On April 23 I woke up full of excitement. I was about to begin my first adventure for the 2014 season, and what better way then to go a one day bus tour to Toronto with my parents!
On Wednesday April 23 we arrived at the Dundalk arena at 7:45 am to catch the Great Canadian Bus that would take us to Toronto; We would be making 2 stops with a dinner stop on the way home. The Bus was to depart at 8:00 am sharp but a few people were late, and that is to be expected in a farming community and we ending up leaving at 8:23 am.
The Bus we were on, held 56 passengers plus the bus driver. It had large picture windows that are tinted and UV protected, you could look out and see the passing scenery without having the glaring sun in your eyes. The bus is equipped with individual air fans so passengers can keep cool on hot days, and a small light for reading. There is plenty of leg room between the seats and there is a small foot rest behind each seat, but the seats are small and larger people will feel confined, the aisle is very small and tight and many people needed to turn sideways in order to walk to their seats. The washroom is compact almost to the point where it felt claustrophobic. Our Driver was Louis, he was fantastic - very friendly and cordial towards everyone.
Click here for more information about Great Canadian Tours
The first stop for the day was at the St. Lawrence Market located at 92 Front Street in downtown Toronto. The St. Lawrence Market has been the culinary focal point in Toronto since it opened in 1803. The St Lawrence has seen and experienced its fair share of History. In the 1830's the local civic government used the market for its temporary office. In 1845 city council moved in and used the 2nd floor of the market to meet for council meetings. 1849 saw the great fire which destroyed most of Toronto along with the St. Lawrence Market, later that year the market was rebuilt which would include a new hall, known as the St. Lawrence Hall. The St. Lawrence Market's basement was used as a prison after it was rebuilt. The interior of the Market was used for social meetings, lectures and exhibits. Between 1850 and 1920 William Davies invented peameal bacon in the St. Lawrence Market. Peameal Bacon quickly became world famous and the peameal bacon sandwich is known as Toronto's signature dish. For the members of the neighborhood the St. Lawrence Market has been a place to connect, share stories and of course discover new food. Click here for more information about St. Lawrence Market |
| Vegetable Stall |
The next stop was Ripley's Aquarium located at 288 Bremner Boulevard in
Toronto. Located at the base of the CN Tower and beside the Rogers Center,
Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto is Canada's largest indoor aquarium and is the
most anticipated attraction that opened in Toronto's Downtown area. I
have to admit this was going to be the highlight of my day. Ever since I heard
that Ripley's was opening an aquarium in Toronto I couldn't wait to go.
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| Octopus |
The aquarium has 9 different galleries which includes the touch tank and
the life support system.The Galleries all flow nicely into each other.
After purchasing your tickets you start your tour in the Canadian Waters
Gallery. In this gallery you will see 17 different species that are from the
Great Lakes and from the seas that surround Canada. Some of the highlights
include the Lumpfish, Black Eels and a Giant Pacific Octopus.
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| Blue fish in the Indo-Pacific Gallery |
After the Canadian Waters you will find yourself heading into the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, where you will be greeted by bright colored fish and corals. Every other hour there is an interactive dive show, where divers communicate with guests via a special under water microphone. Then step on the the moving platform that will take you into a tunnel that goes through the Dangerous Lagoon where you will see some of the worlds most dangerous under water species, and a few green turtles up close.
Green Sawfish The Reef in the Dangerous Lagoon
In the discovery center you have an opportunity to go into the under water viewing bubbles. Guests will also see and have the opportunity touch the living fossil that is known as the Horseshoe Crab. Instead of going in the viewing bubbles I choose to just hang out with the Horseshoe Crabs and touch them! This living fossil has not evolved much in the last 250 million years and to look at these creatures who have survived an asteroid that killed the dinosaurs and an ice age, makes me think that I can get through whatever life has to throw my way.
Underwater viewing bubbles
Just outside the discovery center there is a little family friendly cafe where you can relax and have snack before continuing on to the remaining galleries, where you will see jelly fish, sea horses, electric eels, sting rays etc. There is also a touch center where you may have the opportunity to touch the white spotted bamboo sharks, southern stingrays among other creatures from our planets oceans.
If you are planning a trip to Toronto, I would highly recommend visiting Ripley's Aquarium and prepare to spend at least half a day exploring.
Click here for more information about Ripley's Aquarium.
Boarding the bus for our home journey we stopped at the Mandarin for our dinner. It was the perfect conclusion for the first adventure of 2014!
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