Wednesday, July 9, 2014

CN Tower

Panoramic view of the city of Toronto

Now I wouldn't be a real Torontonian if I've never even once visited the CN Tower, right?

One mid-winter/spring day, around March school break, the whole family decided to spend a day in Toronto. And of course, top of the list of things to see, was the CN Tower.

I pre-booked our tickets online so that we could avoid the queue at the admissions office. It was school break and a Friday, you see, and I was pretty sure it was gonna be hectic that day. And it was packed, but probably not as bad as I thought it'd be. We squeezed through admission quite briskly and walked slowly to the elevators that would lead us up.

Our Tower Experience tickets gave us general admission access but did not include a trip up to the very top. An additional fee of $12 was required for Skypod access.

View from CN Tower's LookOut

The first level, called the LookOut, is an observation deck that offers a spectacular view of the city of Toronto. It is 346m high and can be reached with a 1-minute elevator ride. And if you look closely on a clear day, you might even find your eyes making out as far as some parts of the Niagara Falls region.

Glass Floor photo

On a level just below the LookOut, the Glass Floor also serves as a great attraction. You either loved or feared the floor. I am not one who is often afraid of heights but it did take me a while to feel comfortable walking on the Glass Floor. My knees wobble and my heart drops each time I take a step. I think knowing that you are 342m off the ground did not help matters. We took some "scared" photos and got out of there.

If you are adventurous enough, you will also find the Base Camp on this level. The Base Camp is the starting point of the Edge Walk, which is a walk outside, around the tower. The activity was closed due to weather when we visited. And it was probably a good thing, else I would've had to challenge myself to go take a hike around the tower.

Toronto city backdrop

After taking enough photos around this level, we've decided to venture to the Skypod elevator access. The Skypod was a further 33 storeys above. This would take us a total of 447m off the ground. It was a bit nerve-wrecking but the greatest photo opportunity. This level did not have as huge a space as the LookOut and access was controlled. We took a lot of selfies at this point. The city was really a wonderful backdrop.

For a trip to see the city of Toronto dramatically, check out the CN Tower website.

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