our hockeymoon was AHHHH-MAZZZING. there are things we never want to forget. things we'd definitely do again. however, there are also things we'd change. and some things we'd never want to relive. so this is my hockeymoon in review, a review of ALL FOUR CITIES. the best of, the worst of, what we'd change and what we'd keep the same. i'll try to keep it short and sweet, but take all that you want from it. you know, for when you are planning your next hockeymoon ;)
the best of...
hotel: we were split. we loved both affinia and aka. affinia had that manhattan feel to it. you walked up and there was that "wow!" factor. plus we got free champagne and wine. the hotel staff was phenomenal. our room was pure luxury. and the hotel restaurant/bar was also amazing. only negative: we had a balcony that we could not access.
aka was also very luxurious. and plus it was bigger. it designed for the business traveler who might stay for weeks at a time. so our room had a full kitchen. plus the wine + cheese + roses gig did earn the hotel a few points ;) only negative: hotel restaurant was very pretentious. definitely not our style.
game: hands down carolina v. montreal. and no, not because it was a 'canes game! this was the most competitive game start to finish. it was a good game to watch, beginning to end.
arena atmosphere: this one would have been difficult to choose if philly fans weren't such assholes. but MSG took the cake. the fans were having a great time, no matter what was happening on the ice. and there was also plenty of on-ice entertainment as well.
subway system: montreal wins because they had a small system that was easy to navigate with no technological assistance. it is a color system, much like boston. however, NYC and PHI both have subway apps for the iPhone, which made getting around both of those cities easy as pie.
friendliness: toronto was by far the friendliest city. toronto is a huge melting pot, so they were accepting of everyone. probably because you really have no idea of who actually lives there. we never once felt like outsiders.
city atmosphere: toronto basically has it all. it's laid back. there is tons to do. it's walkable. it's on the lake. it has an underground walkway system. what more could you ask for?!
arena: i am beginning to sound like a drum here, but toronto had the best arena. it had the "wow!" factor. it was new, fresh, in-your-face, over-the-top, over-stimulating...it was awesome. plus, they served free samples of alcohol, who doesn't like that?
i will give philly an honorable mention here because their arena felt so much like "home" to us. so we really liked it and felt comfortable there. except when we were being cursed at, of course.
snow village: so this is a little bias considering montreal is the only city that had a snow village. but it was so awesome that it is definitely worth giving a "best of" award to. and if you ever go to montreal, in the dead of winter...you must go to the snow village!
food: toronto. and this may be a little bias only because we ate food for 4 days in toronto. so we got to find stuff that we really liked. however, we did notice that most everything we ate in toronto was fresher, less processed food. and we were down with that.
and NYC gets an honorable mention here too. because how can famous NYC pizza not!?
underground walkway: you guessed it...toronto. and no, it wasn't the only city with one. montreal has one and i would be willing to argue that nyc has one. kind of. but again, we utilized toronto's the most. we couldn't figure montreal's and really had no need to explore nyc underground. so, there you have it.
THE BEST CITY... so, after all of those categories, we picked our favorite city. obviously, NYC is already near and dear to my heart. however, there is a new king in town. toronto really stole our hearts on this trip. as i mentioned in my toronto blog, there are many reasons we now love this city. so much, in fact, we tried to book our first anniversary trip there. too bad airplane tickets now cost your inheritance.
worst of....
luckily we don't have too many categories to discuss as being the "worst of"
fans: philadelphia. these fans were the worst. they cried about everything. the score. being "late" to the game. or nothing at all. one flyer's fan passed by a penguin's fan on the concourse and yelled "fuck you asshole" at him. for no reason. what gives philly?
helpfulness: this means there was a lack of helpfulness. in which case that would be montreal. if you don't speak fluent french, in the local dialect, the locals are not interested in talking to you, much less helping you.
which ties into montreal is the worst city to get lost in if you don't speak french.
arena: it was a tough call. but i guess someone has to be the worst, so montreal it's your arena. it's old and out-of-date. but MSG, don't breathe a sigh of relief, you were a very close 2nd.
game: montreal vs. toronto. montreal won 5-0. it was a total ass kicking. it was embarrassing. and not worth the price of admission. ok, that's not true. everything else was amazing. except for the game.
what we'd do differently....
traveling through to 4 new cities across 10 days, you are bound to hit some snags. after this trip, i can say...there isn't too much we'd change. if we were awesome enough to do it all over again.
less bags. we carried TWO 50+lb bags, one backpack, a rolling carry-on, and my purse. it was wayyyy too much shit to keep up with. i would suggest each person gets one rolling bag and one backpack. AT THE VERY MOST.
spend at least 3 days in each city. we spent 4 days in toronto and 2 days everywhere else. well, the other three cities, we basically got one day there, which was the day of the hockey game. so i recommend at least three days. one day for the game and one day for touristy shit and one day for travel.
Be prepared when you arrive at each city. basically, know how to get from point A (where you are) to point B (where you need to be). don't assume it's going to be as easy as it looks OR as easy as it was in a previous city. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. hailing a cab isn't the worst thing in the world either.
Before you go: review and find local neighborhood bars/restaurants. we enjoyed the walkability of the cities we were in. so we definitely should have used that to our advantage a little more and researched what was in the neighborhoods we stayed in. so that we could have enjoyed what the locals enjoy. you silly.
and last but not least...what we would never change...
the way we traveled. we flew to toronto and then traveled by train to all the other cities. and utilized public transit within each city. OHMIGOSH was it stress free. we didn't have to worry about parking. or where to park. or how much it costs to park. or driving. it was awesome.
which leads into...being in a walkable city. we loved being able to just walk out of our hotel rooms and just GO! we could walk to a deli or bar. or head to the subway station to get across town. the world was at our finger tips. in all four cities. it truly was remarkable.
exploring as much as we could. even though we slept in, a lot (hey, it was our honeymoon!)...we tried to see and do as much as time would allow us to. we have no idea when/if we'll ever be able to do something like this again. so we had to soak it all in!
taking too many pictures. even though we can't get them off the camera. we have over 1000 pictures of our trip. and they will be lasting memories of all that we did and saw. and for now, we know they are in a safe place :)
the games. just doing a multi-city road trip in and of itself would be amazing, but hockey is who we are. it's us. so we could never have imagined doing this trip, or another one like it, without the hockey. we loved every minute of going to new arenas and learning new hockey cultures. it was once in a lifetime. and we hope to do it all over again. in 4 new cities. some day soon.
we loved our hockeymoon. we miss it as much as our wedding. it is another storybook of wonderful memories we will cherish for our lifetime.
xoxo,
ks
Showing posts with label hockeymoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hockeymoon. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
city of brotherly love.
it was friday, february 17th. we awoke, lazily in NYC only to check-out of our amazing hotel, head to the train station to continue on our journey. so we go to the amtrak kiosk to check-in and get our train tickets, but for some reason it wasn't reading our confirmation scan correctly. so we headed over to the ticket window. well, it turns out that our tickets were for the wrong date. how the hell did that happen?! ok, ok, so let me shock you to your core right now...i am not perfect. i planned and planned and planned a multi-city road trip. this was my only mistake.
it turned out not being a big deal at all. other than us leaving on a train 45 minutes later than the one i bought tickets for 2 days prior, plus we got to pay for the tickets again. that was fun.
so while we waited we thought lunch might be a good idea.
we said our goodbyes to NYC and hello philadelphia!! in a very quick 1 1/2 hour trip. it was awesome! no 10+ hour train trip here. it was sooo great. once we got to philly, we felt confident in utilizing their subway system to get to our hotel. well, i don't know if you've ever been to philly, but philadelphians aren't the most friendly of people. plus the subway system was stupid. and overwhelming. we couldn't find a kiosk to buy tickets. and the ticket window line was super long. so we said screw and headed out to find a cab. well, guess what? we walked outside and there were just cabs waiting to take us to our destination. perfect! we arrived to our hotel in a quick 25 minutes during rush hour traffic on a friday afternoon.
we stayed at aka hotel in rittenhouse square. when we got there, the doorman helped us with our bags. and of course held the door for us. we were immediately treated like royalty. and i felt like they knew who we were before we even checked in. this hotel also commented about us being on our honeymoon. while we checked-in at the front desk, another man took our bags to our room. whhhaaaaattt?
