Toronto I'll be spending a lot of time in Toronto over next year or more, but this ten-day trip from August 23 to September 2 was my first time in the city. Although I didn't have a negative impression of Toronto before my arrival, I was blown away by just how great of a city it is - clean, safe, and impressive in size, activity, and things to do. I miss being home, but if I'm going to be away, this isn't a bad place to be. Hopefully my photos will do the city justice. August 23, 2005 My flight departed in the afternoon from Philadelphia, and had me in Toronto just over an hour later. Cargo ship in the Delaware River just south of Philly Philadelphia skyline from the southwest Toronto skyline from the southwest YYZ: Pearson International Airport Western Toronto with downtown in the distance Highrises on the fringes of the city are enough to rival some skylines Hurontario Street Downtown and the 1815 ft. CN Tower, the world's tallest freestanding structure Downtown above Highway 401, the McDonald-Cartier Freeway After landing, grabbing a rental car, and driving to the hotel downtown, I jumped out of the room as fast as I could to walk around the city and catch what had been some amazing light. For the most part I missed the peak of it, but walked pretty far anyway... St. James Cathedral at King and Church Looking north on Yonge Street from King Street CN Tower - main observation deck and Skypod I couldn't resist going up... Downtown from the main deck. Fascinated tourists Why stay on the lower deck? Up to the Skypod... From up here, a passenger train looks like a string New lakefront development Lake Ontario. Look at the shadow cast by the CN Tower toward the left side of the photo. Looking down on near-1000 ft. skyscrapers Home of the Maple Leafs Back on the ground, the lakefront residential buildings look great in the setting sun. Bank of America Building and CN Tower August 24, 2005 A local friend had an extra invite/ticket to the Ford Modeling Agency's local summer cocktail hour at the Ultra Supper Club's rooftop balcony. August 25, 2005 Panoramic view from the Ashbridges Bay Water Treatment Plant (scroll right)

We had lunch at The Docks, which offered these views of the skyline and lake. Panoramic view of the skyline from The Docks (scroll right)

August 27, 2005 Just as I drifted off to sleep around 12:30 tonight, I was shocked out of bed by what seemed to be the loudest alarm clock on the planet. After fumbling with my own alarm in a sleepy stupor, I realized the noise was coming from the hall - fire alarm. "Probably a false alarm," I told myself, and thought about going back to sleep until I smelled smoke. So I grabbed the camera bag to save it (just in case), and snapped some pictures outside to kill time during our hour wait to get back in. It turns out an elevator motor burnt up and stranded some people inside. August 29, 2005 Today I had a late lunch at the Ferkin Flatiron (not my first time there), which is at the base of the historic Flatiron Building (shown in the photo below). Afterwards I walked a good distance up Church Street... ...then cut over to Yonge Street... ... where I was very impressed by the street activity, the variety of shops, and the general energy. This area had tons of characteristics of a great city. As the sunlight waned I ventured west on Elm Street... ...then curved to the south on Elizabeth Street Nathan Philips Square Toronto City Hall One King West (back left, 578 ft, 2005), Scotia Plaza (center, 902 ft, 1988, #2 in city), Commerce Court West (right, 788 ft, 1972, #4 in city) August 31, 2005 600 ft. discharge stack and incinerator building at the Ashbridges Bay Water Treatment Plant. It's no longer in use, since incineration was outlawed in the city. Skyline from atop a piece of equipment at the plant Sunset from my hotel room September 1, 2005 Yonge Street color Yonge Street north of downtown September 2, 2005 Today I'm on my way back home to Philly on an afternoon flight. On the way to the airport, I snapped a shot of One King West from the Gardiner Expressway to the south. Takeoff from Toronto Over Pennsylvania Camden, NJ and Interstate 676 Camden waterfront and the Delaware River from the south Philly skyline from the south and the new Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies Schuylkill River Sunset from the airport economy parking lot September 4, 2005 There's no place like home: Philly skyline from my balcony.