Before I get to the main event, I want to start by sharing that I spent the first chunk of the weekend (Friday afternoon - Monday morning) at my best friend's place in Mississauga. His condo is known to be the place of ultimate relaxation - a weekend there means food, television, movies, sleep, and so much down time you could stockpile it up for months. This weekend was no exception and here are some highlights:
- Our first order of business upon arriving in Mississauga on Friday was heading to our favourite (Asian) grocer, T & T Supermarket for some provisions. I warn you: this place is overwhelming. It's hard to walk around and not want to buy everything. I settled for a huge bottle of sriracha sauce personally, but we also got tonnes of dumplings, some pork buns, snacks, and other items. Always a good way to start the weekend.
- After a solid 18 hours of lounging, a fourth friend arrived and we figured we ought to get out and enjoy some of the amazing weather the day was offering, so we took a drive to Port Credit where we found Roc'n Doc's, a random little pub on the Lakeshore that had a great rooftop patio. It was hot, sunny, and we enjoyed a few beers and some appetizers. Great way to get out and enjoy the day while still keeping it low-key.
- Another highlight of the weekend for me was spending time with a straight man who joined us in watching countless hours of both RuPaul's Drag Race as well as the documentary, Paris is Burning. That's a lot of men dressing as women for one afternoon for anyone, but he was engaged, intrigued, and loved it!
- Sunday was more of the same, but once again the weather was so beautiful we figured we had to get out there and enjoy it! Our first stop was a grocery store / butcher / Indian food take-out. We were there for one thing: biryani. Unfortunately that one thing wasn't ready yet so we took some side trips to kill time - first we went to Canadian Tire to buy a kite! Then we went to Tim Horton's for Iced Capps (so Canadian). Finally the biryani was ready, so we took all our goods with us to the Brueckner Rhododendron Garden on the Lakeshore. At the garden we lay out a blanket and enjoyed our biryani in the sun. Once we'd had enough of that, we went down to the lake (at least I think it was Lake Ontario) to be very wholesome - flying a kite and skipping stones in the water. It was a great way to pass the time!
- Finally, on Sunday night we went to Udupi Madras Cafe for a late dinner where I enjoyed a delicious dosa - the second I've ever had, and absolutely incredible (though I can't pretend it's better than the GTA'S best dosas at Guru Lukshmi, also in Mississauga). It was a delicious meal with the best company a girl could ask for.
Overall -- the perfect weekend, but that's not all...
The biggest adventure of the weekend was going to Niagara Falls with my girlfriend, which was a perfect 24 hour mini-break. We arrived there Monday around noon after a quick trip on the QEW from Mississauga, and checked into our room at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. This trip was planned thanks to a great Groupon - 1 night's stay at the Marriott, $20 off dinner at T.G.I. Friday's, free breakfast for 2 at the hotel, and shuttle passes for 2 from the hotel to all the major sights around town. Approximately $115 or so in total, so a great deal!!!
After dropping off our bags, we searched for somewhere nearby that wasn't a chain to have some lunch. We found Yukiguni off the beaten path as we were both craving some sushi. For a random Niagara Falls joint, it was a really great meal of soup, salad, tempura, and some cucumber/avocado rolls. Pretty reasonable, too, but not a place I would recommend you going out of your way for.
After another quick stop at the hotel, we took the shuttle bus down to "The Falls" where we strolled along the rail (navigating through the huge crowds of people), taking photos at random intervals along the way. The last time I was at the falls it was pouring freezing rain and not pleasant at all. This time it was hot and sunny, made bearable by the occasional mist flying at our faces.
I took a few moments to really take in the falls and think about how large, powerful, natural, and amazing they are. My mom commented tonight about how she always thinks about what it would be like to be the first humans in Canada coming across these falls. It's true... imagine hearing the roaring and then just seeing this massive rush of water coming over the edge... incredible.
From the falls we headed to Casino Niagara where my GF wanted to have her first casino experience. I've had mine before (brought in $40 and lost it all), so I came in for support. She brought in $20 and left with $5, so I consider that a real accomplishment.
After the casino we walked up Clifton Hill where all the silly sights are - Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, fun houses, and the like. We popped our heads in different places, but didn't really go in anywhere. We did, however, go up in the Niagara SkyWheel where we got a stunning view of the falls. I'll be honest with you - I was terrified to go, but I powered through it (despite some tears), and it was worth it for the fun of being up there and seeing the incredible view.
From there we walked back to our hotel to relax for a bit before dinner. T.G.I. Friday's wouldn't be our usual choice for dinner, but with the $20 voucher of course we had to go. It was totally fine for a chain restaurant/sports bar. I had a great chicken salad and she had a veggie burger. The food was good enough and our server was really great and friendly! It was a nice dinner.
After a good night's sleep at the hotel, we woke up early to take advantage of our free breakfast - it was in The Keg, which was attached to the hotel, but it was the Marriott's breakfast, not The Keg's. As a result, it was a typical hotel breakfast buffet... except not a very good one. The fruit was gross, the pastries still frozen, the bacon too burnt, and... yeah, not good. Oh well! At least we didn't pay for it. After breakfast, we checked out, packed the car, and then took the shuttle again down to the falls, except this time...
...to ride The Maid of the Mist!!! My girlfriend had been on the Maid of the Mist before, but I never have and have always wanted to, so off we went! Thanks to our brilliant plan of waiting until the day after the holiday Monday, we sailed through the line to get on the world-famous boat, donned our classic blue rain ponchos, and rode past the American falls to see the real deal Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It was incredible sitting surrounded by the falls, with the mist pouring all over us to the point where I thought it was raining. It was so so so cool! I'm really glad we did it.
Back to the hotel from there to hop in the car and head back home. Rather than take the QEW the whole way, we took the Niagara Parkway part-way which travels through the scenic area where all the vineyards and beautiful houses are on the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a beautiful route to take with so much to look at along the way. We ended up stopping in Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch at an absolutely PERFECT restaurant - The Pie Plate Bakery & Cafe. It was full of mismatched cutlery and mismatched chairs -- exactly what we were looking for. We enjoyed delicious thin-crust pizzas that tasted so fresh and delicious, followed by a nice little lemon square to share. My GF also bought a strawberry-rhubarb pie to take home that looked delicious. It was a great way to finish off the trip.
Back on the QEW and back to Toronto and back to the grind... it's tough to dive back into work after such a wonderful holiday, but it's great to know that you took some time away from the glow of the computer to enjoy the great outdoors and the loves of your life.
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