we arrived to our room, on the 12th room, which was as high as we could go, other than the penthouse. and we were greeted with roses, wine and a cheese plate! i thought "wow! what a hotel!" there was a note in the flowers. keith said, "read it." i was just like...ohhh they even left us a note. turns out it was a note from my husband. he had contacted the hotel prior to our trip and set all of this up. that sweet, sweet man. ♥ :)
i was completely blown away. he never ceases to amaze me. in nothing but wonderful ways.
we weren't really sure what to do with our afternoon. we had plans to meet my oldest friend carly and her husband, sean for dinner. we had a couple of hours to kill. so we were like "should we nap? shower? sight see? go get a drink?"
we decided to get cleaned up then head over to the restaurant, good dog, a little early and grab a drink while we waited for carly and sean. the bar was right up our alley. laid back. good beer, with even better food. and it was wonderful to catch up with carly, 10 years later. and of course, to finally meet sean. :)
plus, they helped us figure out the subway. you don't get tickets. you use tokens. yeah, you give your money in exchange for a token. i told you it was stupid.
saturday, february 18th. this was the day of hockey game #4. pittsburgh v. philadelphia. plus it was a day game. puck dropped at 1pm.
the flyers play at the wells fargo center. which is part of the bank owned stadium complex that also includes the eagles stadium and the phillies stadium.
wells fargo center felt the most like what is now known as the PNC arena. the atmosphere was great in that the fans were into the game. they were loud. they like to cheer, boo and curse...A LOT. we noticed that the fans were either really nice or complete assholes. there was no middle ground with the philly fans. they even booed the youth hockey league that played during intermission. i mean, really?
this was the 2nd best game. the first two periods were great. it was competitive and the score couldn't have been any closer. philly just fell apart in the 3rd period and pittsburgh just ran away with it. FINAL: PIT: 6 PHI: 4
since it was a day game, it kind of ruined any touristy stuff we wanted to do. however, we managed to walk over to south street for a cheesesteak, a philly must have! and on our walk we saw some of the historic row houses. we then walked over to independence hall. we also saw the liberty bell and the first president's house.
our trip to philly felt even quicker than new york. before we knew it we
were getting ready to leave again. this time it was the end. we were
leaving to come back home. sweet. home.
xoxo,
ks
it turned out not being a big deal at all. other than us leaving on a train 45 minutes later than the one i bought tickets for 2 days prior, plus we got to pay for the tickets again. that was fun.
so while we waited we thought lunch might be a good idea.
we said our goodbyes to NYC and hello philadelphia!! in a very quick 1 1/2 hour trip. it was awesome! no 10+ hour train trip here. it was sooo great. once we got to philly, we felt confident in utilizing their subway system to get to our hotel. well, i don't know if you've ever been to philly, but philadelphians aren't the most friendly of people. plus the subway system was stupid. and overwhelming. we couldn't find a kiosk to buy tickets. and the ticket window line was super long. so we said screw and headed out to find a cab. well, guess what? we walked outside and there were just cabs waiting to take us to our destination. perfect! we arrived to our hotel in a quick 25 minutes during rush hour traffic on a friday afternoon.
we stayed at aka hotel in rittenhouse square. when we got there, the doorman helped us with our bags. and of course held the door for us. we were immediately treated like royalty. and i felt like they knew who we were before we even checked in. this hotel also commented about us being on our honeymoon. while we checked-in at the front desk, another man took our bags to our room. whhhaaaaattt?
we arrived to our room, on the 12th room, which was as high as we could go, other than the penthouse. and we were greeted with roses, wine and a cheese plate! i thought "wow! what a hotel!" there was a note in the flowers. keith said, "read it." i was just like...ohhh they even left us a note. turns out it was a note from my husband. he had contacted the hotel prior to our trip and set all of this up. that sweet, sweet man. ♥ :)
i was completely blown away. he never ceases to amaze me. in nothing but wonderful ways.
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| view from the top. |
we weren't really sure what to do with our afternoon. we had plans to meet my oldest friend carly and her husband, sean for dinner. we had a couple of hours to kill. so we were like "should we nap? shower? sight see? go get a drink?"
we decided to get cleaned up then head over to the restaurant, good dog, a little early and grab a drink while we waited for carly and sean. the bar was right up our alley. laid back. good beer, with even better food. and it was wonderful to catch up with carly, 10 years later. and of course, to finally meet sean. :)
plus, they helped us figure out the subway. you don't get tickets. you use tokens. yeah, you give your money in exchange for a token. i told you it was stupid.
saturday, february 18th. this was the day of hockey game #4. pittsburgh v. philadelphia. plus it was a day game. puck dropped at 1pm.
the flyers play at the wells fargo center. which is part of the bank owned stadium complex that also includes the eagles stadium and the phillies stadium.
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| citizens bank park |
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| lincoln financial field |
this was the 2nd best game. the first two periods were great. it was competitive and the score couldn't have been any closer. philly just fell apart in the 3rd period and pittsburgh just ran away with it. FINAL: PIT: 6 PHI: 4
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| Game 4: PIT v. PHI |
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| yay! more hockey! |
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| it was tied after 2 periods. TIED. |
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| the view from our seats. |
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| FINAL score. what happened PHI?! |
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| the view of dt philly from the arena. |
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| the bell-o-liberty. |
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| independence hall |
xoxo,
ks
Thursday, March 8, 2012
the city that never sleeps.
so wednesday, februrary 15th we traveled. ALL DAY LONG.
we said goodbye to montreal around 9:30am and hello to NYC! at a much later 8:40pm. it was a veryyyyyyy long train ride. we slept. a lot. we enjoyed the views of upstate new york. the hudson valley is incredible. we ate and drank. we read. and of course played on our phones. free wifi! thanks amtrak! we definitely kept ourselves busy, but at about hour 9-10 we were going stir crazy. LET ME OFF THE TRAIN. I DON'T CARE WHERE WE ARE. I MUST RUNNNN.
arriving into new york at night was pretty amazing. the city was all lit up. and what's more is that it looks like this magical, peaceful place. full of wonder and shiny lights. our train came into penn station, which was great. because our hotel was right across the street. there would be no wandering around looking lost idiots in NYC. thanks, we've got this. we can cross the street.
we stayed at hotel affinia. and when we checked in the lady asked us about our honeymoon, which was a piece of information i had provided all the hotels as to the reason for the trip. but she was the first to ask. she also asked about our wedding and how excited we must be. then she said "this may be a silly question...but do you guys like champagne?" and we both kind looked at each other, smiled and replied yes. and she then asked if we'd like a complimentary bottle sent to our room. uummmm no thanks we're good. OF COURSE WE WILL HAVE SOME FREE CHAMPAGNE!!
so we went up to the room, got settled, waited on our champagne, and made plans for dinner. we toasted to our honeymoon and being in new york and off we went!
since it was kind of late, we just decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, niles. wow. what a place. it was poppin'. it was a restaurant/bar. so people come in off the street to get drinks and hang out. plus there had been a knicks game earlier and with all the "linsanity" that was going on...everyone was out celebrating.
up until we got to new york, i felt like we'd be pretty tame in our honeymoon. in that we hadn't stayed out too late or partied too hard. we did lots of touristy stuff. we had done a good job, so far, to keep it all well balanced. well...something changed in new york. there is something about the new york lights that just gives you energy. you just want to do stuff ALL NIGHT LONG. you want to be out and go places. meet people and do things. so while we were at niles, keith celebrated his new york energy by having 11 beers. ok, so not 11. but it sure seemed like it. and of course, drinking makes you hungry. once we left the bar we just had to order a new york pizza. some how keith kept it together to order a pie. which was sooooo delicious. i love new york pizza. hands down, it's the best pizza in the world.
the next day...was our first day of shitty weather. we had gone 7 days of great weather. and then this day happens. it's cold. it's windy. and it's fucking raining. however, when we got up and got ready it wasn't raining. so i decided it would be a good idea to wear these stupid knit boots. that are definitely not waterproof. so we head out for the day. and guess what? it's starts raining. and better yet...my feet are soaked in a matter of minutes. so now i have cold, wet feet. awesome. i hate rain. i really hate cold rain. so i am really trying my best to hold it together since i brought this misery on myself. i spotted the NHL store. not the macy's or bloomingdales, but the NHL store. yes, i am a true hockey fan. so we go in there to warm up. we browsed around and bought some hurricanes gear that we can't get in raleigh. yeah that's right. what the hell kind of sense does that make?
