From Toronto
Linda and David both grew up in Toronto and are enjoying re-exploring their city when they are in town. Now semi-retired, they are travelling more and more. While Europe is a favorite destination in spring and fall, they escape to hot destinations once the cold settles into Toronto. The big dream destination in the planning stage include a 2 month escape to the south Pacific for scuba diving with a stop to visit relatives in Australia. Their blog at Retired and Blogging chronicles their travels and their journey through semi-retirement.
Re-Exploring Our City – The 46km of Toronto Lakefront
When Linda celebrated the silver anniversary of her 29th birthday, we sold our house and downsized to a condo in Toronto. With 3 kids in university in 3 different cities across the country, none with a yet expressed desire to move back home, we felt it was time we could rid ourselves of the burden of house ownership. Canadian healthcare insurance (and a demanding part time consulting career) are still currently keeping us tied to Canada for half the year, so we bought in a place we knew we would enjoy during our home stays. Leaving the condo behind when we travel has removed a huge burden and worry – just set the alarm, let security know we are away and off we go!
Our condo is located on the west end of Toronto right on the waterfront – easily located beside the white span bridge over the Humber River.
From our 42nd floor western view, we can see almost to Hamilton and enjoy the sun as it sets red on the horizon.
We can walk out our front door and bicycle the 46 km along the waterfront, with connection to trails that wind throughout the city (city plan includes 1000 km of bikeways with 500 km of on-street bike lanes and another 250 km of off-road paved).
If we go west, we find a marina with sailboats. One day we will actually get our boating and Toronto harbour licenses so we can join the vast cheap cialis paypal array of boats cruising Lake Ontario from May to October.
If we go to the 47th floor of the condo, we have a great view of the downtown Toronto skyline, filled with office towers and the almost solid line of new condos for the people heading back to live in downtown. I won’t show you the traffic mess that starts on the highway into the city before 6am, which is a key factor driving people back into the core! This return of people to the city centre has resulted in a very livable city centre, not the ghost town of many downtown areas. The iconic CN Tower and SkyDome define the Toronto skyline and let us know we are home!
Within 1km of the Toronto waterfront there is something to do all summer! Harbourfront Centre has festivals almost every weekend and provides access to the ferry to the Toronto Island. The Honda Indy closes part of the lakeshore road for a few days as the roar of high powered engines vibrates for miles around. The Beaches Jazz festival, just off the eastern Woodbine beach, offers several nights of street music and entertainment.
For more street entertainment we can head away from the waterfront and eat our way through the Taste of the Danforth.
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade – Caribana – is a highlight of weeks of festivities along the waterfront.
In August it is Buskerfest. We know the summer is at an end when the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) opens up, culminating in 3 days of air show entertainment for the crowds in the waterfront parks.
If you never want to leave the lake, you can even drive west for a day trip to Niagara on the Lake and Niagara Falls!
We can walk or cycle this narrow band along the waterfront, as long as the Toronto weather cooperates! If not, we can hop on the red rocket streetcar just out our front door and head to many of the other Toronto sites.
When we are not travelling, it is still good to go home!
Catch up on all of our Outside my Front Door series and see insider’s views from all around the world.
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