My weekend in Toronto was a lot of fun. Indianapolis friends Cameron Jeffreys and Michelle Blackwell are now married.
I began the weekend early on Friday morning (3:45am), drove to Hartford to catch my flight, and arrived in Toronto by 9:30. Once there, the whole Indianapolis gang picked me up at the airport: Ansley Jentz, Carol McLaughlin, Merritt Olsen and a new friend Amy. We piled into the car and headed to Niagra Falls.
Though I’ve seen the falls twice before, the trip was great. None of the ladies had seen the falls, so it was fun enjoying their first-time reactions. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the falls and headed back to Toronto.
Carol and Ansley attended the rehearsal dinner that night while Merritt, Amy, and I set off to find dinner. We found a neat Italian restaurant that had a live tree growing partially inside. Dinner was great. Following dinner, we went up the CN Tower for a night view of the city.
At a height of 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches), the CN Tower is the World’s Tallest Building. At 342 m (1,122 ft) there is a Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Deck, which is quite cool. And at 447 m (1,465 ft.), you’ll reach the Sky Pod, the World’s Highest Public Observation Deck is located at a dizzying 447 m (1,465 ft.). To give you an idea, that’s about 145 stories tall.
I’ve been up the CN Tower two times prior, but never at night. It was cool to see the city a lit up. It was also easy to spot the horizon thanks to street lights.
After the Tower, we headed back to the hotel just in time to catch Ansley and Carol returning from the Rehearsal Dinner. I jumped in the car and we took off to Carol’s hotel for a few drinks. Her hotel was attached to the Sky Dome. We found the Windows Lounge and Bar, which overlooks the field. There, we had a few drinks and watched the grounds crew disassemble the field after a CFL game.
On Saturday, Ansley’s husband Brian joined us. The ladies decided we should eat in China Town. But after seeing all of the chickens, ducks, and other animals hanging in the restaurant windows, they changed their minds. We eventually found Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant, where we could enjoy hamburgers and some US college football.
It was now time for the wedding. Held at The Hunt Club, their wedding was great. Following the wedding, I played the role of emcee. So I introduced the wedding party as they entered, I introduced the toast, and announced the cutting of the cake; things like that. It all went well. And thanks to a new drink I discovered, the Canadian Caesar, we all had a good time.
On Sunday, many of us met for breakfast to say goodbye. Carol and I had later flights so we set off on foot to explore some more. After a little shopping, we found a neat restaurant that was like an open-air market. Following lunch, we visited the Hockey Hall of Fame Museum. I’ve been here before but they have a lot of fun things to see and do. It was worth a second visit.
After Carol departed for her flight, I left the HHOFM and found World Press Photo 03, an annual exhibition that contains 200 photographs that feature the best in press photography in the past year. Naturally, the images were quite moving as they serve as a historical document for the world’s main events of 2002.
Following this powerful exhibit, I grabbed my bags, caught a taxi, and headed out to the suburbs to see Cam and Michelle’s new home. They have a two-story home in a great neighborhood. Cam’s parents, in fact, live about five blocks away. I can tell they will both be happy here.
It was now time to return home. Cam drove me to the airport and I was back in Norwalk by midnight on Sunday. It was a great trip. Cam and Michelle, I’m quite happy for you both.