Learning and Adventure in Toronto

In terms of my free time in Toronto, the Afternoon Niagara Falls tour that I did was a highlight! Some of my friends were going to blow off Tuesday's meetings and educational sessions to do the full "day" tour (10 hours) but I simply could not justify it. I could, however, make the afternoon tour on Monday since the conference schedule was pretty wide open to include a three hour "lunch and expo" slot right in the middle of the early afternoon.

I booked with Toronto Tours rather than Gray Line because of their pricing and what looked to be a nice offering of stops during the day. While I don't know what they did on the other company(ies) offering Niagara Falls tours, I can tell you that several in our group of 17 felt like Toronto Tours did a lot of nickel and diming especially at Niagara Falls. I will get to that shortly.

The tour company's shuttle service picked me up at the Hilton Hotel and took me to the departure point at the Fairmont Royal York. Given the close proximity to the convention center, had I known that was the plan I could have walked over from the center to the pick up point rather than hustling to my hotel to meet my shuttle driver. No worries, though.

We departed the Fairmont shortly after 1:00pm for our ten hour adventure. Niagara Falls is roughly 80-85 miles from downtown Toronto, probably a 90-100 minute drive under normal driving conditions (no traffic, weather or accidents). Our tour vehicle was a comfy 24 passenger mini-coach. For our group of 17, it had just the right amount of room and comfort.

Our first stop was at the Niagara College where they teach wine making and business management. It was a small campus that had limited onsite dormitories and a full teaching kitchen for their culinary school. Of course, to teach wine making, they also had a vineyard with both red and white varieties of grapes.

Inside we were treated to a tasting inside their wine tasting laboratory. It was there that students learn to recognize the color, aroma and taste of wines produced in this region of Canada. On the day of our visit we sampled a chardonnay and a cabernet sauvignon. While both were very good, what I enjoyed most was the "ice wine" . . . a sweet but potent wine made after the grapes had been frozen on the vine for approximately three days. Picked while still frozen solid, the sweetness of the grapes' juices are held creating the extra sweet flavored wine.

With an opportunity to buy in their store, several folks took advantage of supporting the local college!

From Niagara College we were about 20 minutes from the entrance into Niagara Falls Park. With no admission fees charged to enter, you need not worry. They find plenty of ways to make money off the tourists and visitors!!!

Our first stop inside the park was for those who may want to take a helicopter tour of the falls. At approximately 12 minutes for $95 (CDN) nobody in our group was interested . . . so we headed on to the Niagara Whirlpool. It is here that the Niagara River flows into a U-turn of sorts, which creates the whirlpool action at the bend. Folks who would like to see the area from above may take the cable car across the river gorge for $11 (CDN). Most in our group did participate in that activity. For those of us who choose to stay ashore, there was a gift shop, snack bar and restrooms to occupy the 30 minutes or so.

With cable car rides and photos taken, it was on to the world famous Canadian Falls, also known as the horseshoe falls because of their horseshow shape. The roar of the water and the mist in the air, Niagara Falls never ceases to amaze me. I have been here three or four times, dating back to the early 1980's and each time, I leave in awe of the experience.

At the stop here (known at Tablerock), folks had another opportunity for an ala carte experience, the Journey Behind the Falls. At $13 (CDN) per person, the ala carte prices were beginning to mount! It was nice that our tour guide Wayne was able to take us through the "tour groups only" entrance bypassing what appeared to be a good hour wait.

Donned in our slick yellow rain ponchos, it was down into the bowels of the walls of Niagara Falls. The tunnels provided an opportunity to go right up and under the rushing water, less than five feet in front of you through an open portal. It was very loud!

Around the other direction, there was a walk-out and landing area where you could see the waterfalls a bit more up close, to include the Maid of the Mist boats below. (More on those to follow.)

The yellow rain ponchos didn't seem to do much good as I seemed to have gotten pretty wet just from the water that splashed my face and ran down my neck.

After we all completed this portion of the tour, we climbed back aboard the tour bus and headed for the Maid of the Mist boat launch. Finally something that was included in our tour package price! For those who are visiting independently, this was also a $13 (CDN) experience.

Unfortunately no cutting through to a "tour groups only" entrance, but the long line did seem to move pretty fast. I think we were lined up for roughly 30-45 minutes before it was our turn to climb onto the Maid of the Mist for our 20 minute ride into the mist of the rushing falls. It was very exciting to be that close to the water and to feel the turbulence beneath the boat. Again, ponchos (this time blue) were no match for the amount of water in the air.

With the boat tour and excitement pretty much over for the day, it was off to the Riverview International Buffet for dinner at 7:30pm. Not much as a buffet, it was nice to be inside and enjoying a bite to eat with others in the group. An ice cold beverage after being out in the 90f + heat & humidity, was right on time.

