Storybook Vacations

It’s been several years since my last trip to Toronto, Canada, the New York of Canada.  But I remember enjoying my trip and wanted to share some travel advice about Toronto with you, the readers.

Toronto is located in the province of Ontario and has over 2.5 million residents.  An noteworthy fact is that almost 50% of Toronto residents were born outside of Canada making Toronto a truly international city.

So what can you do in Toronto, you wonder?  Here are some sights you may want to visit:

-Niagara Falls (it will require a short day trip, but is a breath-taking waterfall which offers a water-soaking boat ride)

-CN Tower (the former, world’s tallest building which towers at over 1,800 ft high)

-Royal Ontario Museum (world culture and history of Ontario)

-Yorkville neighborhood (one of the most elegant shopping/dining districts in Toronto)

Toronto is very similar to New York or Chicago (if they were in Canada, ay) due to the large, metropolitan area, bountiful attractions, culture, and fine dining.

What about the exchange rate? One USD is worth about $1.24 CAD.  So everything is effectively cheaper.  That means that you may even be able to save some of your hard-earned cash.

If you do travel to Toronto, airfare and accommodations are another consideration.  A good time to travel is in the summer as it may be cold other times of the year.  Also, if you live in the Northeastern US, there are many inexpensive flights you can choose from.  Hotels are also well-priced at as little as $84 per night.  I didn’t check hotel-flight packages, but you can almost always find a better rate that way.

Finally, here are a few restaurants that sparked my interest:

-Embrujo Flamenco tapas restaurant (pricey, Danforth/Greektown area, food sounds interesting and there is live flamenco)

-Ten-Ichi Japanese (inexpenive, Scarborough area, has all-u-cant-eat dinner menu and cheap lunch specials)

-Dos Amigos (moderate, Downtown area, has nice-sounding, authentic Mexican food)

Here’s a good restaurant review site you may want to consult.

If you have a chance, check out Toronto, Canada on your next vacation.

Brian airfare, Chicago, cn tower, Dining, new york, niagara falls, toronto

I returned from a four-day trip to Chicago yesterday, and despite the somewhat frigid weather, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Chicago is a wonderful city and has much to offer its visitors.

Thursday night we had a late lunch at Noodles and Company, a chain-restaurant that serves up tasty stir-fried noodle dishes, salads, and homemade soups, before walking to Millennium Park.  Millennium Park is a compact, grass-covered area downtown with video sculptures, an amphitheater, and a view of the lake.  Later that night, we headed to NV Lounge, a chic, top-floor lounge with a nice bar and secluded balcony.

Friday we went to the Shedd Aquarium, a large indoor-aquarium, and the Field Museum, a history/science museum, located downtown.  There was a school field trip which made the museum and aquarium quite busy.  This may be an indication that Friday is not the ideal day to visit.  The aquarium had a great 4-D IMAX movie about sea creatures and an enormous selection of fish, sharks, and stingrays.  Over at the Field Museum we saw Egyptian tombs and an underground exhibit on subterranean insects.  At night, we headed to Navy Pier, where we explored the unfortunately, mostly dead area of shops, and then mistakenly dined at Billy Goat Tavern.  We ate paper-thin, chalky burgers which needed gallons of soda just to be swallowed.  Hey, not every meal can be perfect.

Saturday we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art which had some exquisite abstract pieces including video installations, photography, and furniture.  Next, my sister and I decided to leave the downtown area and metroed over to Division Street.  Division Street is a main thoroughfare lined with funky shops and restaurants.  There we found an authentic Mexican restaurant (sorry, I can’t remember the name but it’s across from a WaMu near the Division metro stop), where we dined on burritos with barbacoa and chicken-filled tacos.  Later that night, we had drinks at Kerryman Irish Bar, a cozy bar with wood floors, good beer, and a quite atmosphere.  For dinner, we ate at Rockit, a trendy restaurant with a nice variety of menu options.  The tuna burger was pretty good but needed wasabi and soy sauce.  But the sweet potato fries were superb.

Finally, Sunday we found our way to the Art Institute of Chicago.  The Art Institute houses impressionist masterpieces from the likes of Monet and Seurat, as well as Japanese prints, ancient artifacts, and sculptures.  On exhibition was the photography of Yousuf Karsh.  He essentially used innovative techniques to photograph nearly every  influential person of the 20th century including artists, celebrities, politicians, and philosophers.  The best part of this day, however, was hot dogs at The Weiner’s Circle.  Located in Lincoln Park, Weiner’s Circle offers up juicy, chargrilled hot dogs and sausages and delectable french fries.  If you have a chance, I recommend checking it out.

Overall, Chicago is a great city, and despite the harsh weather (at least on Thursday), it was definitely worth the visit.

Brian Chicago, Millennium park, Museum of Contemporary art, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium

I’ve begun to ponder over whether Chicago will be as cold as expected, or if we will get lucky and the temps will shoot up to the high 30s.

Chicago is known for being cold the same way Idaho is for their spuds. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Have you been to Chicago? Share your experience with me!

Until next time, stay warm!

Brian Chicago, Chicago IL, travel info

I’m leaving for Chicago tomorrow. It will certainly be quite chilly (current temp there is 26F) but that’s a small concession to make for adventure.

I’ve begun researching more attractions to visit. Here are some suggestions from Chicago Traveler:

-Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave to Oak St; shops, restaurants, museums)

-Navy Pier (IMAX, arcade, shops, restaurants, concert venue, fairgrounds)

-Shedd Aquarium (one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums)

-Field Museum (next to Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears; natural history museum)

The Magnificent Mile is a staple Chicago landmark without question. It is literally riddled with high-end shops including, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Hugo Boss, and department store’s such as Bloomie’s and Saks. It’s also home to luxury hotels Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. In addition, you can whet your palate with mainstay dining establishments such as The Signature Room at The 95th, Spiaggia, Tru, and The Pump Room.

Navy Pier is another Chicago landmark. Built in 1916, the pier is a 3,300 ft long structure on Lake Michigan which was originally created to serve as a cargo facility for freighter ships. Today, Navy Pier is used as a tourist attraction and has restaurants, shops, and other entertainment. According to Wikipedia, a major renovation was recently announced which will included the construction of a floating hotel, spokeless ferris wheel, and monorail.

The Shedd Aquarium, which is located on the shared property of the Field Museum and Soldier field, is one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums. First opened in 1930, it houses over 25,000 fish, over 2,100 species of fish, and over 5,000,000 gallons of water. The building was designed in a classic Greek architectural style and is quite impressive.

As can be seen, there certainly are many great Chicago attractions, but because my trip is short (arrive Thursday afternoon leave Sunday evening), I will have to budget my time.
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Brian Chicago, field museum, magnificent mile, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium