Three Days in Toronto

Image

Heading to Toronto for the first time? Here are my suggestions on how to spend three days in and around Toronto.

Take in the views at the CN Tower

Visiting the CN Tower was one of the first things I did on my trip to Toronto, but at $45 for an adult ticket, the ticket may be expensive for some. If you go, you’ll need to book your ticket a minimum of 24 hours prior to your visit. If I had to do it over again, I’d try to time my visit up the tower to be around sunset.

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

At the CN Tower

At the CN Tower

Tour a Brewery

Located right next to the CN Tower, the Steam Whistle Brewery. For $15, you’ll get a tour of the brewery and a souvenir of your choice.

Steam Whistle Brewery

Steam Whistle Brewery

Tour of the brewery

Tour of the brewery

Learn about Toronto’s history and architecture at Casa Loma.

I’m a huge lover of history and architecture. Although a relatively young city compared to cities in say Western Europe or parts of Asia, Toronto’s Casa Loma provides a great introduction to how the city of Toronto developed during the 19th and 20th century.

View of Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Discover Toronto’s Neighborhoods

Toronto is a city of neighborhoods. And given that it’s a relatively flat city, it’s really easy to walk around this city without feeling overly bogged down by climbing up and down steep hills. During my visit to Toronto I mostly explored the neighborhoods around my hostel.

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Street art in Toronto

Street art in Toronto

Visit St. Lawrence Market.

Whenever I visit a new city, as much as possible I’ll try to visit a city’s main local market to get a glimpse of everyday life. Main markets have a tendency to be a little touristy, so I’ll also try to see if there’s a local neighborhood farmers market near wherever I’m staying. During my visit to Toronto, I visited the St. Lawrence Market. It’s huge!

While there definitely were a fair bit of tourists, it also seemed like a lot of locals were at the market that day.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Visit Niagara Falls

One of the great things about Toronto is how close it is to get to Niagara Falls from the city! I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara, and the Falls is just a quick 90 minute drive from downtown. Check out this great resource on how to get to Niagara Falls: How to Get to Niagara Falls.

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

Check out the largest Chinese Mall in North America:  Pacific Mall

The Greater Toronto Area is home to Canada’s largest concentration of Chinese Canadians. Over in Markham, a suburb of Toronto, sits the Pacific Mall, the largest Chinese Indoor Mall in North America. Visiting this mall truly feels like you’re back in the endless maze of shops throughout Hong Kong. You’ll find pretty much everything you can imagine at this mall.

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Markham is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Toronto.

Best Views of the City:

Unlike Chicago’s skyline that runs along Lake Michigan, Toronto’s skyline runs perpendicular to Lake Erie. For the best views of Toronto, I’d recommend going out on the water and exploring Toronto’s Islands. The view from Billy Bishop Airport is also pretty amazing!

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

Where to Stay:

Toronto has a range of accommodations to choose from. For those on a budget, I’d highly recommend staying at Planet Traveler. Located near the University of Toronto, the hostel is a short 10 minute walk to the Queen’s Park subway station, and is near a bunch of different neighborhoods worth exploring, including Little Italy and Chinatown.

Planet Traveler Toronto

Planet Traveler Toronto

Get Around:

If you’re looking to just stay in the city, Toronto has an extensive public transport system that’s pretty easy to use. If however you’re looking to head out to Niagara Falls and explore Toronto’s suburbs, you’ll need to get rent a car.

Toronto's streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

Toronto’s streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

How to Get There:

Toronto is serviced by two airports: Toronto Pearson, located in the nearby suburb of Mississauga, and Toronto Billy Bishop, located in Toronto Harbour and just a few minutes drive from downtown. Billy Bishop is serviced solely by Porter Airlines; all other airlines fly through Pearson. Toronto is just a quick 90 minute flight from most of the US. East Coast. Billy Bishop Airport.

 

If you live in a city that Porter services, I'd highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

If you live in a city that Porter services, I’d highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

One Day in Dubai

Image

Have an upcoming layover in Dubai? First time visiting the city and you’ve only got a day to spare? I’m a big fan of beaches and architecture, and on a recent trip through Dubai, here’s how I spent my 24 hour layover in Dubai:

Walk around the Dubai Mall
(~1 hour)

Grab a taxi or uber to visit the Dubai Mall, one of the largest malls in the world. Not only is the mall a great escape from the oppressive heat (even at night!), but there’s something new and interesting. During my visit, there was a game going on in the ice rink:

Ice rink at Dubai Mall

Ice rink at Dubai Mall

Watch the Dubai Fountain Show
(~30 minutes)

The highlight of the mall in my opinion is the Dubai Fountain. Designed by the same creators of the fountain show at The Bellagio in Las Vegas, the fountain show at the Dubai Mall is the world’s largest fountain performance. I’d recommend going in the evening to take full advantage of the accompanying light show, which you obviously can’t appreciate as much during the day. Evening shows happen every 30 minutes, between 630pm – 11pm. Additional information on the Dubai Fountain

Dubai Fountain Performance

Dubai Fountain Performance

Be mesmerized by the Burj Khalifa
(~15-20 minutes)

After the fountain show, walk around the Burj Khalifa lake to get to the base of Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world. One of the first things you’ll notice when standing at the foot of the tower is just the immensity of the building. I’ve visited a handful of other super-skyscrapers in the past (the Willis Tower in Chicago, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, or Taipei 101), but none of those buildings compares to Burj Khalifa. Simply put, this building is enormous!

Burj Khalifa at Night

Burj Khalifa at Night

Indulge in high tea at the world’s highest bar: At.mosphere at the Burj Khalifa
(~1-2 hours)

I absolutely love architecture. And drinking…tea. And in a city known for towers sprouting up like weeds, there were really only two places that made my shortlist to grab high tea: the Burj Khalifa and the Burj al Arab. Both towers offer guests the option of having high tea from a prime location: at the Burj Khalifa, at highest bar in the world; at the Burj al Arab, at the world’s only 7 star hotel. I opted for the Burj Khalifa, mainly because I wanted to check out the view from the world’s tallest tower, and more importantly there weren’t any reservations available at the Skyview Bar at the Burj al Arab.

Waiting for high tea at the Armani Residences at Burj Khalifa

Waiting for high tea reservation at the Armani Residences at Burj Khalifa

The At.mosphere is located at Floor 124. I’ve never been at a floor so high in my life! At AED580 for a window seat, the experience indeed was definitely a treat. was definitely one of the highlights of my layover. Although it’s not the highest floor in the tower (there’s an observation deck on the 148th floor), it was certainly an experience to remember.

Window table at At.moshpere at Burj Khalifa

Window table at At.moshpere at Burj Khalifa

High tea starters

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa high tea starters

High Tea Shrimp Course

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa high tea shrimp dish

High tea desserts

At.mosphere at Burj Khalifa high tea desserts

At the At.mosphere!

Me at the At.mosphere!

Make sure to book your reservation by either filling out this form, sending an email to reservations@atmosphereburjkhalifa.com, or calling them at +971 4 888 3828.

Check out JBR Beach
(1-2 hours)

After high tea, I was keen to check out Dubai’s beaches. While there are a lot of beaches in the emirate, JBR (short for Jumeirah Beach Residence) beach, located about 20 minutes away from the Burj Khalifa, is one of Dubai’s more renowned beach areas. A quick uber ride later, I had my feet in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf!

JBR Beach

Muslim women at JBR Beach

Sun shining down on JBR Beach

Sun shining down on JBR Beach

Soaking in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf

Soaking in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf

Go on a sunset cruise around the Dubai Marina
(1 hour)

After hanging out and people watching, walk over to the Dubai Marina and grab a ticket for a ferry ride on the Dubai Ferry. I caught the 5pm ferry ride, which lined up perfectly right around sunset. The ferry is a great way to see a lot of Dubai’s architecture from the water in a relatively short period of time (the ferry tour lasts about 60 minutes). Tickets for the ferry ride cost AED 50.

After the ferry ride, I grabbed a cab at the Dubai Marina (it’s pretty easy to find cabs and ubers in this part of town), picked up my stuff from my hotel, and headed off to Dubai airport for my connecting flight later that evening.

Dubai Marina

Dubai Marina

Yacht at Dubai Marina

Yacht at Dubai Marina

Sunset in the Persian Gulf

Sunset in the Persian Gulf

Getting Around:
If you’re strapped for time, and want to make the most of your short stay in Dubai, I’d highly recommend using a taxi or uber to get around. While I did take the Dubai Metro from the airport to my hotel, walking from the metro station to your final destination in the oppressively hot Middle East heat is no joke. Do yourself a favor and just take a cab or uber!

 

One Day in Quebec City

Image

One of the great things about traveling solo and renting a car is the flexibility it affords you with making travel decisions on the fly. When I visited Montreal over Labor Day, I didn’t have any plans to head up to Quebec City. Curiosity, of course, got the better of me, and I decided to make the 250 km drive to check out the epicenter of French Culture in North America: Quebec City. Here’s how I spent a Sunday afternoon in the city:

#1: Observed the stunning architecture

Provincial Government Building.

