Toronto – just far enough away to count

Travel has always been an important aspect of my life, and I am usually in the process of preparing for a trip, returning from a trip or planning a trip.

I couldn’t imagine a life without travel. Experiencing new places and new people makes me a better person, and each trip teaches me something new about myself that was previously undiscovered.

This past August, my boyfriend Jeff and I decided to travel to Toronto for a week of sightseeing. We also wanted to assist our two friends, who would be moving to the “Big Smoke” the day after we arrived for our vacation. We booked a hotel on Carlton Street, which is located directly off Yonge – the longest street in the world – and were pleased to find we were located in the heart of downtown.

Exterior view of the AGO.

Something interesting – that I just recently learned about myself as a result of this trip – is that I am not good at flying. If I were to critically analyze the number of times I have been on a plane, I would return with a figure close to 100. One would assume this means that any fear of turbulence has disappeared, but unfortunately, that is not the case.

The flight from Winnipeg to Toronto is known to be bumpy in general – especially when flying over the Great Lakes – and I spent the better part of three hours digging my nails into Jeff’s arm. It was the same scenario during the return flight, and I sincerely hope he will get on a plane with me again…

Upon arrival, Jeff and I were first interested in the “touristy” aspects of Toronto. We walked on the glass floor at the CN Tower, and rode the elevator to the Skypod that swayed gently from side to side. We visited the Hockey Hall of Fame, and touched the real Stanley Cup.

(Note: It’s a replica Stanley Cup that the winning team drinks beer out of and travels with each year. The real one is locked safely away in an elaborate room with stained glass windows and security guards who have zero sense of humour).

Inside the AGO with a $50 million Pollock painting. See below for a description of this event...

An interesting surprise was the visit to Casa Loma. Located deep in Toronto’s interior, this 19th century castle boasts secret passageways, lavishly decorated bedrooms, an 800-foot tunnel, stables, towers, and five acres of beautiful estate gardens. Plans for the castle were drawn up in 1911, and it took three years and $3.5 million to build it.

In addition to being historically significant, Casa Loma has been the movie set for a number of well-known feature films. It was “Xavier’s House for Gifted Youngsters” in the first X-Men film, and was the resort in Tom Cruise’s Cocktail. In the basement – across the hall from an overpriced café – one can find posters of each film that used the castle in whole, or in part, as a filming location.

One of my favourite stops during this week long adventure was the trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario. I have been to a number of galleries in my life, and this one is by far one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. It consists of high, glass ceilings and wide, wooden staircases and archways that rival the revamped train station that houses Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

The highlight of visiting the AGO was experiencing the New York Exhibit - a travelling group of paintings from the 40s and 50s. The featured artist in this collection was Jackson Pollock, the ill-fated, alcoholic genius who reached his peak as an artist shortly before dying in a car accident. Lee Krasner – his wife, who was also a gifted painter in her own right – accompanied his work with a few pieces of her own.

A shot of downtown Toronto at night - one of my favourites...

A trip or vacation doesn’t have to be something extravagant. It can be as simple as a weekend in Grand Forks or a jaunt to Alberta to visit friends. My week in Toronto was entertaining and enlightening, and I’m currently planning my next round of travels, which will be a snowboarding trip to Banff!