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Posted Aug 19, 2008, 1:45 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 3,050
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I stumbled upon an interesting travel review for Hamilton while surfing the net. Thought I'd post an exerpt from a review of Hamilton, Niagara and Toronto published last week in the Manchester Evening News (Manchester, UK).
Quote:
Holiday reviews
Ontario, Canada
Jenny Dixon
11/ 8/2008
FLYING to Ontario for a tour of the region I had little idea what lay in store for me.
I knew it was home to the iconic natural wonder Niagara Falls and that Toronto is something of a shoppers’ paradise, especially with the exchange rate firmly in British tourists’ favour.
What I didn’t anticipate stumbling upon were thriving vineyards, a chance to watch elephants frolic in a lake and a plethora of museums and art galleries in a region of immense significance in Canada’s history.
These unexpected tourist lures made for a trip that encompassed adventure, culture, relaxation, shopping and fun - the perfect blend for any family or couple.
Getting to Ontario is incredibly easy with direct, reasonably priced flights from Manchester to: Hamilton (with Flyglobespan) and Toronto (with Air Transat).
Hamilton has a small airport but don’t be fooled - it is not just a place to pick up a hire car it’s a gateway to an unforgettable holiday.
Less than an hour’s drive from Niagara Falls and Toronto, Hamilton provided me with a convenient base from which to explore the area.
Haven
The city is situated next to Lake Ontario, although it is hard to distinguish it as a ‘lake’ given that its shores are imperceptible due to the scale of the place.
Hamilton is at heart a centre for industry, reflected in the nickname ‘Steel Town’, but like Manchester it is reinventing itself - with artists taking up residence, a wide range of renovation and conservation projects underway and the air of a city waiting to be discovered by the broader world.
The stars are taking note - Bruce Springsteen recently performed at the concert venue there while Bob Dylan and Cirque de Soleil are also set to appear.
I stayed at the comfortable and welcoming Sheraton Hotel, which is centrally located and boasts its own gym, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.
Conveniently, the hotel is also attached to a shopping arcade and situated directly opposite the Art Gallery of Hamilton.
The gallery’s permanent collection, featuring displays of contemporary, Canadian and religious art, is free to enter while there is paid for access to the temporary exhibition, which currently houses ‘Inspiration East’ showcasing Asian art including the kimonos of the most famous Geisha of the 20th century Ichimaru.
The gallery is in many ways a microcosm of the wider city community, which hosts a broad mix of ethnicities. For tourists this means culinary experiences from around the globe are available - from Lebanese to Italian and Thai.
But it is just outside the city boundaries that Hamilton truly becomes a must-see. For horticulturalists the Royal Botanical Gardens nurture a diverse range of flower and plant species.
Even this man-made haven, however, cannot match what Mother Nature provided on Hamilton’s doorstep - the Niagara Escarpment. A number of forest trails give walkers the opportunity to glimpse beautiful waterfalls, tiny in comparison to the escarpment’s name-sake but impressive all the same.
Discovery
The peace of the countryside is all encompassing once you get a few miles out of the city but just short of 200 years ago the land that surrounds Hamilton was anything but serene. Once a year the battle-cries ring out in a military re-enactment to mark the day that the British defeated the Americans in a significant battle of the War of 1812.
The past is brought to life by museum tour guides who don the costume of their forefathers. The Battlefield House Museum and Park comprises the Gage Homestead. Built in 1796 it captures the way of life for the relatively well-to-do Gages family, who sheltered in the basement while the Battle of Stoney Creek raged outside.
More grand is Dundurn Castle, home of the Premier of United Canadas Sir Allan Napier MacNab, who had a significant impact on the development of the region. Visitors can take an illuminating tour of the house and servants’ quarters, which sheds light on a period of Canadian history of which I was, ashamedly, largely unaware.
This break proved to be one of perpetual discovery, and not merely of culture within the walls of an art gallery or museum.
Pretty much every tourist attraction came as a pleasant surprise, given my ignorance of what Ontario had to offer the traveller - I didn't even expect the hot weather and sunshine that prevailed for most of my stay.
So forgive me for balking at the idea of an African Lion Safari, in an area that resides in minus temperatures for much of the winter season.
Apparently, however, the colder months are no deterrent to bringing the wilds of Africa to Ontario; the elephants are particularly partial to playing around in the snow.
The giant thick-skinned beasts are one of the greatest lures to the African Lion Safari. Other animals have to be viewed from the car, but guests can get within close proximity to the docile elephants - hitch a ride, watch them take a dip in the lake or, I’m told, see them indulge in a bit of art therapy!
While the kids will undoubtedly enjoy viewing more than 1,000 birds and animals, petting the friendlier park residents or making a splash in the water park, adults too seem drawn to this place - one website cited it as a top spot to take your date!
Being a more traditional player in the dating game I prefer to glam up for an expensive dinner rather than go down the safari route and if that’s your style Hamilton has the spa to have you feeling like a million dollars.
Three hours of pampering at LubaMera Spa, which involved honey being smeared over my arms, legs and face, had me feeling ready for whatever else Ontario had to throw at me.
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The full article can be found here.
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"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul"
-George Bernard Shaw
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