CNE setup

Parts is parts. The crews continue to setup the Canadian National Exhibition CNE. The rides are pretty complex and take some care to get right.

The games of chance are also going in place and being filled up with big stuffed toys.

Let's go to the EX

Ooh baby, let's go to the EX. Posters for the 2011 Canadian National Exhibition CNE, or the EX, are up on the light poles and some of the ticket booths have shown up near the Princes' Gates. The show starts August 19 to September 5, 2011. The Labour Day weekend finishes the show with a bang and the scream of jet fighters flying overhead as part of the Toronto International Air Show.

You can buy early bird tickets through or Mac's Convenience Stores or GO Transit: "The 2011 Canadian National Exhibition will run from Friday, August 19th, until the Labour Day holiday on Monday, September 5th. As in previous years, until August 18th, we will be selling early bird CNE tickets offering you a discount of up to 31% off of the price of admission. These advanced tickets are available at all Lakeshore line GO Stations and also at Union Station.

To plan your trip to the Princess Gates, please visit our please visit our 'It's easy to GO to the CNE' page at www.gotransit.com or click the following link www.gotransit.com/cne." The Princes' Gates have been under construction for some time now and there is a set of horse heads sitting on the ground besides the gate.

Besides the exciting rides in the Midway, games of chance and skill, cat and dog shows, the airshow, there will be music at the Molson Canadian Midway Stage as well as Ribfest, the Strong Man Show. That's a lot of shows in the grand grounds of the EX. Every day at 6pm the Mardi Gras Parade heads out from Princes' Gates tossing out beads in exchange for boob flashing (I think that is the tradition, but I have never seen the parade myself). And look out for the beaver and the donut cheeseburger.

Living on the EdgeWalk

The people are in their jump suit and harness and walking around the outside of the CN Tower as part of the EdgeWalk 356 metres in the air. The 20 to 30 minute walk costs $175 and includes photos, video and access to the tower afterwards.

You can see the tiny little people as they are perched high above our fair city.

CN Tower: EdgeWalk

Can you imagine walking outside along the edge of the CN Tower's main pod 356m in the air? It scares me even thinking about it. Adventure seekers will be able to walk hands free with only a tether saving them from being swept over the edge. You can see the system of supports built around the top windows waiting for some brave individuals to take a chance.

You can order tickets I believe starting June 1, 2011.

Welland Canal

Boats go up and down. I guess that's why they made the locks on the Welland Canal, also know as the H2O Highway. We were down in the Niagara area watching the large Canadian Steamship Line (CSL) Great Lakes Freighter squeeze tightly into the concrete lock number four.

GIF animations generator gifup.com

See more photos of the Welland Canal and a freighter after the jump.

Our Greener Side Celebration

Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) helps to promote green eco-friendly life options during their annual 'Our Greener Side Celebration' which will be held on Saturday, May 28th from 10am to 3pm at the Kortright Centre for Conservation. This community event focuses on sustainability, waste reduction, reducing water use, eating locally and green travel and has lots of family friendly entertainment and activities.

Amanda from the TRCA told me that the "Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV on display ... be one of the first people to see the latest EVs that will soon be available in Canada!" Electric vehicles, public transit and bikes (like the bike police, above) are excellent ways to reduce our dependence on those nasty hydrocarbons.

One step at a time is an easy way to make a difference and help our environment. And when the environment is happy it is bloomin' happy - including the trees at the Toronto Court House/Old City Hall.

Vacation in Frankenmuth

Bavarian Inn waitress in traditional Dirndl uniform

Willkommen, Hamiltons in the Haus! I enjoyed a mini-vacation in the lovely town of Frankenmuth in the American state of Michigan (MI). Known as "Little Bavaria" and located 5 hours from Toronto (west on 401 & 402, north on I75) this U.S. town is constructed in the style of the German State of Bavaria.