so anyway, we head back outside to the cold and rain. a few more minutes of walking and i am back where i started. soaking wet. and now my feet are going numb. you know, since it's freaking cold out. and i am getting more miserable by the minute. we are close to rockefeller center, so we go there to see the ice rink, grab some lunch, inside! and then head back to this gap store to try to find me some boots. luckily they had some rain boots...on sale! they really saved the day.
then we hopped on the subway and headed down to the 9/11 memorial. to get inside was like going to the airport. security was tight. we had to unzip our coats and take off our belts. nuts. but i am not surprised either. i told keith that while we were there, we were probably in the safest place in the world.
the memorial was breathtaking. sad. left me in awe. tear-jerking. amazing. calm. beautiful. serine. it is so awful that something so terrible had to happen to create a place that is so beautiful.
being there made our hearts sink, but it was something we had to do while we were in new york.
we left the memorial and had to get our mind elsewhere, after all, we had a hockey game to get to.
we headed back to the hotel, got ready and received our complimentary bottle of wine! i had a coupon from the hotel. wine and champange?! this hotel is awesome.
it was hockey night, game three of our trip. chicago v. new york rangers.
madison square garden (MSG) was also located right across the street from our hotel. which made it soooo convenient. right when we walked in this guy was yelling about free hoodies. my ears popped up. i was like let's look into this. i mean, every hurricanes fan needs a NYR hoodie. so the deal was we had to sign up for the sunday NY times, and can cancel whenever we want. and presto! a free hoodie. i have yet to cancel the subscription. we actually like reading it. so i see it as a win-win.
anyway, MSG was weird. i felt like a train station or an airport to me. all the signage was similar in nature to what you'd expect to see at either of those places. the arena corralled you up the stairs and around and around like cattle. it was weird. and it's old.
BUT the game atmosphere was really great. the NYR fans were a lot of fun and just had a good time with the game. even getting beat 4-2 by the blackhawks. plus, the beers were awesome. not only was it in a plastic cup with a handle, it also came with a pretzel.
only bad news? beer sales stop right when the puck drops at the start of the 3rd period. so weird. at the end of the 2nd period, i saw fans flying out of their seats and i was thinking, "what is the rush?" well, now i know.
and during the 2nd intermission, keith and i got up to also get more refreshments. i was ahead of him and as i was walking down the stairs, i thought i faintly heard my name. so i grabbed the handle bars on both sides, and kind of turned around. at that same moment, i felt my feet go out from under me. it turns out keith had seen my gloves in my back pocket (yeah, sure he was looking at my gloves) and they looked like they were about to fall out. and as he was reaching down to get my gloves, he slipped and fell on his ass, which caused him to kick my legs out from under me. it felt super great. and he was mortified. he tried to repair his pride with beer. it took lots of beer.
after the game we went to the flying puck. it is a bar that is located across the street from our hotel. i saw it the night before while we were at niles and insisted that we go there before we leave new york. i mean, who wouldn't want to go to a place called the flying puck?! it was the best hockey bar ever. every tv had a different hockey game on. if you wanted to watch any other sport, too bad. it wasn't happening at this bar. there were even minnesota wild fans there cheering on their team. how did minnesotans get to new york? were they lost?
before we wrapped up our night, we went back to our hotel bar, niles, for a quick bite to eat. hockey makes us hungry...i guess.
we love NYC and really hated that our trip went by so fast. we hardly got to enjoy it, but enjoyed all that we did have time for. there isn't enough space on this blog to discuss my love for NYC. it's a vibrant town that just makes you feel alive. we had a great time there. next time our stay won't be so short.
and there it was...staring us in the face...our trip to our last city. sooo sad.
xoxo,
ks
we said goodbye to montreal around 9:30am and hello to NYC! at a much later 8:40pm. it was a veryyyyyyy long train ride. we slept. a lot. we enjoyed the views of upstate new york. the hudson valley is incredible. we ate and drank. we read. and of course played on our phones. free wifi! thanks amtrak! we definitely kept ourselves busy, but at about hour 9-10 we were going stir crazy. LET ME OFF THE TRAIN. I DON'T CARE WHERE WE ARE. I MUST RUNNNN.
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| sooo bored. |
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| really bored. |
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| the most bored. |
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| being cute. |
we stayed at hotel affinia. and when we checked in the lady asked us about our honeymoon, which was a piece of information i had provided all the hotels as to the reason for the trip. but she was the first to ask. she also asked about our wedding and how excited we must be. then she said "this may be a silly question...but do you guys like champagne?" and we both kind looked at each other, smiled and replied yes. and she then asked if we'd like a complimentary bottle sent to our room. uummmm no thanks we're good. OF COURSE WE WILL HAVE SOME FREE CHAMPAGNE!!
so we went up to the room, got settled, waited on our champagne, and made plans for dinner. we toasted to our honeymoon and being in new york and off we went!
since it was kind of late, we just decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, niles. wow. what a place. it was poppin'. it was a restaurant/bar. so people come in off the street to get drinks and hang out. plus there had been a knicks game earlier and with all the "linsanity" that was going on...everyone was out celebrating.
up until we got to new york, i felt like we'd be pretty tame in our honeymoon. in that we hadn't stayed out too late or partied too hard. we did lots of touristy stuff. we had done a good job, so far, to keep it all well balanced. well...something changed in new york. there is something about the new york lights that just gives you energy. you just want to do stuff ALL NIGHT LONG. you want to be out and go places. meet people and do things. so while we were at niles, keith celebrated his new york energy by having 11 beers. ok, so not 11. but it sure seemed like it. and of course, drinking makes you hungry. once we left the bar we just had to order a new york pizza. some how keith kept it together to order a pie. which was sooooo delicious. i love new york pizza. hands down, it's the best pizza in the world.
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| yummmmmmmmmmmmmm |
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| crappiest weather of the trip. yuck. |
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| Not excited about the cold, rain, and wet feet. |
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| hurricanes shoes! that we did not buy. |
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| hurricanes/whalers gear that we did buy. |
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| gap rain galoshes! saved our day. |
then we hopped on the subway and headed down to the 9/11 memorial. to get inside was like going to the airport. security was tight. we had to unzip our coats and take off our belts. nuts. but i am not surprised either. i told keith that while we were there, we were probably in the safest place in the world.
the memorial was breathtaking. sad. left me in awe. tear-jerking. amazing. calm. beautiful. serine. it is so awful that something so terrible had to happen to create a place that is so beautiful.
being there made our hearts sink, but it was something we had to do while we were in new york.
we left the memorial and had to get our mind elsewhere, after all, we had a hockey game to get to.
we headed back to the hotel, got ready and received our complimentary bottle of wine! i had a coupon from the hotel. wine and champange?! this hotel is awesome.
it was hockey night, game three of our trip. chicago v. new york rangers.
madison square garden (MSG) was also located right across the street from our hotel. which made it soooo convenient. right when we walked in this guy was yelling about free hoodies. my ears popped up. i was like let's look into this. i mean, every hurricanes fan needs a NYR hoodie. so the deal was we had to sign up for the sunday NY times, and can cancel whenever we want. and presto! a free hoodie. i have yet to cancel the subscription. we actually like reading it. so i see it as a win-win.
anyway, MSG was weird. i felt like a train station or an airport to me. all the signage was similar in nature to what you'd expect to see at either of those places. the arena corralled you up the stairs and around and around like cattle. it was weird. and it's old.
BUT the game atmosphere was really great. the NYR fans were a lot of fun and just had a good time with the game. even getting beat 4-2 by the blackhawks. plus, the beers were awesome. not only was it in a plastic cup with a handle, it also came with a pretzel.
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| beer + pretzel = no need for $5 popcorn |
and during the 2nd intermission, keith and i got up to also get more refreshments. i was ahead of him and as i was walking down the stairs, i thought i faintly heard my name. so i grabbed the handle bars on both sides, and kind of turned around. at that same moment, i felt my feet go out from under me. it turns out keith had seen my gloves in my back pocket (yeah, sure he was looking at my gloves) and they looked like they were about to fall out. and as he was reaching down to get my gloves, he slipped and fell on his ass, which caused him to kick my legs out from under me. it felt super great. and he was mortified. he tried to repair his pride with beer. it took lots of beer.
