This is the ninth of a
series of posts dealing with my second and most recent trip to Toronto. I’ve made minor corrections to these
reports. Due to how recent the trip was,
there is only one update to note below.
Got in a bit later than expected after a late under the wire meet with
my long time friends Dave and Jan. Then the next morning got up early and
took the 300C bus along Bloor to Yonge, then the YUS to Dundas Station, where I visited Yonge-Dundas Square before going to the bus
depot.
[NOW: I met them at the now-closed Stella. The 300C bus and the Yonge-University-Spadina train now Line 1 are TTC/Toronto Transit Commission. The bus depot was Toronto Coach Terminal.]
I waited for the Montreal
bus to leave and then grabbed the front of the line. However it was a single-decker
and a bus driver was riding the bus so i still didn't get a front seat anyway.
[NOW: The bus Megabus.]
The bus was supposed to arrive at the Buffalo bus depot at 9:40 but only arrived at
the border then so arrived almost exactly an hour late. On the plus side, I was
the first off the bus at Customs and I had my documents together in a bag, so I
was also the first person to be cleared. I'd take boredom over that kind
of stress any day. I can't say that I was too impressed with Buffalo. It seemed
kind of rundown, even the newer looking buildings.
I grabbed a late breakfast at Tim Horton's; a Tim Horton's in the US is so wrong
I just had to eat there. I then walked to the courthouse after a brief
stop at a convention centre when I grabbed a free magazine with a map.
The info guy there recommended a tour of the courthouse so time was tight
so I opted just for the free observation deck. The courthouse's free
observation deck is on the 28th floor, so if you do visit Buffalo it's pretty much a must-do.
Easily the highlight of that part of the day.
I wandered around and checked a few convenience stores, grabbing a pop
and a DVD at Walgreen's; along the way I saw a couple funny signs:
"Buffalo Small Animal Care", "Trinity Ave/One Way". I rode
the light rail in the free area a little. When the doors open, steps
unfold. At one stop I asked someone if the bus I needed stopped there she
wasn't sure; it turned out it did but that's fine because i ended up getting it
at an earlier stop.
[NOW: The rail was Buffalo Metro Rail.]
I took the 40A to Niagara Falls
NY; someone was sitting behind me
so my bag was warming me to the point of nearly nodding off. I grabbed a
drink at 7-11 and then headed to the falls; an observation deck nearby was
closed; it's also free when open. Got some nice shots of the falls and
the area behind the US
one. A platform hanging over the river that was free in March 2011 cost
$1 this time, probably because it shares its space with the US Maid of the
Mist.
[NOW: The 40A bus was Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. The deck, now $1.25 is part of Prospect Point Observation Tower.]
I crossed the Rainbow Bridge (grey coloured) to Niagara Falls, ON,
clearing Customs; they didn't ask if I bought anything. Even those it
meant losing out on an attraction on my Adventure Pass that I wasn't that
interested in (a movie called Niagara's Fury; it ended at 4 today and only
started at 10:30 am tomorrow), I next walked to the hostel to drop off my
stuff. Cash only.
I walked further north to the White Water Walk, one of the attractions
included with the pass. It was decent, powerful rapids.
I took a shuttle also included in the pass to the Canadian Maid of the
Mist (part of the pass), choosing the top floor/open air. Someone got married
on the boat before it took off. There was no baggage storage so when it
was time to switch to a cheaper camera as the boat got closer to the falls, I
had to really protect my good camera and make sure it didn't get wet. I think
though even the cheap camera survived.
[NOW: The shuttle was WEGO. Canada's Maid of the Mist is now closed, though there's now a similar tour service.]
I walked along Clinton Hill, where all the tacky attractions are (eg
Guinness Book of World Records Museum, Movieland Wax Museum, Haunted Castle,
etc; I ate a very late lunch (5ish) at the Burger King with the sign of the Frankenstein
Monster holding a Whopper. I walked to Lundy's Lane where I checked out a
pawn shop and a comic shop, then headed back to the falls, getting turned
around once or twice, which dehydrated me, an issue because there's no water
fountains in the area. I used my pass on Journey behind the Falls. There
are two windows behind the Canadian falls, but
it's actually an observation area beside the falls that's most impressive.
Curiously it was raining at the Canadian falls
area only (also during the later visit below)
I went off in search of water from more to know avail, checking out
shops along the way. i had a late dinner at the Tim Horton's on Clifton Hill (including
what I thought was a Slurpee drink but turned out to be an iced coffee). I took
some early sundown photos of Clifton Hill, some sundown/night photos of the
falls (walking around some barriers; I think some filming was happening; the American falls had multi-coloured lights. Then I returned
to the hostel.
[NOW: The filming was for someone crossing the Falls, which happened
some time the next day after I left town].
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