Quebec Provincial BuildingThe Fairmont Hotel Frontenac, an icon of the city of Quebec, renowned for its architecture. 

Hotel Frontenac

#2: Wandered around the streets of Old Town

View of the Saint Lawrence River from the Hotel Frontenac

View of St. Lawrence River #2

The funicular connecting Haute Ville and Basse Ville
Funicular
Streetscape in Quebec City

Street Scene #3

#3: Discovered Quebec City’s Art Scene

Murals abound in Quebec City. This one was simply stunning.

Mural #2 Mural #1#4: Learned about the history of French Canada and Quebecois identity

The Musee de la Civilization has an interesting exhibit on the first floor regarding the history of French Canada and Quebecois identity.
Musee de la Civilisation

#5: Caught an impromptu street performance

Quebec City is also known for it’s street performers. A large crowd had gathered around this group.

Street Performance in Quebec City

 

 

Have you visited Quebec City? Any suggestions on what I should check out next time I’m in the city? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

One Day in Burlington, Vermont

Image

I had a few hours to spend in Burlington on my way back from a weekend in Quebec before my flight back down to DC, and for a city of less than 50,000 people, Burlington had a lot of activities to choose from. Here are my top three picks on what to do if you’ve got a day in Burlington.

#1 Take a cruise along Lake Champlain.

I love being out on the water, and the first thing I did when I got to Burlington was hop on a tour of the lake with The Spirit of Ethan Allen. The ticket cost about $22.50 for about an hour and a half cruise around the lake. The guided tour was really well done, with the tour guide explaining in great detail the history of the lake and surrounding area. For one thing, I learned that the lake is a little over 100 miles long and 12 miles wide at it’s largest point, and is often called the “West Coast of New England.” Here are some pictures from what I saw:

Waiting for the ferry at the Burlington Pier.

Burlington Harbor

Sailboats with the Adirondack Mountains and New York State in the distance.

Lake Champlain #1

(Nerd alert) Check out the clear layers of rock on the cliffside!

Lake Champlain #3

Water as far as the eye can see!

Lake Champlain #2

View of Burlington from the lake.

Burlington - View of Downtown

Pro-tip: There are signs that say no outside food or drinks are allowed on the boat, but fear not, you don’t have to force yourself to drink all that water you just bought. Before boarding the ferry there’s a cooler where you can drop your stuff off and pick up on your way after the cruise ends.

#2 Walk along Church Street.

After stopping at a local restaurant along the lake, I walked north towards downtown. Burlington itself is a pretty small city, and probably because of that fact, is very walkable. The main street with a ton of activity is Church Street, which from what I understand is generally pedestrian-only on weekends. Great place to people watch, check out boutiques and just relax!

There was a bike race tournament going on when I visited that went right through the city!

Burlington - Bike Race

View of Church Street.

Burlington - Church Street #2

At the end of Church Street. 

Burlington - Church Street

#3 Visit the Shelburne Museum.

I’m a big fan of art, specifically landscape art, and had read a lot via TripAdvisor about the Shelburne museum. Tickets to the museum cost $20. That might seem a bit pricey, but the tickets are good for two days. Moreover, this place is HUGE! They really shouldn’t call it a museum. A compound or estate seems more fitting. The museum is known for it’s collection of American Art, a heritage boat The Ticonderoga which once plied the waters of Lake Champlain, as well as early New England history.

The Entrance to the Shelburne Museum

Shelburne Museum - Entrance

 

 

The Ticonderoga

Shelburne Museum - Ticonderoga

Everything at the museum can be explored. Here I am inside the boiler room in the Ticonderoga.

Shelburne Museum - Inside the Ticonderoga

A view of the museum grounds. There are more than a dozen different buildings to explore.

Shelburne Museum - Grounds

My favorite part of the museum was the Webb Gallery, home to the Shelburne’s collection of American art.

Shelburne Museum - Webb Gallery

One of the many paintings inside the gallery.

Shelburne Museum - Vulture

How to Get There?

Getting to Burlington is pretty easy. I flew into the city’s main airport, BTV, but you can also fly into Montreal, an hour and a half drive due north, or a 5.5 hour drive up on I-87 from New York City. The Vermonter also offers train service from New York City to Burlington.

Conclusion

Although I was in Burlington for a few hours, I could easily see myself spending at least 3 full days exploring Northern Vermont, especially during the Fall Season as the leaves start to change. I definitely hope to make it up there sometime soon.