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| excited!! |
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| MSG. |
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| US, post-game 3. |
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| Final, Rangers 2 Blackhawks 4 |
after the game we went to the flying puck. it is a bar that is located across the street from our hotel. i saw it the night before while we were at niles and insisted that we go there before we leave new york. i mean, who wouldn't want to go to a place called the flying puck?! it was the best hockey bar ever. every tv had a different hockey game on. if you wanted to watch any other sport, too bad. it wasn't happening at this bar. there were even minnesota wild fans there cheering on their team. how did minnesotans get to new york? were they lost?
before we wrapped up our night, we went back to our hotel bar, niles, for a quick bite to eat. hockey makes us hungry...i guess.
we love NYC and really hated that our trip went by so fast. we hardly got to enjoy it, but enjoyed all that we did have time for. there isn't enough space on this blog to discuss my love for NYC. it's a vibrant town that just makes you feel alive. we had a great time there. next time our stay won't be so short.
and there it was...staring us in the face...our trip to our last city. sooo sad.
xoxo,
ks
Sunday, March 4, 2012
hockeymoon stop deux.
very early monday, february 13th we awoke in sleepy toronto. after all, it was 6am. the sun was just beginning to rise. we were catching an early train to montreal so that we could enjoy at least an extra half of a day there.
so we said goodbye to toronto just as the sun was coming up and a new day of hustle and bustle was beginning. we could only hope our time in montreal was as good as toronto.
we had a five hour train ride ahead of us. no problem. we had breakfast. took a nap. enjoyed the canadian country side views from our windows.
we arrived in montreal around lunchtime. before i tell you ANYTHING about montreal, it is important to note that montreal is a primarily french speaking city. but most people are bilingual and can speak english as well. however, the locals are very proud of their french dialect. if you do not speak the same french dialect as them, or if you speak no french at all, expect a not so favorable response.
so anyway...we were excited to get to our hotel, drop off our bags and explore the city before game time. our second hockey game was monday night. the train arrived in the gare centrale or in english, central station. we had mapped out the route to get to our next train. it was only a block or so away. however, dragging two 50+ pound bags, two blocks feels like two miles. we got to the station with ease. buying two train tickets was a little bit more of a challenge. there was a kiosk. and we were able to navigate the kiosk, by changing the language to english and choosing the tickets we think we need. we get through the ENTIRE process and try to pay. the damn machine only takes canadian money. cash and credit. WHAT?
so we go to the ticket counter. i speak to the lady who barely understand my english. again, she cannot take my american credit card. which i don't get. credit is credit...right? luckily she will take my american cash. so we are able to by two day passes. whew!
after all of this, we only have to ride the damn train up to the next stop. so we get off at the next stop. and start walking through the train station, like we know where we are supposed to exit. if you've ever been to a subway station...it typically has many exit points. since it is at an intersection. or you can walk underground to the next point to surface...which may put you out a few blocks from where the train dropped you off. so, it is important to know where to exit. we just knew the stop we were supposed to get off at. and knew that the hotel was not far from that stop. which is true...if you exit at the right street. in fact the hotel is TWO blocks from the train station.
so we just started walking. the stop we got off at will exit you to the street or lead you to place des arts. which is a theater center. well, we walked in the direction of place des arts. which was the wrong fucking direction. once we finally got outside, we had no idea where we were. and why should we...like we'd ever been to montreal before. so we started looking at street signs to see if any seemed familiar. again, why would they? keith finally, was like let me just ask someone where 'avenue de parc' is, which was the street we needed to find. he saw a lady who came out of an office building who appeared to be on a smoke break. great! she must live here. he went and asked her, she claimed that she didn't know where it was. keith attempted to ask two other guys, but they both chose to ignore him.
we were the epitome of stupid, lost american tourists. i was exhausted. keith was fuming.
since we were in canada we had limited access to data on our phones, which would allow us to use the map function. since we were sooo lost with no help, we said screw it and used our very helpful iPhone to guide our way. thank you for saving the day iPhone. we were very turned around and very far away from our hotel. it was at least a 20 minute walk. uphill. all the way. and oh yeah, we are still dragging our freaking bags. i am so tired that i can barely walk. keith is so pissed that he is hauling ass. it was a rough start to montreal. and we brought it all on ourselves.
we finally arrived to our hotel. and we had to climb a flight of stairs to get inside. i was like "kill me now." luckily the hotel clerk was kind enough to help us carry our bags upstairs. and the hotel clerk was very helpful with checking us in early and telling us of a market and some restaurants nearby.
once we got settled in our room. we both we so tired and so hungry, we didn't know what to do first, eat or sleep. during our discussion of what to do with the afternoon, our bodies decided for us...we PASSED OUT. so much for enjoying that extra half-day in montreal.
after our nap, we got some food. and figured out how to use the metro. that really made our life easier. we could get around town without looking like lost idiots.
then headed onto to our second hockey game. hurricanes v. canadians at the bell centre.
i was really excited to see the hurricanes and to see them in a different arena. the bell centre provided some of the same glitz and glam as the ACC, but it mostly is a piece of shit arena. it definitely was the crappiest arena we went to.
with that said, the fans LOVE the montreal canadians. this team is borderline a religion. seriously. there was an article in the paper about it. and they definitely had the best pregame. the played awesome music to pump the fans up. the lights were great. i was ready to jump out of my seat before the game started.
because this game included an american and a canadian team, they sang both national anthems. and the fans sang their hearts out to both. it gave me chills.
this was definitely the best game. it was competitive the entire game. the 'canes only were able to put it away at the end. and the 'canes won! 5-3 yay!
and it was very tough not to cheer like i wanted to for our boys.
the next day, february 14th, we slept in. kind of a theme of our trip, eh? but man, we were exhausted after our adventurous day of travel. our hotel room was like a mini-apartment. so we had a fridge and stove and sink. so the day before we had bought stuff for breakfast at the market the hotel clerk had told us about. so it was nice to lounge around, eat breakfast and make our plans for the day.
the first thing we did was go to old montreal. it is beautiful. it is full of museums, chapels, and old architecture. while we were there, we visited notre dame. i wish we had our pictures to share. it was amazing. now, we all know that i am not really a church person, but i don't think you have to be a church person to appreciate the beauty and history behind this place.
we then headed over to jean-drapeau parc to see the snow village. now montreal was much colder than toronto. the air was bitter and crisp. oh and the ground was ice. so we as made this venture to jean-drapeau parc, we were navigating through a frozen tundra. and were sliding everywhere. it got to the point that i was walking flat-footed and grasped onto keith for dear life. i had almost fallen too many times. i did not want to go down. we were almost to the snow village and keith had found a less frozen space to walk on, for some reason i did not want to follow keith and continued down the sheet of ice i was on, slipping and sliding. and guess what happened? I FELL DOWN. on my hands and knees. i sliced up my left paw and bruised up my left knee pretty good. guess that's what i get for acting like i know how to walk across ice. well, as i learned, i definitely cannot walk well on ice. as i think is the case for most.
so, we finally arrive to the snow village. and...OHMIGOSH. the entire village is made out of snow and ice. there were four main sections: the hotel, with rooms where you can spend the night. large igloos where groups can stay together, the chapel, and the bar/restaurant.
the rooms in the hotel each had different themes. our favorite was the stanley cup room, of course!
and we couldn't leave without having a drink or two at the ice bar, amarula. we tried to get dinner at the restaurant, because how cool would that have been?! but it was valentine's day and they were booked solid. bummer. but, the hostess was handing out roses to all the ladies and i got one :)
so, since it was dinner time and we were hungry, and we obviously weren't eating at the ice restaurant we headed back toward our hotel. we were kind of unsure where to get dinner being that it was valentine's day and that everything probably was going to be booked up. so we found this cute little local diner, alto. and it was delish! we got poutine, as an appetizer, of course. and at the end of the meal, i got more flowers from our waitress. montreal is sweet on valentine's day!
even though we had a very rough start to montreal, which was totally our fault, we ended up having a great time on our second day. it was a very quick trip. we did as much as we could in 2 days. we left wednesday, february 15th to catch our train to NYC. and yes, we took a cab to the train station. no way in hell were we dragging our bags all over montreal. AGAIN.
sooo...after being in canada, here are some things we learned.
toronto and montreal: not the same.
most canadians are not fat. this may seem like a weird comment or thing to notice. but with the american obesity epidemic, i found it refreshing to be around people who weren't bursting at the seams.
canadians recycle a lot. torontonians more so than montrealers. but nonetheless, they both do it more than we do.
canadians lack personal space awareness and constantly run into other people. torontonians will then constantly apologize for doing so. montrealers will look at you like "why the fuck were you in my way."
food restaurants seem more natural and local. there were very few fast food restaurants. but don't worry, mcdonalds was still there.
canadians live, eat, sleep hockey. they LOVE it. hockey lives everywhere.
torontonians are friendly. in montreal, those who work in the service industry are friendly, all others, it really was the luck of the draw.
