On Saturday we wanted to go out for the day but could not decide where. Then suddenly we thought of the zoo and off we went. On the way there we saw there had been an accident on the 401 on the other side of the road (eastbound) and the traffic was backed up. Little did we know that the traffic was backed up for 34 km’s. We felt really sorry for all the thousands of people who were caught up in it.
The zoo is easy to find from the 401 and cost us $23 each entrance fee as well as $10 for parking. When we got there I realized I had forgotten to put on sun lotion and it was baking hot, so I bought some there, just to be on the safe side. We also bought a hat each – another $50 spent!
Here are a few of he photos we took – more can be found in the photo album.
Emu
Flamingo
Zebra
Hippo
Tiger
I cannot make up my mind whether I agree with zoos. They do a great job in trying to protect animals and especially endangered species, but some of the areas they live in are small and you have to feel sorry for them. Toronto Zoo has loads of space, but unfortunately not all of it is allocated to the animal habitats. Tigers and polar bears are kept in very small areas for example and when you see how much space is available it is a shame they cannot allocate more space for them.
More photos can be found in the photo album
Last weekend we decided at the last minute to have a couple of days in Ottawa. We really like Ottawa and for us it is extremely easy to get to and much much less hassle and stress than driving into Toronto. We usually take the scenic route via Highway 7 rather than the 401 which makes for very pleasant drive. The drive was especially nice as the tree are turning now and the colours, although not at their best were lovely.
We stopped off at Perth for the obligatory Tim’s and on route we stopped off at an outdoor shopping area, visited an outlet centre and had dinner. We then drove to our hotel which was the Hampton Inn where we have stayed a few times before. This hotel is very nice and although not in the centre of the city there is a bus which stops just along the road which takes you straight into town in about 20 mins. The fare is $3 each person each way which is cheaper than paying for all day parking in the city – and easier to navigate.
Here is a quick snap of the hotel room I took with my little pocket camera.
We stayed at the hotel that evening and didn’t really do much at all. The following day after a nice free breakfast we got the bus into town and spent the day wandering round the mall, the street and of course around the Parliament area. We also wandered around the locks and took a nice walk alongside the water. Eventually we had dinner in town and then went back to the hotel with very sore feet, then chilled.
The next morning after breakfast we made our way back home via Ikea. All in all a very nice weekend. The weather stayed lovely. It was warm and dry and since our visit we have had cold, wet weather, so good timing.
