Toronto and the Falls of Niagara

The tall, thin, space needle-like structure known as the CN Tower stood out among the other buildings as the skyline slowly emerged from the hazy morning sky. We pulled alongside Pier 4 in the heart of Toronto next to a restaurant full of onlookers disrupted from their meal. The Sky Dome (home of the Blue Jays), or now called Rogers Centre, sat just 3 blocks from the marina right under the CN Tower. There couldn’t have been a better location to be berthed.

Toronto was a much more modern city, a bit larger, and less inviting than recently visited Montreal. We were fortunate to have experienced Canada Day with the rest of the city, as thousands of people flocked the streets and harbor front to partake in the shopping a and free concerts all weekend. I spent part of one day exploring the shores of Toronto by bicycle as people soaked up the sun next to the public pools, gardens, green parks, and miles of walking paths. Summer was obviously in full swing as loads of boats dotted the lake and tour boats sailed around the busy harbor. One of the crew members and I decided to kayak to this island just a mile off the port side of the boat, and spend the afternoon exploring and enjoying the nice weather. We rented a scurvy bike, and pedaled for hours along the paths, leading us to a beach, an amusement park, some great food and drinks, and awesome views of the Toronto Skyline with our boat right at the base.

Another night, one of our crew members found a sweet dance club, full of guest DJ’s from all around the world. The Guvernment was the place to be in Toronto! Over 6,000 people gathered there that night to enjoy the beats and sounds of trance, electronica, drum and bass. We danced until the sun came up. The last item on our agenda was to visit the top of the CN Tower, home of the world’s tallest observation deck. It took over one minute to reach the top by elevator, and then we stepped off to the most spectacular view. We could see the other side of Lake Ontario and the rough location of Niagara Falls on the south side of the lake. The glass bottom floor provided us with a different view of the ground, 1800 feet directly below us. The Blue Moon sat at the marina far below, and stood out like a sore thumb among every boat in the harbor. No boat was as large, or white, as the Blue Moon! Once the sun set on the horizon, lights turned on and lit up the entire tower. A rainbow of colors swirled and danced up and down the tower. We could barely make out the tiny cars glistening the streets of downtown.

Just as I was getting familiar with the fast pace of this city, it was time to move on to our next destination. All part of the job, I suppose! We let the lines loose on a cool, rainy morning and set sail for the Welland Canal. The Welland Canal is a bypass of Niagara Falls, including a series of 4 locks in less than a mile, and a climb in elevation of around 250 feet. It was quite the experience, especially being on a boat! The following day, the crew set off to see the great Niagara Falls, just south of where we had docked for the night.

We were the first set of tourists to see the Niagara Falls that morning. Dense clouds of steam and mist rose above the water into the sky. The sheer force of the falls was absolutely incredible. Standing on the Canadian side provided us with a direct view of both falls, American and Canadian. The Rainbow bridged stretched across the Niagara River, connecting the two countries. We were sure to get on the first Maid of the Mist that morning before the 4th of July crowds emerged for the holiday rush. It was an entire different view, and experience, floating on a boat right next to the rushing water and intense spray. All us wore blue rain bags, which looked very stylish, to say the least…! The boat got up close to the falls, just as it seemed like we were entering another world. The sun disappeared behind the wall of mist, along with the people standing up on the cliffside. We retreated and were soon on our way back the dock.

Since leaving Niagara Falls, the Blue Moon and its 14 crew sailed for 3 days, bound for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We left the shallow waters of Lake Erie, passed Detroit in the middle of the night and dumped into Lake Huron between Michigan and Ontario. Continuing north, we saw the Mackinaw Bridge light up the water in the middle of the night, and imagined what the UP would look like during the day. Ten hours later, we pulled along side the dock in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Of all places in the world this 200 foot yacht could travel to, here we are!

See More Photos At http://picasaweb.google.com/cooknh34

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