This year I was able to make it to Toronto, Canada to check out the Twins. This trip was slightly different than previous baseball trips as I was accompanied by my lady friend, Pam. No one else was able to make it so we traveled alone, out of the country, which was a trip, in every sense of the word.
After a relaxing 4th of July, Pam and I ventured Eastbound around 11 am, lightly packed with pretzels and Slim Jims (which I have found out can be life savers from hunger, in a pinch).
Game time was at 7 pm and we crossed into Canada around 2. The QEW (queen elizabeth Way) was tough sledding with traffic and construction. With only a few wrong turns got, we got to the Marriott on Yonge Street around 5. A freshen up and a drink at the hotel bar (Stella is really fresh up North) with our new friend, Jamie the bartender, who was very helpful with a few tips on the area of where to go around the ballpark. Cab ride to the Rogers Center got us to the Canadian version of the Tilted Kilt, an Irish pub for pre-game. Encountered our first "jealous of American's" canuck so I had to listen to him cry about his Leafs...then I let him know I was a Blackhawks fan and that shut him up
As we got to the game, we checked out the surroundings. For astro turf field, I kinda liked the yard but the roof was closed due to the rain. Rogers Centre was the first retractable dome ever. Then , it happened
Pam and I split, as we normally do, a footlong hot dog and had a couple beers, which came with "sippy cup" lids? ($11 for 16 oz Stella). Relaxed during the game as the Twins continued to struggle, dropping this one 4-0.We got to see CN Tower right from our seats and these nuts paid $175 to hang off it for a thrill....F that!
We did meet a few Twins fans late in the game, including a lady that had to be in her 90s.Twins fans travel pretty well. Not like Steeler fans, but still pretty well.
After the game, we looked for a place to grab a bite and a drink and ended up at Baton Rouge, (recommended by Jamie the bartender). Some calamari and some rather expensive wine got us another cab ride back to the hotel and concluded a long day of travel and fun at and around the ballpark.
Saturday the decision was made to see Toronto and a plan was hatched to combine sight seeing and still keeping an eye on the 1 pm ballgame. To see more of the city in a more economic way ("everything is so high priced , that is why we don't have to pay for health care", as Jamie put it), the subway Day Pass was the best choice. Coffee only for breakfast took us on the trail of food in the "Old Toronto" part of the city. Near the St Lawrence market, similar to Cleveland's west side market with all kinds of things to buy, Pam thought we would like The Flatiron British Pub and she was right.
Very cool place with Bloody Caesar (made with clam juice) specials and a British Invasion feel to the place was perfect for me.
Stones, Beatles and Hendrix on the walls and some pretty good eats too. The bartender's name was Ariel and was from Poland. Pretty cool guy and made our lunch very enjoyable.
Off we went to the Distillery District of Toronto, an area filled with cobblestone roads with shops and eatery's abound.I wanted to check out the rest of the Twins game so we stopped at the Mill Street Brewery where we watched a rare Twins shut out win while Pam enjoyed a Tankhouse Long Island Iced Tea and I had Silver Tequila and Soda on a hot day...very refreshing
The walk back to the hotel helped kill some of the chocolate cake dessert calories and some of the Bearnaise sauce from my Sirloin Oscar.
Sunday morning checkout was a bit wacky. Short breakfast stop at Tim Hortons then, to avoid a bit of a delay, Pam and I chose 10 flights of stairs instead of the elevator and it worked as our checkout position was #1. Drive home was quite easy until the Canada/US border. 2 hours later (t is here where the Slim Jims on board came in handy) we got back into the USA.... a strange, "thank goodness we are back" feeling came over me.
Pam got us home after a quick burger stop and all in all, a very good trip with excellent company. Toronto is a very nice place to visit and has lots to do and is a melting pot for all types of people. Very diversified. Looking forward to the next stop on the baseball tour. Perhaps back to Chicago....or Boston....Baltimore? DC?....spin the wheel and see where it lands.