After our dinner it was approaching nightfall and time for the illumination of the falls. What a treat our group got, getting to go up into the lighting tower and serving as the "Niagara Falls Illuminators" for the evening. We even got certificates to prove it!

The lighting equipment looked like something out of a 1940's movie, although today the colors are controlled and orchestrated by computers. It was fun, however, creating our own beautiful light show on the falls.

With the evening coming to an end, we headed back to Toronto. I was dropped off at my door step at 11:15pm. WHEW . . . what a long day!

Toronto Tours charges $169 (CDN) for their 10 hour Niagara Falls tours (day or afternoon). If you book online, however, there is a 25% discount available. Some in our group booked through their hotels and paid a premium so if you're considering doing this tour, be sure to do your homework on their web site and book direct!

All in all, a great experience and fun day.

The CN Tower was built in the mid 1970's and at the time was the tallest structure in the world, a record it held for over three decades. Today it remains the second tallest, with still the highest lookout point for visitors in the world. It is the landmark most recognized on the Toronto skyline.

Originally built by Canadian National as a television tower to improve reception within the city limits of Toronto, today the CN Tower is a top attraction in Ontario with over two million visitors annually.

During my visit to Toronto, I made an early morning of it, being the first one at the admission booth when they opened at 9:00am. Having already purchased my "CN Tower Total Tower Experience" ticket online via the Shoppers Drug Mart web site (and at a nice discount!), I could by-pass the ticket purchasing cue and proceed right into the tower itself.

They say if you come on the weekends or midday to expect at least an hour wait to enter, explore the tower and marvel at the 360 views of the city. I took the elevator to the observation deck level which is approximately 1150 feet above the ground. There you can take the second elevator to the Sky Pod, but only if you buy that additional ticket.

The Sky Pod is at 1465 feet and provides a spectacular view, but I don't know that things look any more spectacular another 300 feet up. The additional price is just $4 CDN, however, so maybe it's not worth skimping on the experience. (More info on ticket prices at the end of this review.)

At the observation level, there is a glass viewing floor where you can stand and look below you, the 110 storeys. YIKES that is a long way straight down!

It is right above this level at 1150 that their fine dining restaurant (open for lunch and dinner) is located. The 360 Restaurant features a rather pricey menu, although those who are budget conscious can enjoy a "fixed price" three course meal for around $55 CDN.

At the entry level of the tower they have to additional attractions, also for an ala carte or "packaged" ticket. Their movie theatre presentation of "The Height of Excellence" is a 20 minute documentary on the building of the CN Tower. It was very interesting and really providing a nice historical perspective on the tower and its importance in Toronto.

For the kids and young at heart, there is also the Himalamazon ride. Passengers "ride" in a vehicle type enclosure, much like the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios. The motion of the ride is intended to simulate a roller coaster and included several "splash scenes" level guests wet.

Pricing at La Tour - CN Tower is a best value if you buy the "total experience" package that includes total access in the tower, the movie and the ride. To do them ala carte is very expensive in my opinion. Both the movie and the ride were $9.00 (CDN) a piece.

NOTE: All prices quoted are for adults. They do have special rates for children under 13 and seniors 65 and older.

For more information including hours of operation, check them out at www.cntower.ca. They also have a link there for their 360 Restaurant which includes menus and online reservation services.

I enjoyed my stay at the Hilton Hotel located in the downtown business area of Toronto. I should start with a commercial message regarding Hilton and their support of the association management profession and associations in general. A major sponsor of ASAE, they supported scholarship recipients with an outstanding room rate of $99 (USD). I was most appreciative of their efforts to make this conference more affordable to me, and more importantly, my employer.

The hotel also supported ASAE attendees through a special welcome reception area where wary travelers could enjoy a bottle of freshly squeezed lemonade and a small snack sized Canadian bacon sandwich, that was simply delightful. Each evening they also hosted a reception in a private area of the lobby for attendees to meet and greet after a full day of speakers and seminars.

The hotel has a full service restaurant (Tundra) which is also their in-room dining provider. I was personally not very impressed with their room service or restaurant menus for dinner. Breakfast was the standard affair of eggs, meats and the obligatory eggs benedict (a Canadian creation).

For those who want to dine to impress, there is a Ruth Chris restaurant on the property as well. Beyond my budget, I did not take them up on their premium prime steaks.

The hotel also had a nice swimming pool on the second floor that was mostly outside, but also had a small portion inside for those cold winter visits. There was also a hot tub and full fitness center on the second floor.

As for my room, it was a standard double with very comfortable bedding and pillows. While not "heavenly", it was a great night's sleep. The work area was very well thought out and set up to allow you to work in your room while also watching TV.

