A Visit to Casa Loma and Spadina Museum Historic House & Garden

June 30, 2016 by edwinandlisa

Our train from Winnipeg to Toronto was supposed to arrive by 9:40 a.m., but due to many delays from freight trains (we had to “pull over” for each one) we did not pull into the station until 3 hours later. We were able to check into our Air B&B, grab a late lunch, and then had the rest of the evening to explore the north end of the city at Spadina Museum and Casa Loma.

Ascending the Baldwin Steps

Spadina House and Gardens

Visiting the home is by tour only

Next stop, Casa Loma "the House on the Hill"

We are provided with audio listening devices to help guide us around the castle

Up on the tower

We enjoyed a light dinner while listening to a concert symphony

We stayed until sunset, then headed back

It was hard to stop taking so many photos of this magnificent place!

Via Rail The Canadian, Culinary Tour Part 2, Winnipeg to Toronto

June 28, 2016 by edwinandlisa

Continuing our post from part one, we had one full day on the train and one morning before arriving into Toronto.

Chef's omelette was three cheese

Soup of the day: Asparagus

I went with the bison burger which was very good and spot on, but I wish I had french fries with it

Lisa went with the wrap, which was good but not great

Dessert was a brownie and chocolate ice cream, once again very very good

Our final dinner on the train presented some good choices

The soup of the day was a tomato bisque, which we both thought it was really well done

Lisa chose the chicken , which she liked a lot

I went with the fish, which was good in some spots and too fishy and maybe a little undercooked in others. I ended up not finishing it

And finally the desserts. Lisa want with the carrot cake, which was perfect

I ordered the chocolate caramel cake, which was decadent and a great finish to the somewhat disappointing main course

For our final breakfast, I want with the chef salad which was ham and cheese

Lisa got a continental breakfast, just some cereal, a bran muffin, and yogurt

After 3 full days and 3 nights worth of dinners, we felt the food was pretty darn good, but the real winners were definitely the desserts. It was the best part of each meal and we look forward to it every lunch and dinner. The food is much better than the Amtrak version, and for the most part service was quick, friendly and attentive.

Dining seating is by shared table, so you definitely meet a lot of new people and fellow travelers. There are usually two or three meal times depending on how full the train is. Breakfast is typically open seating with no reservation needed from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Lunch requires a reservation, with meals beginning at 11:15 and 12:30pm. Dinner starts relatively early at 4:30pm, 6:00p.m., and then 7:30 p.m.

There is bar service available, but it is not included in your meals so that would be an extra charge. Gratuities are not required, but appreciated. Typically we take $2 each for breakfast $3 each for lunch and $4 or $5 each for dinner depending on the level of service.

Fort la Reine Museum and Pioneer Village

June 27, 2016 by edwinandlisa

Lisa and I enjoyed a couple of hours at this underrated attraction that featured many different buildings and artifacts to show how life was in these Prairie setting from the days of the natives to the modern era.