In my 41 years of existence, I’ve have the privilege of being able to visit and explore places all over Canada, and elsewhere in the world. I’ve seen many incredible sights, I’ve explore places only visited by a few, and I’ve experienced things that have created incredible lifelong memories.

Surprisingly, I had never visited Niagara Falls… until last week!

Michael and I went on a quick trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls. It was only four days, but we crammed in a bunch of fun and interesting things. Here are some highlights:

Art Gallery of Ontario

I was particularly interested in this exhibit of works of David Blackwood, an artist from Wesleyville, Newfoundland. The door image above is a rubbing of a door of which he created multiple etchings and paintings. The door came off an outhouse shed owned by Wesleyville resident Ephraim Kelloway, who would have been a relative of one of my closest friends, Hillary (Kelloway) Williams.

Here are a couple other works I found interesting:

Fran’s Diner

An 85-year-old diner in downtown Toronto, we visited it not once but twice because it’s that good. Shout-out to our lovely server Mary, who I’m pretty sure is as important to the atmosphere of the diner as the retro decor and the classic milkshakes.

Toronto Zoo

We spent about three hours at the zoo, but I didn’t take many photos–not even of the lemurs which I thought were pretty awesome. Here’s one interesting photo though, of something you don’t see every day. At the Toronto Zoo, the animal hospital has a large viewing area, where you can see everything from the labs to the operating rooms. Here’s an elk undergoing exploratory surgery!

A Sketchy Motel

We left Toronto and headed toward Niagara Falls, where the plan was to check into a cozy motel for one night and then spend a second night at a fancier hotel with a few of the falls. So we checked into the Travelodge by Wyndham Niagara Falls Fallsview. And then 5 minutes later, we checked right back out. The photos on Booking.com did not accurately reflect the condition of the room! We found somewhere else, much nicer, to spend the night. Here are few pics from the Travellodge.

Here’s what the room was supposed to look like, according to Booking.com:

Here are actual photos we took in the room:

You can read my review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5HyiqSwhSc6ESS2j7

Clifton Hill

After sorting out our room for the night, we went into the entertainment district of Niagara Falls for a bit of fun, including a ride on the Niagara Skywheel, winning big at the claw machine at an arcade, exploring the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum, and a mirror maze…

Niagara Parks Power Station

Again I didn’t take many photos, but this was one of the biggest highlights of the trip. If you ever find yourself at Niagara Falls, I strongly encourage you to check this place out.

The Niagara Parks Power Station brings a century-old hydropower plant back to life. We explored the main floor with its exhibits showing the massive machinery, and took the elevator down to view the generator shafts and 10-foot diameter pipes, all leading down to a 2,200-foot tunnel 180 feet underground. At the end of the tunnel is a view of the falls even more spectacular than the Journey Behind the Falls. (More on that shortly.)

The only photos I took were from the end of the tunnel, but if you’re curious check out the website: https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/play/attractions/niagara-parks-power-station/

Journey Behind The Falls

Honestly, as cool as this experience sounds, it was pretty underwhelming. Regardless, here are a couple pictures.

I was more interested in this little window to what appears to be an abandoned tunnel.

Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory

Embassy Suites by Hilton Niagara Falls Fallsview

The view from our room on the second night in Niagara Falls:

It was an impressive view, but the hotel didn’t particularly impress. You can read my review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3uQFmF2Cd2yozQGfA

Skylon Tower

Niagara Falls has its own smaller CN Tower type structure, complete with a revolving restaurant. After dinner, we went up to the observation deck. Here was the view:

Allan Gardens Conservatory

Back in Toronto, we visited the famous Allan Gardens Conservatory.

Toronto’s Graffiti Alley

Here’s a interesting work that depicts Fort Howe in Saint John, New Brunswick:

I’m glad I got to experience Niagara Falls. It’s not a trip I’m eager to repeat, because the gimmicky tourist traps aren’t really my thing, but it’s about time I checked off North America’s most powerful waterfall. Overall, it was a pretty fun trip!