Niagara and Toronto
 

We have 2 nights and 3 days to spend in the Niagara-Toronto area, we already have a hotel on the american side in Niagara falls, but want to spend some time seeing Toronto. My wife wants to take our 2 year old to the Zoo, and I would like to see some of the downtown area and perhaps take in a gallery or 2 since I am a photographer and there are several good photo galleries in Toronto. In particular I wanted to see some of Edward Burtynsky's work. Not being familiar with Toronto, is this something we can fit into one day, or is it more a 2 day itinerary? Is the Zoo highly recommended?

Why in the world would anyone stay on the US side of Niagara Falls?

Your first smart move would be to re-book, in Canada.

The zoo in a huge place, on the far side of Toronto, and a two year old probably doesn't much care about the animals there.

Instead, take junior to Riverdale Farm, in the downtown - Cabbagetown area. It's easy to get to, and there are pigs and cows and horses and ducks and chickens and a little kid will have a great time. Plus it is easy, and free, and does not take much time.

Too bad about your timing. last year Ed had a great show at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and another show just ened at his commercial gallery, Mira Goddard.

There are some of his photos on the walls of Toronto Image Works, at 80 Spadina Avenue, on the second floor, at the far end of the hall. http://www.torontoimageworks.com/ will give you the hours.

The Stephen Bulger Gallery is well worth a visit:
1026 QUEEN STREET WEST
TORONTO ON
M6J 1H6
CANADA

TEL:: 416.504.0575
FAX: 416.504.8929

[email protected]
www.bulgergallery.com

TUESDAY to SATURDAY 11AM - 6PM
As well as by appointment or by Chance

And, in the Distillery District, jane Corkin's photo gallery. If you find reference to Corkin on John Street, ignore that address. She moved.
Corkin Shopland Gallery
55 Mill St, bldg 61
Toronto, ON
M5A 3C4
Tel: 416.979.1980
Fax: 416.979.7018
http://www.thedistillerydistrictphot...orkinshopland/

Junior will enjoy the visit to the Distillery District becaue there's room to run around, and Ed's got a big fish tank in the lobby of Toronto Image Works. Not much for the kid at Bulger, though.

If ytou are here Monday through Saturday, you probably would enjoy a visit to Vistek, on Queen Strteet East between Parliament and River Streets. It's Canada's best professional camera store. If you need to buy anthing, check US prices before you come. Sometimes exchange rates work inyour favor, and sometimes they don't. Henry's, at Queen Street East and Church, has a vast array of used film cameras, if you want used stuff. Nothing there for junior, though.

If Junior's mom doesn't love camera stores, you could split up. Junior and mom go to Allan Gardens and look at the flowers inside the conservatory, and you go to the camera stores. Once upon a time my daughter and my then-divorced wife went there, and she (the former wife) ended up marrying one of the gardeners. I tell this story not so you lose your wife, but to make the point the place is child-friendly)

Other kid-fun things inlcude visiting the little park along Cumberland Street, between Belair and Avenue Road (just north of Bloor Steet West) The neighborhood, Yorkville, has lots of galleries (including Mira Goddard, where they might pull some of Ed's pictures out of storage to show you) and some restaurants and a big book store. The park has a big rock that two year olds love.

I'd suggest one night in Niagara Falls, or Niagara on the Lake, and one night in Toronto, working out to about a day and a half in each place.

BAK

BAK

BAK ::: Does NOTL warrant a 4 night stay? Thinking of coming up next fall right after Labor Day--do some wineries, a short trip to the falls, maybe a lunch Shaw.
Also take recs on Cottages in downtown NOTL

Well, it doesn't warrant four days in my book, but I can go anytime I want.

And people get bored easily (me) or wind down and relax (other people)

But if you picked two plays on different days, a couple of wineries each day, andother day in Niagara Falls (take the Maid of the Mist boat trip to the bottom of the falls0 and maybe a few hours in a casino, I guess lots of people would find it fun, interesting, and not too long.

Once upon a time I did the pictures for a book that included a walking tour of Niaggara on the lake -- that tour would use up half a day, at least, but even without a book, you would walk around for several hours.

And it's not far from Toronto, and if you like airplanes, there's an airplane museum in Hamilton...

So, yes, come on up.

BAK

Well, the hotel on the american side is free for 2 nights, so that wont change, but I appreciate the tips on a toronto visit. Actually the american side does have some redeaming qualities, from the hotel we can walk to goat island and thats a great place to walk around and see the sights, very nice park area. But walk away from the river and things can get seedy fast. We'll be visiting Toronto on a Sunday, so hopefully things won't be all shut down. And my wife insists that we visit the zoo, so thats in the cards. Hopefully we have some energy left to explore some of Toronto after the zoo.

I can see why your wife would want to visit the zoo. I am a big zoo fan too and love to go there! It isn't exactly close to downtown Toronto as it is in the North East end of town. I can't wait to take my 10 month old daughter there, as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer here. The zoo is very big and you could spend the better part of a day there for sure. There are 4 (I believe) different paths you can follow (marked by animal foot prints on the walkways). I guess it depends if you are an animal lover or not as to whether you would enjoy our zoo. You can do a lot of walking there in a day. (but you can also take a "trolly"-type ride around). I absolutely love our zoo...and I have been to a number of different zoos all over the place. I think the Toronto zoo is one of the better ones for sure. It might require more than one day to do the zoo and the other site seeing you are wanting to do; unless of course you really limit your time at the zoo and just pick one of the paths perhaps.
Just my opinion. K