Who wants to visit the city that produced Drake and Justin Bieber? That’s right, I’m speaking of Toronto, Canada. Home of the Raptors, Maple Leafs, Blue Jays and Argonauts to name a few.
I rented a car so that I’d be able to hit all of the spots that I wanted to see in Toronto more quickly and efficiently rather than figuring out all the logistics for flights and public transportation. After the hour-long drive from Niagara Falls, NY to Toronto, I checked into the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. I was immediately blown away with their customer service because usually, some hotels have strict guidelines about checking in early, but the employees here had no problem getting me checked in early. The room was comfy, and everything was spotless. Part of what made my stay there so noteworthy was because I could tell that everyone who worked at this hotel was genuine and ready to help when needed.
Not long after check-in, the first place that I drove to was the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. It came as a shock to find out how huge this mall is. It doesn’t look nearly as large from the outside, but then after walking inside the first thing I see is multiple, narrow levels which are some of the most popular stores and international brands. The top levels are for the stores and the lowest level is a food court with not only typical fast food, but includes an exquisite variety of culinary cuisines spanning throughout the entire floor. Apparently, it’s considered one of the busiest shopping malls in North America and now I see why.
After driving back to the hotel to drop off the items I purchased, I walked to the 360 skyline restaurant in the CN Tower. It was definitely on the more fancy side and items were expensive, but it was justified after taking that first bite into the juicy prime rib while enjoying the view of the blissful city of Toronto. And how could I forget to mention that the entire restaurant rotates? Being able to get a complete 360-degree view of the Toronto skyline from above within a little over an hour made the experience like no other. Being able to sit at a table right by the window was the icing on the cake!
At the end of the day, I drove to a shoe store close by called John Fluevog Shoes for a quick photo-taking opportunity before winding down for the night. There’s a room inside of the shop called the Vog Vault, an empty space that looks like a library. The cool part is that photo takers can stop by and hop inside the room to get pictures that make it look as if they’re defying gravity inside the library.
The next day I drove about an hour to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and in my humble opinion, I enjoyed the New York side of Niagara Falls more because it felt like the views were better from that side. However, the Toronto side is better overall for shopping and surrounding activities.
I’m sure you have an idea that comes to mind when you hear the word Canada. But, I can assure you that whatever you had in mind will change once you’ve experienced Toronto.
Full price breakdown for Toronto:
Car rental- $75
Stay at Sheraton hotel- $226
Lunch at Centre- $10.95
Shopping at Centre- $47.45
Dinner at CN Tower restaurant- $62
Gas for a rental car- $20
Round trip airline tickets from RDU to TOR – $224
Total price: $665.40
In closing, it cost the White T-shirt Guy $665.40 to spend four days in Toronto and so can you.