Where's Johnny Jet? Soaking up Culture in Toronto

Cheers from Toronto. I'm visiting our northern neighbors to take part in the city's first Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity. Though the culture is what brought me up here, it's not my main focus. For starters, I got to check another Major League ballpark off my list in my quest to visit all 30. Not only that, but I dined atop the world's tallest freestanding structure and checked in to The Four Seasons' flagship hotel (where, by the way, if you time it right, you can actually snag a deal.) If you're up for having some summer fun as we visit North America's fifth largest city, then hop on board.

The Stadium Formerly Known as Skydome

Last week, we left off in Erie, Pennsylvania where I was visiting my dad who is recovering nicely from his quadruple bypass surgery. From Erie, the quickest way to get to Toronto is to drive. That's because there are no nonstop commercial flights. The drive takes three hours and it's a nice and easy trip. My friend Natalie and I drove (without stopping) straight to The Rogers Centre to catch an afternoon game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago White Sox. It was my first time seeing a ballgame in this beautiful stadium. Originally called The SkyDome, it opened in 1989 with the world's first retractable roof, which can fully open or close in 20 minutes. The field is so big that eight 747 planes or 516 African elephants can comfortably fit on the Rogers Centre field when it's set in baseball mode. The ceiling is 310 feet high. The best time to go is on a clear day when the roof is open and you can see the world's tallest freestanding structure, The CN Tower, literally towering over you. I have a fear of heights so I couldn't help looking up throughout the game and thinking, "Why did I agree to have dinner at the very top of The CN Tower?" More on that later. The Rogers Centre is a fantastic place to watch a ballgame and guests at the built-in Renaissance Hotel can even watch the game from their room. If you're hungry and don't want to eat stadium food, you can make a reservation at the Hard Rock Cafe which overlooks the field. For more info or tickets, visit: Toronto.Bluejays.mlb.com.

Canadian Currency

One of the many things that I love about Canada is that practically everyone accepts US dollars. At press time, the exchange rate from Canadian to US dollars was almost equal: C$1=US$0.95. For up-to-date currency rates, see: BankofCanada.ca/en/rates/converter.html.

The Four Seasons

After the game, I checked into the 32-story, 380-room (150 are suites) Four Seasons Hotel. The Toronto location is the company's flagship hotel. Although the service was outstanding, the rooms and lobby made me feel like I had taken a time machine back to the '70s. Don't get me wrong; it was nice with its antique furniture but let's face it ? it's outdated. My room had an old-school TV and tired shower/bathtub. Plus, I could hear people walking above and the water pipes from the shower next door. No wonder the Four Seasons is building a completely new hotel with residences just down the road. They've not said what will be done with this location once the new one opens in 2010 but my guess is that they'll sell it to another chain. The best part about the Four Seasons, aside from the excellent service, is the location. It's situated in the heart of Yorkville, Toronto's fashionable dining, shopping and entertainment district. Rack rates begin at $255CDN but good corporate rates are available...I secured mine for $185CDN. Four Seasons Toronto, 21 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R 2G1; tel. 416/964-0411.

The ROM

Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Four Seasons Hotel is the Royal Ontario Museum; locals call it The ROM. The ROM is housed in an old, classic building until architect Michael Lee-Chin designed a crystal addition that looks just like an asteroid smashed into its side. The new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal is being billed as the most important architectural project of Toronto's history and is being hailed by many as a distinctive new symbol of 21st-century Toronto. I toured on opening day and it was a huge circus. People lined up for hours. In fact, over 25,000 people visited the first day alone. While I was pleased to check out this innovative new structure, my first impression was the same as the one I had when I first saw I.M. Pei's Pyramide du Louvre. WHY? But you know what? After touring it, I realized that strangely, it works...and it's definitely worth a visit. Admission: Adult $20.00, Senior (with ID) $17.00, Student (with ID) $17.00, Child (5 to 14 years) $14.00, Infant (4 years and under) free. Hours: Saturday to Wednesday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Thursday and Friday: 10:00 am - 9:30 pm. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto; tel 800/461-3333 or 416/872-1212.