TSN = ESPN. TSN = hockey. hockey is always on this channel. it was awesome. and they call it sportscentre.
washrooms = bathrooms
our opinion of each city:
toronto feels new, vibrant and happening!
montreal reminded keith of "old" nyc, litter in the streets, dirty, homeless everywhere, and looks rundown. however, there are pieces that are beautiful and that we loved.
we loved canada. and will definitely be back, eh?
xoxo,
ks
so we said goodbye to toronto just as the sun was coming up and a new day of hustle and bustle was beginning. we could only hope our time in montreal was as good as toronto.
we had a five hour train ride ahead of us. no problem. we had breakfast. took a nap. enjoyed the canadian country side views from our windows.
we arrived in montreal around lunchtime. before i tell you ANYTHING about montreal, it is important to note that montreal is a primarily french speaking city. but most people are bilingual and can speak english as well. however, the locals are very proud of their french dialect. if you do not speak the same french dialect as them, or if you speak no french at all, expect a not so favorable response.
so anyway...we were excited to get to our hotel, drop off our bags and explore the city before game time. our second hockey game was monday night. the train arrived in the gare centrale or in english, central station. we had mapped out the route to get to our next train. it was only a block or so away. however, dragging two 50+ pound bags, two blocks feels like two miles. we got to the station with ease. buying two train tickets was a little bit more of a challenge. there was a kiosk. and we were able to navigate the kiosk, by changing the language to english and choosing the tickets we think we need. we get through the ENTIRE process and try to pay. the damn machine only takes canadian money. cash and credit. WHAT?
so we go to the ticket counter. i speak to the lady who barely understand my english. again, she cannot take my american credit card. which i don't get. credit is credit...right? luckily she will take my american cash. so we are able to by two day passes. whew!
after all of this, we only have to ride the damn train up to the next stop. so we get off at the next stop. and start walking through the train station, like we know where we are supposed to exit. if you've ever been to a subway station...it typically has many exit points. since it is at an intersection. or you can walk underground to the next point to surface...which may put you out a few blocks from where the train dropped you off. so, it is important to know where to exit. we just knew the stop we were supposed to get off at. and knew that the hotel was not far from that stop. which is true...if you exit at the right street. in fact the hotel is TWO blocks from the train station.
so we just started walking. the stop we got off at will exit you to the street or lead you to place des arts. which is a theater center. well, we walked in the direction of place des arts. which was the wrong fucking direction. once we finally got outside, we had no idea where we were. and why should we...like we'd ever been to montreal before. so we started looking at street signs to see if any seemed familiar. again, why would they? keith finally, was like let me just ask someone where 'avenue de parc' is, which was the street we needed to find. he saw a lady who came out of an office building who appeared to be on a smoke break. great! she must live here. he went and asked her, she claimed that she didn't know where it was. keith attempted to ask two other guys, but they both chose to ignore him.
we were the epitome of stupid, lost american tourists. i was exhausted. keith was fuming.
since we were in canada we had limited access to data on our phones, which would allow us to use the map function. since we were sooo lost with no help, we said screw it and used our very helpful iPhone to guide our way. thank you for saving the day iPhone. we were very turned around and very far away from our hotel. it was at least a 20 minute walk. uphill. all the way. and oh yeah, we are still dragging our freaking bags. i am so tired that i can barely walk. keith is so pissed that he is hauling ass. it was a rough start to montreal. and we brought it all on ourselves.
we finally arrived to our hotel. and we had to climb a flight of stairs to get inside. i was like "kill me now." luckily the hotel clerk was kind enough to help us carry our bags upstairs. and the hotel clerk was very helpful with checking us in early and telling us of a market and some restaurants nearby.
once we got settled in our room. we both we so tired and so hungry, we didn't know what to do first, eat or sleep. during our discussion of what to do with the afternoon, our bodies decided for us...we PASSED OUT. so much for enjoying that extra half-day in montreal.
after our nap, we got some food. and figured out how to use the metro. that really made our life easier. we could get around town without looking like lost idiots.
then headed onto to our second hockey game. hurricanes v. canadians at the bell centre.
i was really excited to see the hurricanes and to see them in a different arena. the bell centre provided some of the same glitz and glam as the ACC, but it mostly is a piece of shit arena. it definitely was the crappiest arena we went to.
with that said, the fans LOVE the montreal canadians. this team is borderline a religion. seriously. there was an article in the paper about it. and they definitely had the best pregame. the played awesome music to pump the fans up. the lights were great. i was ready to jump out of my seat before the game started.
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| the view from our seats. |
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| montreal canadians on ice logos. |
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| pre-game on ice lights. we loved this. |
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| US. :) |
this was definitely the best game. it was competitive the entire game. the 'canes only were able to put it away at the end. and the 'canes won! 5-3 yay!
and it was very tough not to cheer like i wanted to for our boys.
 |
| final score. 'CANES WIN!!!! |
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| staal was the first star of the game. whoop. |
the next day, february 14th, we slept in. kind of a theme of our trip, eh? but man, we were exhausted after our adventurous day of travel. our hotel room was like a mini-apartment. so we had a fridge and stove and sink. so the day before we had bought stuff for breakfast at the market the hotel clerk had told us about. so it was nice to lounge around, eat breakfast and make our plans for the day.
the first thing we did was go to old montreal. it is beautiful. it is full of museums, chapels, and old architecture. while we were there, we visited notre dame. i wish we had our pictures to share. it was amazing. now, we all know that i am not really a church person, but i don't think you have to be a church person to appreciate the beauty and history behind this place.
we then headed over to jean-drapeau parc to see the snow village. now montreal was much colder than toronto. the air was bitter and crisp. oh and the ground was ice. so we as made this venture to jean-drapeau parc, we were navigating through a frozen tundra. and were sliding everywhere. it got to the point that i was walking flat-footed and grasped onto keith for dear life. i had almost fallen too many times. i did not want to go down. we were almost to the snow village and keith had found a less frozen space to walk on, for some reason i did not want to follow keith and continued down the sheet of ice i was on, slipping and sliding. and guess what happened? I FELL DOWN. on my hands and knees. i sliced up my left paw and bruised up my left knee pretty good. guess that's what i get for acting like i know how to walk across ice. well, as i learned, i definitely cannot walk well on ice. as i think is the case for most.
so, we finally arrive to the snow village. and...OHMIGOSH. the entire village is made out of snow and ice. there were four main sections: the hotel, with rooms where you can spend the night. large igloos where groups can stay together, the chapel, and the bar/restaurant.
the rooms in the hotel each had different themes. our favorite was the stanley cup room, of course!
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| huggin' the iced stanley cup. |
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| iced montreal canadian. our favorite kind. |
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| this room even had bleacher chairs! |
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| keith liked the cup so much, he ralphed in it. |
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| the chapel. |
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| inside the chapel. |
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| the montreal skyline from the snow village. |
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| horse-drawn carriage ride? why not. |
 | ||
| us at the ice bar, amarula. |
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| v-day rose. |
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| snow village + montreal skyline at night. |
even though we had a very rough start to montreal, which was totally our fault, we ended up having a great time on our second day. it was a very quick trip. we did as much as we could in 2 days. we left wednesday, february 15th to catch our train to NYC. and yes, we took a cab to the train station. no way in hell were we dragging our bags all over montreal. AGAIN.
sooo...after being in canada, here are some things we learned.
toronto and montreal: not the same.
most canadians are not fat. this may seem like a weird comment or thing to notice. but with the american obesity epidemic, i found it refreshing to be around people who weren't bursting at the seams.
canadians recycle a lot. torontonians more so than montrealers. but nonetheless, they both do it more than we do.
canadians lack personal space awareness and constantly run into other people. torontonians will then constantly apologize for doing so. montrealers will look at you like "why the fuck were you in my way."
food restaurants seem more natural and local. there were very few fast food restaurants. but don't worry, mcdonalds was still there.
canadians live, eat, sleep hockey. they LOVE it. hockey lives everywhere.
torontonians are friendly. in montreal, those who work in the service industry are friendly, all others, it really was the luck of the draw.
