Preface: So I may have lied about not blogging my personal life

But a 28-night journey around Eastern and Atlantic Canada was calling for itself to be documented. Hence, what follows this and the subsequent blog posts is my tech-turned-travel blog about how I decided not to spend the month of June rotting indoors, and finally finish my bucket list of traveling coast to coast. Special thanks to my parents for funding this unemployed student, I couldn't have done this without you!

Toronto

Day 0 - Flying over

After almost being uncharged $50 because the wheels of my suitcase were a centimeter outside the carry-on constraint, I'm off the ground and heading to Pearson Airport. Fairly standard budget airline flight, aka I can't lean back without my knees hitting the seat.

My family had previously visited Toronto a couple years back, where we rented a car to drive around the city. Anyone who has had the misfortune of moving there will also know the horrid traffic and endless quest for parking. Tourists who truly want to experience living like a local will often get stuck on the 403 under construction for two hours.

This time, however, I wanted to travel only by public transit, shuttles, and trains. My first four major cities, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, all use cards for tapping on and off transit. After landing at Pearson Airport, Terminal 3 has a link train that connects directly with the UP station at Terminal 1. There I purchased a Presto Card, the system used in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and Ottawa.

It sucks that this one train is triple the price of a bus though, taking the airport bus to the metro would only cost one fare instead of three. Still, I landed pretty late and wanted the convenience of getting to Union Station. You get to see the different aspects of the city from the suburbs into downtown, plus some gorgeous graffiti murals.

Since I'm traveling solo and didn't have a car to sleep in, I opted for staying in hostels. There are many perks to hostels over hotels or Airbnb; Besides the cheaper cost, hostels are catered to backpackers (like me) and usually provides breakfast, a kitchen, bed sheets, and showers (sometimes with towels, you should probably bring your own supplies just in case). They are also usually located near transit hubs, or in a popular location like downtown. Depending on your personality, staying with like-minded travelers is also a nice way to socialize, share stories, and make potential acquaintances. On the flip side, since everyone is sleeping together, the biggest concern to worry about is thieves. While every location I'm staying at has electronic locks and free lockers, you still need to watch over your stuff just in case. I keep my suitcase with clothes in luggage storage, while my backpack stays next to me at all times.

My first hostel is The Only Backpackers Inn, which as the name implies is the only remaining hostel in Toronto (post Covid). Another interesting fact is that local GTA residents are banned from staying in hostels.

This place definitely feels the most rustic, hole in the wall type building. Being built above a narrow cafe/bar on Danforth Ave, the compact designs of all the rooms become pretty cozy. Very compact bathrooms, 6-person dorms, and a big enough kitchen to socialize in.

Day 1 - "West" Downtown

To kick off my little escapade, I planned to start downtown if I hadn't managed to pick the one day TTC was renovating the subway. I instead got squished onto replacement buses that took 10 times as long because of bumper-to-bumper traffic on a Sunday.

So right off the bat, I'm already discarding my original route and improvising from the university campus. Can't complain, it's a calm area within busy Toronto downtown. Many gothic-style buildings date back to the university's origins in the 19th century. The summer (and especially on a Sunday) meant the campus was virtually empty and a very peaceful place to walk around. Would have loved to sneak into the buildings though~

From campus, I strolled past the legislative building and crossed some neighborhoods to reach Chinatown, full of interesting businesses and peak food if it wasn't a Sunday morning and everything was closed. For future reference, 11am weekend is probably the time to visit. At least I got some food on my way out.

Walking west out of Dragon Mall is Kensington, known for its dense markets of small stores and restaurants. While I think Chinatown the better value for food, the neighborhood is still interesting enough to visit at least once. I just followed the crowd and grabbed whatever seemed popular.

Kensington is between Queens St, a central street lined with shops, and College St, linking to Little Italy and Korea Town. With no goal in mind, I end up wandering through whatever neighborhood looks interesting and let myself get lost among the dense residential areas. Much of the housing outside Toronto core are small, Victorian-style compact housing that remained unchanged for the decades since they were first built. In fact, just a short walk around outer Toronto really shows the cities history.

