check in to our rooms. Express check out can be done on your room TV, which avoids the long lines in the lobby on a busy weekend. When in Toronto again, I will probably stay at the Delta Chelsea.

This popular restaurant is located in a turn of the century blacksmith shop. It is decorated with many artifacts of that era and other antiques from early Toronto and Europe. Tiffany lamps abound and there's even a dining car - replica of Toronto Railway Car 838. Our table base was a wrought iron sewing machine stand

The menu includes spaghetti (what else?) with a variety of sauces, dishes with penne, fettucine, lasagna, chicken or veal parmigiana, chicken and NY steak. All entrees come with soup or salad, sourdough bread, spumoni and tea/coffee. There are several appetizers such as bruschetta, spinach artichoke dip and popcorn shrimp. Portions are average but you can "factory size" any spaghetti entree for $1.99. For the health conscious, whole-wheat spaghetti can be substituted.

It's a fun place for kids and very popular judging by the wait times between 45 minutes and 2 hours. When we were finally seated, our waitress was very attentive and pleasant. We had dined there 30 years ago and found the Factory to be as good in its food and service.

The Breeze is the newest and fastest border crossing in North America. Built in Australia, the fast ferry accommodates 750 passengers, 220 cars and up to 10 buses/trucks. Making two round trips daily between Rochester, NY and Toronto, Ontario, passengers can avoid long lines at the bridges in Niagara Falls. One-way fares are $28 for pedestrians, $40 for car and driver, $20 for auto passengers. There are discounts for seniors and children. It seems a bit pricey; a discounted round trip fare would help.

We took the Breeze one-way on a sold out Saturday. Most of the passengers were NY Yankee baseball fans traveling to the Skydome for the Yankees/BlueJays games. We wished we had returned by ferry when we were stuck at the Lewiston-Queenstown bridge the following day. It was a 1 hour, 10 minute wait to clear through customs! The ferry is well appointed w/ a variety of stationary upholstered chairs and tables. The best seats are on the panaroma deck facing forward. There are two levels of all enclosed seating/lounges, two movie theatres, video arcade, duty free shop and a children's play area.

The outdoor deck at the stern of the ship is the only smoking area. Due to the high speed of travel, this area is EXTREMELY windy - like hang on to your hats - while the boat is in motion.

There are several snack bars and alcoholic beverages are available. Business class travelers receive a meal and have a separate seating area.

Disembarking in Toronto was a breeze for those in cars. There were not many autos on the boat that day and we easily went thru customs. We heard pedestrians had a longer wait.

Toronto has yet to build a terminal - only tollbooths and a ticketing trailer are at the site. There were many taxicabs for arriving passengers; public transportation is also available to downtown.

AGO was a popular place the day we visited. It's a modern 2-story structure located on the outskirts of Chinatown, easily accessible by subway or streetcar. A special exhibit was there with timed ticketed admission. Most of the gallery's permanent collection was in storage while the Turner Whistler Monet exhibit was on.

Organized by AGO, museums in London and Paris, this Impressionist collection displayed some of the greatest works of art from the 19th century. It showed the influence of the three artists on each other and the way they studied the effects of weather conditions on landscapes.

It is always a thrill to view pieces of art "live" that you have seen reproduced in books, posters and cards. Such was the case w/ Monet's "Sunset on the Seine."

Much to my surprise the museum had an extensive shop featuring a large collection of books, prints and posters, note cards, jewelry and other gift items. A special children's section and items relating to the current Impressionist exhibit rounded out the shop. A restaurant was adjacent to the store.

It was a great place to spend a very rainy afternoon while our husbands watched the Yankees lose to the Blue Jays.