Day 2, Part 2 – Toronto

While Amanda was on the edge of the CN Tower, Noah, Emmie, and I were taking in the views of Toronto and Lake Ontario from the confines of the interior observation decks. We made our way around each of the two main levels, including a stint on the popular glass floor, which offered various views of the Toronto streetscape directly below our feet. Noah was in the Tula most of the time, nodding in and out of sleep.

Noah started his CN Tower journey with a quick nap in the Tula.

Both kids enjoyed the tower’s glass floor. The city of Toronto is below their feet.

Our ticket purchase included access to the Skypod, which involved a second elevator taking us up another 30 stories to a less-crowded observation deck at 1,465 feet above the ground. Noah was awake by this point in our CN Tower experience, giving him a chance to join Emmie in observing the many small cars and big buildings in the Toronto area. We made a final stop on the main observation level to find a live look of Amanda and her group completing the Edge Walk. Emmie was especially excited to see Mommy on the TV.

Lake Ontario looms in the background in this view from the SkyPod.

When we were finished with the observation deck, we posed for a photo by this large moose.

When the tour was over, we met up with Grandma Mac, who along with Grandpa Mac, were planning to join us for the evening’s Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. Grandpa had already made his way into the Rogers Centre, while Grandma waited patiently in the CN Tower lobby, keeping track of our bags and tickets. A little after 6, we met up with Amanda and saw more clips from her Edge Walk video while waiting for the souvenir DVD copy to be made. The time at the CN Tower had run a bit long, so we had to skip our planned dinner at the Corned Beef House in favor of getting through the stadium gates for the start of the game.

Before the game, outside the Rogers Center in Toronto.

Formerly known as the Sky Dome, the Rogers Center was a crown jewel among baseball stadiums when it opened in 1989. The Blue Jays quickly combined on-field success with their new facility, winning back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. Winning had been sparse since then and crowds in Toronto have been relatively inconsistent. We encountered a reasonably full stadium but relatively dispassionate fans as we watched the Blue Jays take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Grandpa Mac gives Emmie a few pointers on the game of baseball.

With any new stadium visit, I enjoy circling the concourse to check out the available shops and concessions. Additionally, with seemingly every foray at a baseball game, I spend an equal amount of time entertaining one of the kids with a walk in the concourse. Over the course of the seven-and-a-half innings we spent at the game, I managed three separate concession trips, retrieving a pretzel for Noah, a top sirloin sandwich for Amanda, and soft-serve vanilla ice cream in a souvenir helmet to share with Emmie.

Noah and Emmie, in our seats in section 104, before the game began.

The Blue Jays/Angels tilt marks Emmie’s second MLB game.

With the Blue Jays holding a commanding 7-2 lead, we began making our way back to the hotel; Grandparents Mac (a term first used by Amanda) took a bus to a park-and-ride facility near their hotel; we opted for the more interesting tour of Toronto area public transportation options, taking a streetcar, subway, and bus.

A tired Noah watches for the next streetcar while Emmie naps.

We just missed the streetcar nearest to the stadium, but had our choice of seats on the next one which arrived about 12 minutes later. We were incredibly fortunate to have two seats given the crowd that came on the streetcar in the ensuing stops. About halfway to our final destination, the streetcar seats, aisles, and steps were filled to capacity and stayed so the rest of the way to the Spedina subway station.

While we waited for a streetcar, we were fortunate to wait only a few minutes for the bus needed to get to the hotel, which dropped us off across the street from our hotel. We retreated to the room, put together a snack plate of OREOs and bacon, cheddar, and sour cream Ruffles, and began winding down for the evening. Noah was first to go to sleep with Emmie following shortly after. Amanda and I diligently reviewed our photos from the day and wrote the first part of our “Day 2” travel blog. The second part, for reference, is being written at 37,000 feet, between Greenland and Iceland on our flight to Reykjavik, while Noah rests happily on my shoulder.

Noah’s Photo of the Day

Noah took a myriad of photos during the baseball game including no fewer than a dozen selfies with his digital camera. He amused himself completely during the process with a boisterous laugh following each selfie. The fans a few rows back were into the fun, laughing hysterically with each picture.