Among the constantly congested roads everywhere I went, to the busy urban shops along yet another congested road, I get to wonder how the locals resist throwing themselves off Gardiner Express from all the damn congestion. Like seriously, compare the streetcars of Toronto to any European tram and see how absurd it is that the streetcars are in the same lanes with the cars? So they also wait at red lights and get stuck with all the cars? And that the streetcar just stops on the left lane and passengers exit onto the street? I've witness multiple close calls with speeding cars and bikes, and wonder why it's the riders responsibility to look right for traffic before unboarding?

I live by the Strong Towns saying that the only solution to traffic is viable alternatives to driving. Being able to out-walk 3 streetcars because they are stuck in the same traffic jam with the cars definitely doesn't count. Also, street parking fucking everywhere only makes the city uglier and harder to navigate for everyone.

All my walking is naturally tiring, especially carrying my backpack with supplies I bought from local grocery stores. There are smaller parks with benches throughout the neighborhoods, all serving as great places to slow down and enjoy the peace. Eventually, I ended up in Trinity Bellwood Park, a spacious green area full of picnics and sports. Couldn't help but sit down and start people-watching.

Also, this section is called the dog bowl, a pretty clever way to build a no-leash dog park eh.

Connected to Queens, I finally get back to where I originally wanted to explore, until I stumble upon Ossington. A bustling street full of local bars/restaurants/small shops. There also seemed to be some advertising campaign on car barriers to promote the area, which really made me wonder why they couldn't make the road a pedestrian area. There are too many roads here anyway, removing the cars that are racing past the people cramped onto the sidewalks would exponentially help boost attraction to potential customers. Otherwise, there were plenty of good choices for eating out, just like Kensington.

Going back to Little Italy, there is an Italian joint called Sugo, a crazy busy joint in stark contrast to the surrounding area... I got lucky with a single spot on the barstools, otherwise the line could be up to an hour without reservation. Somewhat pricy, but their creamy pesto sauce is great.

Continuing to wander west, up to Dufferin and back towards Queens, let's just say the foot traffic gets quieter and quieter. Loud roads, more homeless, less to see, and more to walk faster away from. The encampment at Dufferin Park, however, surprised me with how clean the tents were. In my city struggling with a drug crisis, the "encampment" areas are always covered in spilled trash and reeks of filth. With the cost of living in Toronto as is, I wonder how many of those homeless couldn't afford rent and moved into the park. Not to say that Toronto doesn't struggle as much with homelessness, addiction, or litter, because they still do. Look close enough and you can find cigarette butts anywhere.

Even as Queens became less and less... desirable to walk down, I managed to reach the end. The streetcar station was nearby, but then I saw this walkway to the shores.

It's a nice jogging and cycling trail along the coast; I got on a nearby bike share and took myself all the way back to downtown.

Also someone recognized my framework laptop! Just wanted to write that down lol.

Day 2 - Central Island

The funny thing about waking up early (8am) is that most places open around 10am. So after realizing the brunch place I was waiting on also didn't open on Monday, I headed downtown to pick up some picnic subs. My ham sub cost about as much as a Subway, but at least it didn't taste stale.

Get distracted, wander past a union strike, wind up in front of the CN tower -- as people normally do. I've already gone up the tower with my family before, but a stable of any Toronto trip alongside Ripely Aquarium for first time visitors.

Crossing a three street/nine lane intersection towards the waterfront, the paths and green spaces along the coast are just really nice spaces to be in. Coastal breeze keeps the area cool, and there are plenty of open spots and natural shade to get comfortable. Unfortunately, The noise pollution from the nearby roads and the airport on the neighboring island is really annoying.

Speaking of islands, along the harbour are various "water taxi" services. All of them are competing to shuttle tourist to central island, and definitely won't bring uo the official, cheaper Toronto water ferry. For reference, the ferry charged me $9.11 round trip, while the taxi in the neighboring port was asking $14 one way (the ferry takes everyone back to the mainland). During the busier summertime, lines for the ferry get really long, and taxis become a faster alternative to waiting. This website explains everything I needed to know.

