The 42 person tour I was on started in Canada's largest city, Toronto (population just under 3 million).  We stayed at the fine Hilton Hotel.  While we were in that area, we made a side trip to Niagara Falls, some 72 miles to the east.  These photos were taken along the way and from the Canadian side of the falls.  Some were taken from the Maid of the Mist boat, where we got a good dousing as we got close to the falls.  The photos are of the Horseshoe (Canadian)  Falls, which is  considerably wider than the American Falls.

As we traveled the North Parkway to the falls, we stopped to see the famous Floral Clock. Originally built by Ontario Hydro in 1950, this site features a floral design with upwards of 16,000 carpet bedding plants.  The design is changed twice each year.

Back in Toronto, we were taken around the city to see some interesting sights.  We saw a few of Toronto's famous black squirrels, but none of those critters were willing to stand still long enough for a photo.  Here is a statue of Queen Victoria, which I believe was near the University.  The next photo is of a building that has a glass wall.  Notice how it reflects the other structures in the area. Finally, the interior of a building that features some very modernistic design. 

Next, overhead photos I took from the CE Tower when we had dinner there.  This tower, at 1815 feet in height, is the world's largest free standing structure. It is three times the height of the Washington Monument and twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower. The revolving restaurant is 1150 feet from the ground, which gives a good view of the city below.  I just had to wait for the restaurant to move around between shots  to give me different views. It makes a complete revolution every 72 minutes.  By the way, dinner was excellent.  This restaurant is supposed to have an internationally recognized wine cellar featuring 500 labels. 

It's almost impossible to get a photo that shows the tower itself from top to bottom.  Other structures are too close for that.  So, here are the two that I took, one from a distance and one from the base, looking up. I also include a not very good shot of the entire tower that I found on another  web site.

One thing I did not do while in Toronto was to check out the famous "underground city," called PATH.  Here are some fascinating facts:

1. According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex with 16 miles of shopping arcades. It has 4 million sq. ft of retail space.
   
2. The approximate 1,200 shops and services, such as photocopy shops and shoe repairs, found in PATH, employ about 5,000 people. Once a year, businesses in PATH host the world's largest underground sidewalk sale.
   
3. More than 50 buildings/office towers are connected through PATH. Twenty parking garages, five subway stations, two major department stores, six major hotels, and a railway terminal are also accessible through PATH.

The next morning, we left Toronto and headed for our next major destination, Ottawa.  Along the way we stopped to visit a famous attraction.  Click below to find out more.

On the road to Ottawa