The bathroom and amenities were high end, with plenty of space for guests. I was actually pretty surprised at the overall generosity of the accommodations in terms of the spaciousness.

I mentioned the $99/night rate that I had as a scholarship recipient. The hotel's "group rate" for our conference was published as $239/night CDN which would be roughly $195-$200 USD depending on the exact exchange rate of the day. The "rack rate" on their web site was $289/night when I first looked them up a couple of months ago. Catering more to the business traveler, I do not think they worry much about pricing competitively for the tourist trade. With that being said, tourism is still down and deals can be found on web sites like Orbitz and Hotels.com.

The location was ideal for my convention (roughly five blocks from the convention center) so I would suggest it to anyone going to Toronto for a convention or business in the city.

The Mediterra Restaurant is located on the corner of Richmond Street and York Street, adjacent to the Hilton Hotel and across the street from the Sheraton Centre Hotel. It is in a nice location, especially for those who are from out of town and don't feel much like venturing too far from "home" for dinner.

The atmosphere was very inviting and the host immediately sat me midway back in the dining area. I was directly across from the wood grill, which only added to the ambiance and pleasant aromas from "the kitchen" . . . in quotes because the kitchen is open air, and not in the back or out of the line of sight of guests.

Before ordering, you have an opportunity to look into the lobster tank near the front . . . or into the iced shelf of whole fresh fish which they will prepare to your specifications. During my visit, they had snapper and sea bass for those who wanted something like that, rather than the halibut or salmon which also appeared on the menu. In addition to those seafood items, they also had a large assortment of other shell fish including shrimp, oysters, scallops and clams. (The lady next to me ordered a seafood pasta dish that looked outstanding!)

I chose to go off menu (big surprise) and did do the Maryland crab cakes. For being approximately 400 miles away and in Canada, they weren't bad. Not as good as the blue crab meat cakes that I think are really "Maryland" crab cakes, but they were good. Because I was going off menu, I asked my served to just have the chef "fix it up as an entree." He did outstanding, preparing my dinner with grilled fresh veggies (red peppers, zucchini and tomatoes along with a few oven roasted potatoes and a small side Greek salad.

It was really the perfect sized meal and at $19, very reasonable as compared to the other items on the menu. if you don't want fish or seafood, they also offer a good variety of meats includes steaks, lamb, veal and chicken. Entrees ranged in price from $17 to $38, excluding the lobster which was advertised as "at market".

They have an extensive wine list and full service bar for those who wish to indulge in an alcoholic beverage (or two). They do have a small bar area as you first enter the restaurant, but most people were in there dining as well.

I didn't see a dessert menu but wasn't interested so perhaps they have a separate after dinner menu for those who want to indulge in that way.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Mediterra Restaurant and would not hesitate to return for another evening, if I had more time in Toronto!

For information regarding their hours, reservations and to see their menus, you can find them on the internet at: www.mediterrarestaurant.ca.

Fionna MacCool's is a small Canadian chain that is a division of Prime Pubs. There are six MacCool locations, mostly in Ontario, with one in Calgary, Alberta. The other brand names within this franchise structure are Tir nan Og, Patty Flaherty's and D'Arcy McGees . . . also located throughout Ontario. From what I could tell on their web site (www.primepubs.com) the menu is the same throughout.

Being a downtown location, in the street level of a large office building that is also adjacent and connected to the Hilton Hotel, they were very quiet on a Saturday night. My guess is that during the week, they probably have a great happy hour, especially on Friday's when they have "2 pint Fridays" featuring Guinness, Harps, Kilkenny and Smithwick's.

I was surprised how large the dining areas were which included two bars. I found it to be very comfortable, warm and cozy. It did remind me of my time in the UK dining in local pubs especially in Scotland.

While they offered what I would consider traditional American fare (burgers, steaks, club sandwiches) I wanted to stick with the Irish theme . . . especially since it was Irish Fest back home in Milwaukee that weekend. I ordered the beef and veggies pie, which came with choice of side salad, steamed veggies or fries. I went with the fries, which had their own unique flavor.

The beef & veggies pie was prepared and served on a hot skillet with a crisp flakey pastry top. The carrots, peas, potatoes and beef chunks had been marinated in a red wine preparation which was a bit strong for my personal preference. Don't get me wrong, it was good . . . just not a preferred flavor for me.

After dinner my server did offer a hot after dinner beverage and/or dessert, but I took a pass on both. Dinner with a diet coke was $17 which I felt was reasonable.

All in all, I enjoyed my dining experience at Fionn MacCool's and would suggest them to anyone traveling to Toronto. I especially found it to be a good substitution for the somewhat limited in-room dining selections at the Hilton.