I happen to catch the ferry for East Ward Point, but there are also routes for West Hanlan's Point, and the popular middle island with most of the attractions. There are bike shares around the center with excellent routes, I ended up walking across the entire island in a casual 4 hours.

Ward's point houses much of the residential zones, with quiet pathways and a lovely boardwalk along the south shores.

Middle Island is much busier, with a pristine garden plaza, amusement park, restaurants, and a floating dock.

Hanlan's Point is considerably more remote and less busy, with preserved natural areas, beaches, and a lighthouse.

Hanlan's Point is also a significant place for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, being the site of Canada's first Gay Pride celebration and a century-old queer space. Hanlan's Point also contains a nudist beach, which I spent 20 minutes lost in because the next exit was really far. I recommend walking on the sand path behind the beach to avoid any tanners, and enter through the northern entrances.

One long walk down the pride path is the ferry terminal. There are also busses connecting Hanlan's to Central Terminal, probably to avoid the longer lines.

Have to reiterate this again, but the walk along the coast is really nice. I ended up strolling all the way back to where I ended yesterday's bike ride. Nearby was the museum garden, nice natural steps to relax on, and a great spot to accidentally watch a children's show.

Day 3 - Central Downtown and Bluejay Games

The St. Lawrence market near King/Union Station has become the defacto farmers market in Toronto, with tons of booths selling all sorts of foodstuff. The south building has been around since Old Toronto was called York and is open 6 days excluding Monday. The north building recently finished construction, but only opens on Saturday. It's also built so minimalistic that everything feels sterile and small and just boring? South building was my priority.

There are tons of blogs and reviews about the "famous" Peameal Bacon sandwich, so I had to try it myself. Contrary to those reviews, it seems the price went up to where it's honestly not worth the okay sandwich.

There are a plenty of local sellers inside the main floor and basements, selling everything from vegetables, meats, cheeses, seafood, and various ethnic grocers.

A short walk away is the Distillery District, a former center for alcohol production turned pedestrianized tourist spot. Definitely more of a nightlife centre as most places weren't open when I arrived, but the view was still worth the visit.

I then decided to try biking back to visit the cathedral church of St. James. The Tangerine app does show bike routes and docking stations. However, I got kinda lost. The nearest dock was full and I was going in circles finding an open spot. There were some protected bike lanes, but along the main road the bike lane became an elevated sidewalk next to the cars and pedestrians. However most roads don't have bike lanes, and bikes have to ride alongside the cars. Follow the marked pathway and turn lanes, otherwise dismount and walk alongside the pedestrians.

img bike

Queen's St East really felt like the slums of inner Toronto. Businesses literally falling apart and surrounded by the homeless. It's clear that foot traffic is tethered off when the skyscrapers stop and old buildings begin. Like with many cities, post-covid saw a spike in homelessness, the effects of which are more visible than ever.

From the church to the Eaton center, I'm back to skyscrapers, busy streets, and tons of construction. Old Toronto has lots of classical architecture wedged between glass towers, both charming but feeling out of place. The street along Eaton Center similarly got plenty of historical buildings like the theater next to the newly renovated shopping complex.

No visit to Toronto is complete without visiting Old City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square, a popular area for photographing.

Then comes my Chinatown runback for Sunday. Approaching from Dundas West, there were plenty of small shops and a few mini-malls with interesting food courts and local businesses. Chinatown runs primarily along Spadina Avenue, lined with Asian businesses and dense foot traffic. The streetcar here also has a dedicated lane and platforms, one of the few in Toronto's core.

And of course, I had to see the Bluejays play in Roger's Stadium! Following the crowd and traffic officers to reach the plaza near the CN tower, there are multiple entry gates with lines and security booths. The box office is permanently closed, and tickets have to be bought online with the TicketMaster app. Gates open an hour early (an hour half on weekends), but there really only a line as game time draws closer. Bag checks are also really lenient, I got in with my school bag full of supplies and tomorrow's breakfast.

