SNAPSHOTS | TORONTO 2024 | DAY 4

 

My parents' one request for this trip was to go to Niagara Falls. It takes a little under 2 hours from Toronto (depending on traffic) and there are many ways to get there. I thought it would be easiest and most convenient to book a day tour so I could just relax and shut my brain off. 

 

 

The bus picked us up outside CN Tower/Ripley's Aquarium, leaving at 8:00 am sharp. It was a full bus and quite an international crew. We ended up being the only Canadians on board. There were people from Italy, England, USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc.

 

Our tour guide did double duty as our bus driver. He was an older gentleman, polite and knowledgeable. A pet peeve I did have was his constant throat clearing over the intercom.

 

Along the way, we made quick 5 min stops at the Whirlpool and Floral Clock.

 

 

Another stop was Maple Leaf Place, a roadside area that's part maple syrup factory, part cafeteria, and part souvenir gift shop.  

They had a free maple syrup tasting where you could sample 3 different varieties: golden, amber, and dark. My favourite was the dark as it had the strongest maple flavour. They also had a station with free maple syrup taffy! A true Canadian experience.

 

Next, we ventured over to Skylon Tower, an observatory deck with views of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. It was an optional add-on for the tour, so we each paid about $20 a person to go up. The Tower is 775 feet high, with elevators that take less than a minute to the top.

It was a neat perspective seeing the Falls from above. Thankfully it was a clear day despite the rain clouds.

The main event of the tour is the boat ride! We took a vernacular down to the boat, where hundreds of people are shuffled on. They supply you with a red poncho which doesn't do much to keep you dry. You will get wet. 

I had a lot of fun and it was a thrilling experience getting so close to the Falls. We skipped it during my last visit but I would highly recommend doing it at least once. 

 

 After the boat ride, we had a couple hours of free time to explore on our own. I brought my parents over to the Clifton Hill area, which has a ton of family-friendly activities, attractions, and restaurants.

 

We decided to have lunch at Burger Factory, something quick and easy. We each got a cheeseburger with their fresh cut fries. You could customize the burger with any toppings you'd like. It was a pretty big burger and tasted decent. Their fries were good as well. Love a skin-on fry. 

 

My dad wanted a sweet treat (I am definitely my father's child), so we came across Sweet Jesus. Sweet Jesus used to have a stall in West Edmonton Mall, well known for their over the top soft serve creations. My dad chose the Oh Hungry, vanilla soft serve with peanut butter sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate peanut crumble, and chocolate drizzle. They aren't shy with the toppings and we barely managed to make a dent.

   

The drive back to Toronto felt much longer, since we were now dealing with rush hour traffic. When we finally got dropped off, we walked past Rogers Centre and hundreds of Blue Jays fans excited for the game (they did end up winning!).

 

After resting at the hotel for a bit, we left for dinner at Khao San Road. It must be the grandma in me, but they have their music way too loud. Between the buzz of the patrons and the bumping club music, you could barely hear a word. Regardless, we were here for the food.   

Thai iced tea ($6.50), always a staple. 

 

Another Thai staple, the Bangkok-style pad Thai ($21.75). Rice noodles, tamarind, egg, tofu, bean sprout, pickled radish, shallot, chives, dried shrimp, fish sauce, fresh roasted peanuts, and lime. We opted for chicken for protein. This had a good balance of sweet, sour, spicy. We did choose a medium spice level, which is considered a 2 (out of 11!) on their spice scale. It was quite hot for us, so I would probably opt for mild next time. What can I say, we're wimps.

 

The khao soi ($21.75) reminded me so much of my mom's Vietnamese chicken curry soup. It was a base of golden curry with coconut milk, with egg noodles and crispy noodles on top. We decided to get tofu for the protein, which helped sop up the soup itself.

 

 

Our last dish ended up being my favourite of the night, the pad gra prao ($21.75). We chose beef (+$1.50) although chicken and pork is also quite common. The ground meat is stir fried with red bell pepper, onion, garlic, green chili, and the most important part of the dish, holy basil. It's served on top of rice and a crispy fried egg. This was aromatic with good wok hei. 

We're finally reaching the end of this Toronto series! I'm only 7 months behind. One day left! 

- CT