Toronto's Theater Scene

I love Toronto because it is so diverse. Did you know that Toronto is home to more than 100 cultures? Toronto is Canada's largest city (population of 4.7 million) and North America's fifth largest city after Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Torontonians love theatre, which is why the city has the third largest English-language theatre market in the world, ranking just behind New York and London. I was fortunate enough to visit two of the city's most renowned theatres. First, I visited Roy Thomson Hall to see the world premiere of Not the Messiah, created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, creators of the hit musical Spamalot. It's possible that I was the only person in the whole theatre who didn't love it. Perhaps that's because I haven't seen Monty Python's Life of Brian. Not the Messiah is a mock oratorio of this cult classic; if you loved the movie, you'd love the show. The second show I caught was Vida at The Royal Alexandra Theatre. The structure is 99 years old and is supposedly the oldest, continuously operating legitimate theatre in North America. Interestingly, I thought I'd really enjoy Not the Messiah and that I wouldn't be so keen on Vida but the opposite proved to be true. Vida tells the story of a woman growing up in Cuba. The production was excellent and I absolutely loved the set design, costumes, colors, smoke effects, music and dancing. Though some of the dances were a little too long, I never tired of watching all the beautiful women on stage. I wasn't the only one; the performance earned a standing ovation.

Luminato

I attended these two productions because they were part of Luminato, North America's newest large-scale, multi-genre arts festival. It's a 10-day festival of "arts and creativity". The organizers of the event arranged 100+ free and ticketed presentations of dance, music, theatre and everything else under the performing arts sun. Here's the link so you can attend next year's festival.

Toronto's Chinatown

Speaking of culture, what better place to get a quick dose than Chinatown? The Chinese make up over 10% of Toronto's population and there are now six distinct Chinatowns in the city. I spent a late Sunday morning walking along Spadina Avenue, which runs through the heart of Toronto's Chinatown. I really felt like I was in Asia (except for the prices) as the vendors were surprisingly selling fruits and vegetables that I've only seen in the Far East. It was such a treat to buy my favorite sweet, tropical fruit, rambutans. Later, I had dim sum at The Bright Pearl Seafood Restaurant. I don't think it compares to L.A.'s Empress Pavilion but both the service and the food were good. It was cheap and packed with patrons (a good sign for food turnover). At The Bright Pearl, dim sum is served all day and you'll find between 80 and 100 different dishes. The Bright Pearl Seafood Restaurant, 346 Spadina Avenue; tel. 416/979-3988.

The CN Tower

Okay, it was time to face my fear...again. If you remember, I recently went up in a hot air balloon, a big accomplishment for me, but I was still nervous to go up to the top of the world's tallest freestanding structure. After 9/11, tall buildings freak me out. If you're familiar with Toronto, you know that The CN Tower dominates its skyline. It stands at an impressive height of 1,815 ft., 5 inches (about 554 meters). It was built in 1976 and approximately 2 million people visit each year. There are six high-speed, glass-fronted elevators that travel 15 miles per hour and give you a breathtaking view of the city as you race to the top in just 58 seconds. I was the last one to get into the elevator and I didn't realize that my position proffered the best view. I was going to close my eyes but maybe surviving the hot air balloon ride really calmed my nerves. Once I stepped into the elevator my fear turned into excitement. When we reached the top, I even walked across a 2.5-inch thick glass floor that is 1,122 feet above the ground. Actually, I did it twice.

360 Restaurant

There are two main places to eat at the top of the CN Tower; a casual place called Horizons Cafe and 360. 360 is the place you want to dine for a special occasion or an important business meeting. It's an award-winning, fine dining restaurant and is located 1,150 feet above the ground. The best part is that this revolving restaurant gives guests a 360 degree view of the city and on a clear day, you can even see Buffalo. The floor is constantly spinning but it moves slowly enough that you barely notice it. It does a complete rotation once every 72 minutes. 360 is open daily and reservations are highly recommended. Call 416-362-5411 or visit the website at CNTower.ca. They offer a few package deals but the normal lift fee is $21.49 for adults (13-64), $19.49 for seniors (65+), and $14.49 for children (4-12). But here's a tip: If you dine at 360, your lift fee is waived, but you do need to purchase, at minimum, a main course, which starts at $31.

Note: This trip was sponsored by Luminato and Toronto CVB.

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