Once inside the stadium, there is security at every seating entrance and a couple of special locations for standing. The $20 general admission doesn't give seats, so I had to find a spot in the open sections to stand and watch. This view was from the fifth level of TD Park Social.

The game itself started with a bang. Great batting, two home runs, six runs! For the other team...

Baseball is a really slow sport to watch. Not helping was the fact that no plays happened for the next 6 innings, the energy in the stadium was really sluggish. Any chants/cheers had to be prompted by the giant screen and loud music, as otherwise, it's 15 seconds of silence between pitches. Coming from a city of NHL hockey, it's comically hilarious to see the displays telling the crowd to GET HYPED AT TWO STRIKES!!! GET LOUD!!! Like it's both begging the crowd to get excited and that a batter at two strikes is the pinnacle of exciting baseball gameplay lmao. At least watching fans scramble to catch the foul balls was amusing.

Metro line 2 broke down on the way back ;(. Someone jumped onto the track and somehow caused a power outage? Of course it had to be Sherbourne station too, just before the bridge crossing. With no streetcars or busses, here I am writing the rest of today's blog. It was a long night.

As an aside, the metro hasn't had a single day without some issues and delays. Surprise construction, security incidents on platforms, or just bizarre incidents like tonight. For such a big city, it's clear that transit has been neglected for decades, with how politicized transit has become among Toronto City Council and the Province of Ontario. There are many great YouTubers covering this rabbit hole of urbanism that I've fallen into.

Day 4 - Leslieville & The Beaches

For the final day of Toronto, I wanted to explore the area east of the Don Valley Parkway. Leslieville, along Dundas and Queens St. East was frankly pitiful, so much so that I forgot to take any pictures. They are supposedly known for brunches and some landmarks, but felt like a watered-down version of Queens West. What didn't help that today was a hot 25 degrees, and I ended up on Eastern Avenue with nothing but loud trucks and business parks.

The best way to Cheery Beach is through the Distillery District, saving the extra hour it would have taken me to walk through Leslie St, with nothing but industrial trucks.

Along the way, I discover Tatsuros, a Japanese hybrid brunch place. When I arrived around 12pm, they had run out of their in-house iced tea and creme brulee toast. The toast I received was alright, but the dull cream overwhelmed the blueberry jam, ruining what was a solid french toast.

After wandering through another park, I finally reached The Beaches. This is a long stretch of sand beaches, with a half-hour long boardwalk and bike path. Lots of space to tan, and a whole array of volleyball nets. The coastal winds really turn a hot day into a pleasant walk, and I found myself pretty comfortable strolling in the 25-degree weather.

What a nice walk! Ended up hanging around to write todays blog.

The end of The Beaches happens to be where the Queen's streetcar starts. This is an affordable way to see Toronto's core, as Queens runs through much of the dense downtown. With a two hour transfer, I also planned to revisit Chinatown for a certain location, and so I hop on for the long ride ahead.

Traffic, construction, and even more traffic, the further we traveled downtown, the more agonizing the stops became. It actually becomes faster to bike as the few bike lanes within the core are the only remaining lanes not congested. Tldr: expect delays, the streetcar is basically a big car stuck in constant rush hour traffic.

20 minutes behind schedule, and getting some braised beef noodles in Chinatown, I went to check out a Japanese arcade called Yume. For fans of Japanese rhythm arcades and games, there are various imported machines from manufacturers like Sony, Bandi Namco, Konami, etc, all modified to work with Yume's membership cards. There's also a couple of Mahjong tables for open play. For about $10 an hour, I could see myself getting hooked. The venue is fairly small and gets busy fast, so maybe visit on the weekday to avoid the crowd.

Day 5 - Off to Ottawa

And that's the end of my Toronto trip! I knew my route was gonna be pretty strange, being that I've already seen the main attractions so I focused on more obscure places.

Next up is Ottawa, 6 hour by Flixbus. Lets see how the smaller Capital compares!