CN Tower and The Rogers Centre

  I wondered when I would get around to mentioning the obvious when 'exploring Toronto'.  The CN Tower and Rogers Centre is about as commercial as a Walt Disney movie for kids.  This drive by shooting I took on the QEW heading west was too good to not write about.  To tell you the truth, I was surprised any of the pictures came out at all...

The CN Tower and Rogers Centre now go together, hand in hand like bread and butter and believe me it offers plenty of 'bread n butter' to Toronto's Tourism and Commerce.  Well the CN Tower was once the tallest free-standing structure in the world, and that record held for a few decades until Dubai had built the Burj Kalifa which was completed 2010, with Japan's Skytree coming in second by a few hundred metres short built in 2011.  Toronto's CN Tower come in a close 4th now at 553 metres up.  I remember  taking my two sons there when they were young and we had the most amazing day!! We saw a 3-D movie half way up the tower in the HIMALAMAZON Motion Theatre.  It's a ride that displays a 3-D film for 15 minutes while the seat rocks you back and forth and side to side in sync with the movie! Now they've added other attractions here like a 2.5 inches of glass over 342 metres over the ground, Skypod and the Edgewalk.  The existing 360 Revolving restaurant is still in full swing, but not at all like back in the 80's when we were 'burning up the dance floor' :)

Aside from its recreational uses, the CN Tower has more practical and necessary uses as a TV-radio communications tower.

Next to it is the 'Rogers Centre'.  Although Rogers used the power of money and bidding power to buy the commercial rights to the building, thus advertising their namesake, it will always be SKYDOME to me. That was in 1989.  This is home to the Toronto Blue jays and the Toronto Argos, but I'm not a sports fan in the least.    Rogers Centre, also has  been known to host fairs and conventions.  In fact, the 'Skydome' will be hosting the 2015 Pan American Games for the opening and closing ceremonies.  I know that seems like a long way off, but you'll be amazed how fast time flies.

Westcliffe Falls - Hamilton

I have been down in Chedoke Valley (Radial Trail) a few times since last winter, but haven't seen Westcliffe Falls yet.  You can hear the water from up top (Scenic Drive/Paradise Rd) coming into the gorge, but you can’t actually see anything from up there.   


There wasn't much of a flow to her at this time of year, but it promises to never dry up!  Westcliffe is one of several waterfalls you’ll see if you take the Iroquoia trail off Chedoke Radial.    It’s a terraced, ribbon cascade that stands about 15 metres high and has a wide chest of about 3 metres.  

The easiest way to get to it, is to go down the steel stairway (about 300 steps) and walk up the dirt footpath located on the left embankment from Lower Westcliffe / Lower Cliffview.  You will see it up on your right side once you are over the top.  


I took the hard way down and instead of using the stairs, I dragged and skidded myself down the side of the embankment wall until I reached the bottom of the gorge.  After a few cuts, scrapes and bruises, using the staircase (which is what I was trying to avoid) seems like a better choice....and a safer one!

Although the terrain is very rugged and sparse, there are still some very scenic views down in the valley here.  One of which is the really neat tiered staircase that has been carved out by glaciers as well.  This area would be best viewed though in the spring/summer or perhaps early autumn. 

more notes:
See Lower Westcliffe (Cliffview Falls) / Lower West on this blog  -  is a 4 metre high and 3 metre wide classic cascade waterfall found just north of the Cliffview Falls.