TSN = ESPN. TSN = hockey. hockey is always on this channel. it was awesome. and they call it sportscentre.
washrooms = bathrooms
our opinion of each city:
toronto feels new, vibrant and happening!
montreal reminded keith of "old" nyc, litter in the streets, dirty, homeless everywhere, and looks rundown. however, there are pieces that are beautiful and that we loved.
we loved canada. and will definitely be back, eh?
xoxo,
ks
Monday, February 27, 2012
canada, eh?
when planning this hockeymoon i knew that i wanted to go to canada. why? i don't know. just because.
so, first stop: toronto.
we flew out of RDU on thursday night, february 9th. we anticipated that because we were flying internationally, check-in would take longer. well that was not the case. the check-in lady at the airport was very helpful in getting us our tickets and directing us to where to check our bags. the bag-check guy was even nicer. he started talking to us about "why on earth would we want to leave beautiful north carolina for cold toronto?" keith mentioned to him that we were going on our hockeymoon. the bag-check guy was then immediately going to place our bags on the plane for free. he took them both from us, put the airplane destination sticker on it, and was about to send us on our way. i couldn't believe it! then the check-in lady came running over and yelled at the guy "these two still need to pay for their bags!" the bag-check guy rolls his eyes, tells keith some price of the bags, and takes keith's credit card. the bag-check guy fake swiped the card. gave us a confirmation sheet, told us that he'd take care of the bags and to have a great trip. i couldn't believe it! what a great start to our trip. and how sweet of that man. i truly wish i could thank him.
after going through security, we found our gate and then found a bar. i had to do something to calm my man down. see, he doesn't like to fly. nothing a few cocktails can't fix.
and he did great on the plane. plus, it was a quick flight. we were in toronto by 9pm. awesome.
we took the airport shuttle over to the hotel and we were ready to explore the town by 10pm.
we walked about 2 blocks from the hotel, by way of suggestion from the hotel clerk, to find a cute irish pub, called overdraught. we had poutine, wings and a burger. and of course, canadian beers. we were hungry and thirsty after our trip.
the next day, february 10th, we were eager to set out on our new adventures, but not really sure where to start. sooo we crossed the street and had breakfast at tim hortons. it's the canadian starbucks and mcdonald's smushed into one. and much better than both of those places, combined.
after we were full of coffee and egg sandwiches, we made our way over to the hockey hall of fame. and on our walk, it started to snow! kind of a big deal to north carolinians who haven't seen snow since last winter.
the hockey hall of fame was pretty amazing. so amazing that we spent hours there. the entire afternoon. and we didn't even do everything. we saw everything, we just didn't play all of the games. which there were a lot of, like taking shots on net or being a goalie. however, we did play a hockey trivia game. in which i beat keith and came in 2nd place overall. i would have won but this guy joined the game last minute and was a ringer. he came in a ruined everyone's fun with his ridiculous amount of hockey knowledge.
but the hhof was a place for hockey fans, old and new, to come learn and explore about the sport that they love. there is so much history to this great sport. that is why we spent ALL DAY there. we looked at the players cases who are in the hall of fame. historical stats. and the timeline of the league. we saw a "fake" locker room. and of course the trophies. which are breathtaking. there are also sections devoted to women's hockey, junior hockey, and world hockey leagues. hockey is kind of a big deal. and this place can really open anyone's eyes to that.
once we were done with our hhof visit, we were hungry. so we went to part of the underground network, PATH. the PATH is an underground walkway that connects the city, buildings, subway stops. and within the walkway are shops and restaurants. it really is like a whole other world. when we were walking on the streets we wondered where everyone was. once we started to utilize the PATH...we realized, everyone is down here! it's warmer and you are out of the elements; and can get to where ever you need to get to in the city. UNDERGROUND. it is the best thing since sliced bread. seriously.
so anyway, like i said, we got lunch at an italian restaurant that is part of the PATH. after we were done eating, we were sitting and relaxing. because i was tired after all that walking around the hhof. and guess who walks into the exact restaurant we are in?! ERIC fucking COLE. this may not seem like a big deal. but this is a big deal to 'canes fans who were sad to see this player leave carolina for montreal in free agency last summer. we happen to leave the restaurant at the same time as cole. keith said to him, "we really miss you in carolina...best of luck to you." cole nodded and said thank you. keith's comments, while very polite, probably caught him off guard...what are carolina fans doing in toronto?! and what was eric cole doing in toronto? well, montreal was playing toronto in the hockey game we attended the following night.
we then walked around downtown toronto. outside. in the snow. yes, we braved the elements. we wanted to see this new and beautiful city we were in. we walked down to the st. lawrence market. it is the market place that is all fresh foods. meats. cheeses. vegetables. spices. maple syrup. clothing. whatever you want. it is a permanent structure, so it's always open. it's amazing. every city should have one.
we went to a local grocery store for some provisions and went to the hotel to rest up before dinner. we decided that we'd have dinner at the hotel restaurant. it was close and convenient, plus we had a 10% off coupon. it seemed like a bar/restaurant that has a local following. the beers on tap were excellent, as was our appetizer. however, our main dishes were ok, at best.
we also had the pleasure of two local torontonians to sit next to us at the bar. one of the guys was drunk when he walked in the bar. as they sat down, the other guy accidentally hit keith and replied "sorry, eh?". what does that even mean?... "sorry, huh?" sorry, right?" "sorry, now get the fuck out of my way?"
the drunk guy repeated said to his friend "i am a good guy...i am a nice guy." it was hard to not hear their conversation because as i am sure you know, drunk people feel the need to speak louder. i am not sure why, but they do.
eventually this guy left. to go tell another table much of the same. "i am a good guy..." we aren't sure where his proclamations were coming from, but he definitely wanted the world to know that he is A GOOD GUY.
so we were left with the "sorry, eh?" guy, who quickly engaged in conversation with us. he was comical, and also drunk. he told us that he makes upwards of $200,000/year and that we were in the worst bar in town. we quickly wondered, why then, was he there? he attempted, repeatedly, to hit on me. in front of keith. keith handled it well. i mean, the guy was wasted. he saw a beautiful girl...what else was he going to do other than say something about it? he told us secrets about toronto and tourist things to do. which was nice. he told us that he's been all over the world and that american's don't travel well. apparently when americans get where ever they are traveling, they want to be pampered. they don't want to immerse in their new culture. but mind you, if this guy really is part of the 1%...wouldn't it be possible that the 1% behave this way? and wouldn't that be a skewed view of an ENTIRE population? just my thought...
THEN this guy gets a brilliant idea to go to another bar.
so, we off we went. we were going to be those american tourists your hear about on the news. “tourists last see at local toronto bar.” luckily that is not how our story ended. we went with mr. drunk to jack-astor's. yes, we do have one of those here in the triangle area. no, it was not at all the same. it was a huge bar. that was playing loud music. it almost felt like a club, minus a dance floor. this torontonian, knew everyone, including the manager of this bar. who conveniently wasn't working that night. but nonetheless, he bought us a round of drinks. and this is where things turned weird. he then approached a stranger. a very well-built gentleman to talk about his watch. obviously this stranger could not follow his dialog nor was he interested in doing so. thus, he quit talking to our drunk friend. this caused our drunk friend to inform us that he could kick that guy's ass. via different forms are martial arts. uhhh, ok. where did this come from? all because he wasn't interested in talking about your watch?? then drunkface continues his paranoia and makes some comments about keith's size and how big his shoulders are. what does that have to do with anything?? we are just trying to hang out, drink some beer and have fun. since this guy was getting all skived out, we downed our beers and got the hell outta there. weird.
as you can imagine, the next day was a little rough after our late night adventure. we were lazy, slept in. didn't DO ANYTHING. what a waste of a day in toronto, eh? by the way, using the word "eh?" is probably our favoritest thing we picked up from canada. it's so versatile to have many meanings. it's awesome.
one thing we did do was eat at this swiss market, marche. you go in and they give you a swipe card. so you go to different stations, order what ever you want: pasta, salad, crepes, stir-fry. at each station they put whatever you have ordered on the swipe card. then you sit down and eat. once you are done, you go check-out, with the swipe card and pay. it's really neat. i know that is a terrible adjective, but it was a neat experience. it's a high class buffet. because there isn't a flat rate, but you can go back for as much as you like.
so, the time finally came, after two days in toronto, it was time. for our first hockey game. montreal v. toronto. we were pumped. but also we didn't know what to expect. most of the arenas we went to were in the city. so they were accessible via the subway stations. this was definitely a new experience for us.
