Today we head for downtown Toronto to see some new friends, Igor, Joanna, and Alexis. We met Igor and Joanna last year when we were on our Western Loop Trip (see WL Trip Day 2 & 3). Igor and Joanna had rented a Harley in LA and were headed for Las Vegas at the same time we were. Just like Linda, Joanna had a difficult time with the heat and we ended up at the same motel complex to try and cool down. Anyway, Igor emailed me a while back and invited us to drop by and see them if we got to Toronto.

We called them on Friday after our tour of the PDQ factory, and made arrangements to meet them at their home in the Annex Neighborhood of Toronto and then go out to Breakfast at a local restaurant together. Igor emailed me directions from our motel to his home. The directions worked perfectly and when we got there Igor was waiting at the corner to direct us to his house and garage. (photo 1).

A new addition to their family was their beautiful daughter Alexis, now six weeks old. It was great fun seeing and hearing how Igor and Joanna are doing as they start a new family and try to balance the needs of work, family (photo 2) and motorcycling. Igor is an engineer for a software company that makes compression software for satellites. Joanna is a kindergarten teacher on leave while she getsAlexis off to a good start.

Igor rides a Honda R51, Sport Bikes with a nice set of aftermarket pipes. Joanna, after riding on the Harley Ultra Glide last year was spoiled and doesn't want to make any more long trips on the R51. Igor will have a choice to make sometime in the future between speed and companionship. We had a really nice time and hope that Igor and Joanna will be able to come out to California again and visit us sometime so we can repay their hospitality.

We needed to be moving on and wanted to get to Niagara Falls sometime today so we said our good byes. Igor was kind enough to get on his R51 and lead us out of town. We were able to get quick glimpses of the CNN Tower and other buildings and monuments in downtown Toronto, just enough to let us know we need to come back again, but not in summer when there is so much traffic.

As we headed south on Canadian 401, then to the QEW, we discovered that even though it was Saturday, the traffic was still heavy. We had a little stop and go, a little construction holdup, and lots of traffic. Igor had suggested that we stop at Niagara-on-the-Lake before we went to Niagara Falls. It was a good suggestion. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a small Canadian town upriver from the Falls and is kind of an upscale community (photo 3, 4, & 5), with a very attractive downtown area loaded with boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. It reminded Linda and I of Carmel in California since it gave us that same kind of feeling.

We stopped down by the water and took a few picture of a guy wetting on a bicycle (photo 6). Then we took the best ride we had all day, the river road over to Niagara Falls. This road passes right by some really fine looking homes as well as through a tree-covered road right along the Niagara River (photo 7, 8, 9). As we got closer to Niagara Falls, it started to rain. We put on our gear and for the next thirty minutes or so, followed the river to our motel in Niagara, Ontario, Canada.

We stopped at one motel and they were sold out. We headed down the road and ended up at a Best Western right across the street from the river (photo 10). We paid more for that room and got less than at any other motel so far on our trip. Any port in a storm, so to speak, and Niagara Falls definitely qualifies as a special location. It is obvious that these folks make hay while the sun is shining. After checking in we took a shuttle to "downtown" Niagara.

I have to tell you I was extremely disappointed in Niagara. It's a community amusement park, not a town you would actually live in (photo 11,12,13 & 14, 15). The shuttle dropped us off at one of the large casinos and we walked up through town and past the Skylon Tower, where we took the steps down to the park and the Falls.

The town was loaded with people from all over the world snapping pictures of the falls, each other, the Skylon Tower (photo 16), each other, the Maid of the Mist, and each other. The view from the Canadian side is better than the view from the American side (photo 17) but it is much more commercial. We saw several people go by on bikes but there are few places to park. There is also a lot of traffic on the street running in front of the Falls, which didn't appeal to me after being on the freeways all day yesterday.

Anyway, after taking lot of pictures of the falls, the grounds, and the Maid of the Mist we headed back to the motel. Hopefully the photos will give you a flavor of the Canadian side (photos 18 & 19). Tomorrow we take the Rainbow Bridge (photo 20) over the border to see the American side.