Trip with Mom - North of the Border

This time last week I was north of the border, in Toronto, going a short trip with my mother.  Toronto was the last trip my family went on together, about 30 years ago when I was about 8 years old.  Much has happened since then, specifically my family has gotten smaller (my sister Becky and my father died).  So I thought this would be a good time to revisit old memories and enjoy the city with the one of the largest Chinatown in North America.

My mom and I on the plane over:

Once we got to Toronto, we went directly to Chinatown.  Along the streets of Spadina and Dundas:

One thing we did in Chinatown is eat.... A lot!

The following day we went to CN Tower in Downtown Toronto:

Quite the view, 1,400 feet up.

The next day, my mom and I went out to Niagara Falls.  We first stopped at the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.  It's a sleepy town with neighborhood shops surrounded by vineyards.  Told that residents of the town are quite affluent and that buses are not allowed to drive through town due to environmental concerns.  It's a cozy spot.

It even has a store that sells Christmas items all year:

I found a hotel in town where Queen Elizabeth's mom stayed.  A room there is $900 a night. (Tea and scones were available for $20 though). Above my pay grade, as a famous man said.

Well, we did move on towards Niagara Falls, I decided to stop the bus and take a picture at a Floral Clock along the way...

We did make it to the Falls eventually.

My mother and I took a boat along the edge of the Falls, a horseshoe trip which we got a poncho, but still got very wet.

In short, it was a successful trip.  My mom told me that we should head back to Toronto every year.  I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to spend with her.  These were moments to cherish.  

"I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." - Ecclesiastes 3:12-13