as mentioned, toronto has the underground walkway, the PATH, so we used that to get to the air canada centre (ACC). yes, that is how they spell center. when you enter the ACC through the subway entrances, there is A LOT going. on one side there are basketball games. and on the other there are hockey games. all in which you can participate in. and of course there are people in the middle of the concourse yelling at you trying to sell you stuff. then we went through the ticket entrance. keith and i got out our tickets, emptied our pockets, took off our hats and opened our coats. because this is what we are used to doing at the RBC center. well, they scanned my ticket and i was in the arena. i remember just standing there with my cell phone in my hand, thinking "what now? is there anything else?" they had no metal detectors. they didn't look in your bags or coats or anything. it was weird. once we realized this. we put our things back in our pockets and zipped back up. and there was more sensory overload. the ACC was full of lights and things to see and buy and do and touch. it really was hard to take it all in. i definitely felt like that lost fan that we make fun of at our home games.
this game was also mats sundin banner raising night. basically they were retiring his number. he is kind of a big deal. so as we were walking around, trying to absorb everything we saw, keith noticed there was a maple leafs alumni puck giveway table. you pay $20 dollars to get a mystery puck of a former maple leafs player. well, when in rome...
we thought "what the hell?" it'll be memorabilia. and it would have been really awesome to get mats sundin's puck. so keith paid the $20 and told me to pick a puck. all the pucks were wrapped in tissue paper and sitting on a table. so i reached for one. and i wasn't going to take it, but i ripped the paper, so i kept it. well good thing. because the puck is signed by MATS SUNDIN. now, i know most of you don't give a shit about that. but as i said, he is kind of a big deal in the world of hockey. so it is kind of a big deal that we now have his freakin' signature. bitches.
we still can't believe it.
the puck and the banner ceremony were the best part of the game. along with the crown royal corner. it's like the RBC center's natty greene's pub deck on steroids. it is amazing. and they give out free samples of crown royal drinks. what could be better?!
final score of the game: toronto: 0 montreal 5
here are some pictures from the ceremony and the game.
tuesday was our last day in toronto. we did a lot on this day. we started the day by scaring the shit out of keith. we climbed the CN tower. not only did we go to the observation deck, which is 346m (1136 feet) high, we also went up to the sky pod, which is 447m (1465 feet) high and very tiny. it is definitely not for the faint of heart or claustrophobic. from the sky pod visibility is typically over 100 miles.
once we safely returned to the ground, we got some lunch.
some good did come from being up so high. we saw other things we wanted to do that afternoon. like visit the brewery across the street and go outdoor ice skating.
so, after lunch at the CN tower, we walking across the street to steam whistle brewing. it is housed in an old steam engine repair facility. the tour was a lot of fun and the brewery has a lot of unique history.
so after a few beers, we thought outdoor ice skating would be a fine idea. so we headed over to harbourfront centre. i had never really been ice staking outside before. ok, i have done it once. at the stupid rink we have in raleigh. but i hardly call that "real". this was real. hell, it was even snowing and they have a real zamboni for the rink. plus, they played the united stated national anthem. weird, eh?
as it started to get dark, we made our way back toward our hotel for our final dinner in toronto at an italian restaurant. man, was i tired. it sure was nice to get back to the hotel to relax before we had to head on to montreal the next morning....
so, these are the things we LOVED about toronto...
it was a true melting pot. you couldn't tell who was a visitor and who lived there. there were so many cultures, races and languages. it really is the NYC of canada. but smaller.
they are environmentally friendly. every trashcan had a recycling bin. our hotel room even had a recycling bin. and typically there were multiple recycling bins to divide up the recyclables. HOW AWESOME?
the food is fresher. a lot of restaurants and markets advocate local products.
they have bicycle rentals. where you can rent a bike in one place and drop it off somewhere else. it offers another means of transportation without using a car. amazing.
the people are friendly. and helpful. we never felt out of place. even as newbies.
the underground walkway. it created a whole other way of life. it was like two cities in one. there were people, restaurants, shops on the streets. BUT there were also all of those things UNDERGROUND. it was like a secret society. so interesting. but if you don't know your way around, it is also easy to get lost in.
it is walkable. we walked everywhere. HUGE plus.
toronto, we will definitely be back to visit.
xoxo,
k2
so, first stop: toronto.
we flew out of RDU on thursday night, february 9th. we anticipated that because we were flying internationally, check-in would take longer. well that was not the case. the check-in lady at the airport was very helpful in getting us our tickets and directing us to where to check our bags. the bag-check guy was even nicer. he started talking to us about "why on earth would we want to leave beautiful north carolina for cold toronto?" keith mentioned to him that we were going on our hockeymoon. the bag-check guy was then immediately going to place our bags on the plane for free. he took them both from us, put the airplane destination sticker on it, and was about to send us on our way. i couldn't believe it! then the check-in lady came running over and yelled at the guy "these two still need to pay for their bags!" the bag-check guy rolls his eyes, tells keith some price of the bags, and takes keith's credit card. the bag-check guy fake swiped the card. gave us a confirmation sheet, told us that he'd take care of the bags and to have a great trip. i couldn't believe it! what a great start to our trip. and how sweet of that man. i truly wish i could thank him.
after going through security, we found our gate and then found a bar. i had to do something to calm my man down. see, he doesn't like to fly. nothing a few cocktails can't fix.
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| exhibit a. |
and he did great on the plane. plus, it was a quick flight. we were in toronto by 9pm. awesome.
we took the airport shuttle over to the hotel and we were ready to explore the town by 10pm.
we walked about 2 blocks from the hotel, by way of suggestion from the hotel clerk, to find a cute irish pub, called overdraught. we had poutine, wings and a burger. and of course, canadian beers. we were hungry and thirsty after our trip.
the next day, february 10th, we were eager to set out on our new adventures, but not really sure where to start. sooo we crossed the street and had breakfast at tim hortons. it's the canadian starbucks and mcdonald's smushed into one. and much better than both of those places, combined.
after we were full of coffee and egg sandwiches, we made our way over to the hockey hall of fame. and on our walk, it started to snow! kind of a big deal to north carolinians who haven't seen snow since last winter.
the hockey hall of fame was pretty amazing. so amazing that we spent hours there. the entire afternoon. and we didn't even do everything. we saw everything, we just didn't play all of the games. which there were a lot of, like taking shots on net or being a goalie. however, we did play a hockey trivia game. in which i beat keith and came in 2nd place overall. i would have won but this guy joined the game last minute and was a ringer. he came in a ruined everyone's fun with his ridiculous amount of hockey knowledge.
but the hhof was a place for hockey fans, old and new, to come learn and explore about the sport that they love. there is so much history to this great sport. that is why we spent ALL DAY there. we looked at the players cases who are in the hall of fame. historical stats. and the timeline of the league. we saw a "fake" locker room. and of course the trophies. which are breathtaking. there are also sections devoted to women's hockey, junior hockey, and world hockey leagues. hockey is kind of a big deal. and this place can really open anyone's eyes to that.
once we were done with our hhof visit, we were hungry. so we went to part of the underground network, PATH. the PATH is an underground walkway that connects the city, buildings, subway stops. and within the walkway are shops and restaurants. it really is like a whole other world. when we were walking on the streets we wondered where everyone was. once we started to utilize the PATH...we realized, everyone is down here! it's warmer and you are out of the elements; and can get to where ever you need to get to in the city. UNDERGROUND. it is the best thing since sliced bread. seriously.
so anyway, like i said, we got lunch at an italian restaurant that is part of the PATH. after we were done eating, we were sitting and relaxing. because i was tired after all that walking around the hhof. and guess who walks into the exact restaurant we are in?! ERIC fucking COLE. this may not seem like a big deal. but this is a big deal to 'canes fans who were sad to see this player leave carolina for montreal in free agency last summer. we happen to leave the restaurant at the same time as cole. keith said to him, "we really miss you in carolina...best of luck to you." cole nodded and said thank you. keith's comments, while very polite, probably caught him off guard...what are carolina fans doing in toronto?! and what was eric cole doing in toronto? well, montreal was playing toronto in the hockey game we attended the following night.
we then walked around downtown toronto. outside. in the snow. yes, we braved the elements. we wanted to see this new and beautiful city we were in. we walked down to the st. lawrence market. it is the market place that is all fresh foods. meats. cheeses. vegetables. spices. maple syrup. clothing. whatever you want. it is a permanent structure, so it's always open. it's amazing. every city should have one.