German immigrants from Franconia settled Frankenmuth in 1845 along the banks of the Cass River and the atmosphere and attractions make a great tourist destination. Even with the cool and wet weather we had a great stay and I can recommend a visit to Frankenmuth. I kept looking for the Bavarian Beer Garden waitress and I was happy to finally find someone at the Bavarian Inn who was happy to pose for me (picture at top). Who needs Oktoberfest when you have beer and girls in dirndl year round.

Wooden covered bridge over the Cass River. The dock for the Bavarian Belle is under water, below.

The spring rains and swollen river interfered with boat rides (including the Bavarian Belle) that we wanted to experience so we did a lot of other indoor activities such as shopping along the main drag and in River Place or at the nearby Birch Run Premium Outlet Stores. and enjoying plenty of beer. Highlights were the Bavarian Inn, the covered bridge, the Frankenmuth Brewery and the Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. The Christmas Wonderland was a little overwhelming with so many shiny Xmas decorations, nativity scenes, festive lights and all other things Christmas like.

Our temporary home was the Marriott SpringHill Suites Hotel which was on a slight hill on main street in the heart of downtown. The place was fantastic and the stay included a self serve breakfast which featured some yummy waffles that you cooked yourself. Shopping and restaurants were within easy walking distance so you can enjoy all that beer and wine,  without having to worry about driving. One thing I appreciated was that this town had very reasonable prices and parking was plentiful and at no cost. Samples were free or inexpensive and the people were very friendly and there were lots of free wifi hot spots.

We had to buy coats to survive the recent wet spell, drop in temperature and high winds. This time of year was a little ahead of the main tourist rush which probably starts with the Bark, Bike and Balloon Festival and the Great Lakes Hot Air Balloon Championship May 27th to the 30th, 2011. The fruit trees and potted flowers were in blossom so there was plenty of colour in the town.

See more photos after the jump.

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland

Bavarian Belle looking towards River Place

The Cheese Haus

The quiet streets wait for the summer tourist season

The Birch Run Outlet stores were a grand grouping of strip mall type buildings as opposed to an inside mall shopping experience. We shopped at tons of places like Nike, Yankee Candle, Eddie Bauer and a half dozen shoe stores. This place is especially good in the rain. I also liked Birch Run because of the oil rigs spread around the area. There was one right near the mall and it had a drum with gas burning, it was interesting seeing one close up.

You could also enjoy a horse carriage ride from Fantasy Carriage Company, take a tour boat or paddle boat with Frankenmuth FunShips. For dining we experienced the famous Zehnders all you can eat chicken dinners (it was fun because they brought the buffet to you), they even had a Tim Hortons near the downtown core.

Cranes at the Sony Centre's L Tower

Cranes are necessary for building high rise towers and there are plenty of them in Toronto. At the Sony Centre there is a set of the large cranes; one is the traditional horizontal type called a tower crane and one with an inclined arm called a luffing crane for use in tighter spots.

Daniel Libeskind is building the new condo called the L Tower right beside the Sony Centre building. The tower will be shaped like an L, or for Canadians it is a hockey stick and for Americans it is a cowboy boot.

Hockey Hall of Fame

I haven't actually gone into the Hockey Hall of Fame, I think it is because that if it has stuff from when the Leafs were any good I wouldn't want to be around all those dusty antiques! They do have a beautiful building with a great location at Yonge and Front Streets and they also have a 17 foot bronze statue titled 'Our Game' by Edie Parker in front of the building.

'Our Game' bronze sculpture.

Tim Burton - TIFF Exhibition

You would think Tim Burton had a store on Queen Street West, his wacky view of the world has produced some great movies with designs that only he could imagine. He has brought an exhibition to the home of the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF where some of his creations beckon the outside world into the show. I want to run into Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland - that huge forehead was so hot.

New York's Museum of Modern Art arranged the exhibition and you can drop by and see some of his work including paintings and sculptures - like the giant one in the window titled "Holiday Creature", until April 17, 2011.