we went to a local grocery store for some provisions and went to the hotel to rest up before dinner. we decided that we'd have dinner at the hotel restaurant. it was close and convenient, plus we had a 10% off coupon. it seemed like a bar/restaurant that has a local following. the beers on tap were excellent, as was our appetizer. however, our main dishes were ok, at best.
we also had the pleasure of two local torontonians to sit next to us at the bar. one of the guys was drunk when he walked in the bar. as they sat down, the other guy accidentally hit keith and replied "sorry, eh?". what does that even mean?... "sorry, huh?" sorry, right?" "sorry, now get the fuck out of my way?"
the drunk guy repeated said to his friend "i am a good guy...i am a nice guy." it was hard to not hear their conversation because as i am sure you know, drunk people feel the need to speak louder. i am not sure why, but they do.
eventually this guy left. to go tell another table much of the same. "i am a good guy..." we aren't sure where his proclamations were coming from, but he definitely wanted the world to know that he is A GOOD GUY.
so we were left with the "sorry, eh?" guy, who quickly engaged in conversation with us. he was comical, and also drunk. he told us that he makes upwards of $200,000/year and that we were in the worst bar in town. we quickly wondered, why then, was he there? he attempted, repeatedly, to hit on me. in front of keith. keith handled it well. i mean, the guy was wasted. he saw a beautiful girl...what else was he going to do other than say something about it? he told us secrets about toronto and tourist things to do. which was nice. he told us that he's been all over the world and that american's don't travel well. apparently when americans get where ever they are traveling, they want to be pampered. they don't want to immerse in their new culture. but mind you, if this guy really is part of the 1%...wouldn't it be possible that the 1% behave this way? and wouldn't that be a skewed view of an ENTIRE population? just my thought...
THEN this guy gets a brilliant idea to go to another bar.
so, we off we went. we were going to be those american tourists your hear about on the news. “tourists last see at local toronto bar.” luckily that is not how our story ended. we went with mr. drunk to jack-astor's. yes, we do have one of those here in the triangle area. no, it was not at all the same. it was a huge bar. that was playing loud music. it almost felt like a club, minus a dance floor. this torontonian, knew everyone, including the manager of this bar. who conveniently wasn't working that night. but nonetheless, he bought us a round of drinks. and this is where things turned weird. he then approached a stranger. a very well-built gentleman to talk about his watch. obviously this stranger could not follow his dialog nor was he interested in doing so. thus, he quit talking to our drunk friend. this caused our drunk friend to inform us that he could kick that guy's ass. via different forms are martial arts. uhhh, ok. where did this come from? all because he wasn't interested in talking about your watch?? then drunkface continues his paranoia and makes some comments about keith's size and how big his shoulders are. what does that have to do with anything?? we are just trying to hang out, drink some beer and have fun. since this guy was getting all skived out, we downed our beers and got the hell outta there. weird.
as you can imagine, the next day was a little rough after our late night adventure. we were lazy, slept in. didn't DO ANYTHING. what a waste of a day in toronto, eh? by the way, using the word "eh?" is probably our favoritest thing we picked up from canada. it's so versatile to have many meanings. it's awesome.
one thing we did do was eat at this swiss market, marche. you go in and they give you a swipe card. so you go to different stations, order what ever you want: pasta, salad, crepes, stir-fry. at each station they put whatever you have ordered on the swipe card. then you sit down and eat. once you are done, you go check-out, with the swipe card and pay. it's really neat. i know that is a terrible adjective, but it was a neat experience. it's a high class buffet. because there isn't a flat rate, but you can go back for as much as you like.
so, the time finally came, after two days in toronto, it was time. for our first hockey game. montreal v. toronto. we were pumped. but also we didn't know what to expect. most of the arenas we went to were in the city. so they were accessible via the subway stations. this was definitely a new experience for us.
as mentioned, toronto has the underground walkway, the PATH, so we used that to get to the air canada centre (ACC). yes, that is how they spell center. when you enter the ACC through the subway entrances, there is A LOT going. on one side there are basketball games. and on the other there are hockey games. all in which you can participate in. and of course there are people in the middle of the concourse yelling at you trying to sell you stuff. then we went through the ticket entrance. keith and i got out our tickets, emptied our pockets, took off our hats and opened our coats. because this is what we are used to doing at the RBC center. well, they scanned my ticket and i was in the arena. i remember just standing there with my cell phone in my hand, thinking "what now? is there anything else?" they had no metal detectors. they didn't look in your bags or coats or anything. it was weird. once we realized this. we put our things back in our pockets and zipped back up. and there was more sensory overload. the ACC was full of lights and things to see and buy and do and touch. it really was hard to take it all in. i definitely felt like that lost fan that we make fun of at our home games.
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| game #1: montreal vs. toronto @ ACC |
this game was also mats sundin banner raising night. basically they were retiring his number. he is kind of a big deal. so as we were walking around, trying to absorb everything we saw, keith noticed there was a maple leafs alumni puck giveway table. you pay $20 dollars to get a mystery puck of a former maple leafs player. well, when in rome...
we thought "what the hell?" it'll be memorabilia. and it would have been really awesome to get mats sundin's puck. so keith paid the $20 and told me to pick a puck. all the pucks were wrapped in tissue paper and sitting on a table. so i reached for one. and i wasn't going to take it, but i ripped the paper, so i kept it. well good thing. because the puck is signed by MATS SUNDIN. now, i know most of you don't give a shit about that. but as i said, he is kind of a big deal in the world of hockey. so it is kind of a big deal that we now have his freakin' signature. bitches.
we still can't believe it.
the puck and the banner ceremony were the best part of the game. along with the crown royal corner. it's like the RBC center's natty greene's pub deck on steroids. it is amazing. and they give out free samples of crown royal drinks. what could be better?!
final score of the game: toronto: 0 montreal 5
here are some pictures from the ceremony and the game.
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| Mats Sundin and family. |
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| Sundin's banner. |
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| #13 flag that was passed over the fans. it looked really awesome. |
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| game time. whoo! |
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| final score. what a beating. |
tuesday was our last day in toronto. we did a lot on this day. we started the day by scaring the shit out of keith. we climbed the CN tower. not only did we go to the observation deck, which is 346m (1136 feet) high, we also went up to the sky pod, which is 447m (1465 feet) high and very tiny. it is definitely not for the faint of heart or claustrophobic. from the sky pod visibility is typically over 100 miles.
once we safely returned to the ground, we got some lunch.
some good did come from being up so high. we saw other things we wanted to do that afternoon. like visit the brewery across the street and go outdoor ice skating.
so, after lunch at the CN tower, we walking across the street to steam whistle brewing. it is housed in an old steam engine repair facility. the tour was a lot of fun and the brewery has a lot of unique history.
 |
| It's hard to see, but it's snowing! i took this picture on our way to the ice rink! |
so after a few beers, we thought outdoor ice skating would be a fine idea. so we headed over to harbourfront centre. i had never really been ice staking outside before. ok, i have done it once. at the stupid rink we have in raleigh. but i hardly call that "real". this was real. hell, it was even snowing and they have a real zamboni for the rink. plus, they played the united stated national anthem. weird, eh?
as it started to get dark, we made our way back toward our hotel for our final dinner in toronto at an italian restaurant. man, was i tired. it sure was nice to get back to the hotel to relax before we had to head on to montreal the next morning....
so, these are the things we LOVED about toronto...
it was a true melting pot. you couldn't tell who was a visitor and who lived there. there were so many cultures, races and languages. it really is the NYC of canada. but smaller.
they are environmentally friendly. every trashcan had a recycling bin. our hotel room even had a recycling bin. and typically there were multiple recycling bins to divide up the recyclables. HOW AWESOME?
the food is fresher. a lot of restaurants and markets advocate local products.
they have bicycle rentals. where you can rent a bike in one place and drop it off somewhere else. it offers another means of transportation without using a car. amazing.
the people are friendly. and helpful. we never felt out of place. even as newbies.
the underground walkway. it created a whole other way of life. it was like two cities in one. there were people, restaurants, shops on the streets. BUT there were also all of those things UNDERGROUND. it was like a secret society. so interesting. but if you don't know your way around, it is also easy to get lost in.
it is walkable. we walked everywhere. HUGE plus.
toronto, we will definitely be back to visit.
xoxo,
k2
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