Hamilton, Ontario (October 2015)

Hotel: Crowne Plaza Hamilton Hotel & Conference Center

Distance from Toronto Pearson Intl. Airport: 42 miles ($10/day rental car)($8/day hotel parking)

Length of stay: 4 Nights

Average nightly rate: $150 CAD Avg/Night.

(The current USD->CAD Conversion is $1USD=1.30CAD)

My trip to Hamilton turned into an unexpected adventure. When I first found out I was traveling to Hamilton I immediately went on Google to search what the city had to offer. I was disappointed when I saw that the closest airport with reasonable flights was Toronto. This means I would have to rent a car and drive a little over an hour to find my hotel. This wouldn't be so bad in the states, the big problem is that American cell phone carriers don't get reception in Canada so how would I find my way?! I was surprised to find out that car rentals are so cheap, $10 a day seems like nothing to have your own car. Ha!! since i'm only 23 years old I get slammed with a daily underage fee, on top of that the cheapest insurance for the car was a total of $300 CAD. I really had no choice because I couldn't risk getting into an accident issue in another country. My little $50 rental turned real quickly into $500 CAD. In a way this was a blessing because it encouraged me to use the car to discover the surrounding areas. I won't go into details about the flight because It was exactly the same as my Toronto blog.

The Hotel

Downtown areas in Canada are so diverse, the streets are lively and full of random stores and restaurants. If you go outside to find something to eat you find your self walking for 15 blocks because you cant make up your mind due to the countless options. When I arrived at the hotel I was pleased to find out I was right in the middle of everything. I parked my car in the garage and checked in. The room was actually above average for being a Crowne Plaza, I am not a big fan if IGH resorts but this one was pleasant. The room had a nice king bed and a modern bathroom, everything was nice and clean.
(Standard King Room)

My room was on the 4th floor of the hotel, also on the 4th floor was an indoor pool with a spa as well as a gym overlooking the pool. I love taking a swim before sleeping so this was extremely convenient. I could walk out of my room and walk 20 feet to the pool area.

ALOT OF FOOD!

As I said before, Canada is just full of culinary options. Out of all of the meals I had I would like to speak about 3 restaurants that gave me a memorable dining experience. If you read my Toronto blog you know that I was surprised with how cheap the food was compared to the States. If you read my New York blog you know that I have developed an unusual love to local spots that specialize in Ramen. I was ecstatic when I walked out of my hotel and I saw "O'NEKO", it is considered a local ramen hotspot in Hamilton.

(There was a notable difference in the Ramen served here Vs. The NYC Ramen. O'Neko used a Miso base as their broth compared to a Soy base in NYC. O'Neko used pork shoulder instead of pork belly as most other Ramen restaurants do. They also had scallions in the broth which gave it a unique taste. Each Ramen bowl was served with a side of chilis so you can adjust the spice your self. As you can see in the picture below, if you have a big group they bring out a huge bowl and put it on that stove to keep it hot).

Besides Ramen there is another style of soup I am obsessed with, it is called "Pho". Pho is a Vietnamese soup that consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meats (Usually chicken or beef). I went on Yelp and there was a restaurant called "Pho Dau Bo" that had 5 stars, not one bad review. I took a short 5 minute drive and decided to check it out. Maybe I was asian in my past life, I have a sick obsession with Asian cuisine.

(I ordered chicken and shrimp Pad Thai, fresh beef rolls as well as chicken and beef Pho. It was extremely delicious but it was way to much food).

Maybe I could have stopped there with the Asian food but I didn't, In front of the hotel there was a Sushi Bar called "Tatemono". It was lunch time so i stopped by to see if they had any lunch specials. On their lunch menu they had an $8 CAD ($6 USD) Bento Box. It consisted of miso soup, house salad, salmon roll (3pc.), Tuna Roll (3pc.), Tempura Shrimp, Tempura Tofu, Tempura Vegetables, rice and chicken Teriyaki. Is it just me or can I even get a cheeseburger combo for $6 in the states?

Unexpected Adventure

The whole weekend me and my co workers where debating if to take the drive to Niagara Falls. It was only about 55 miles away, after debating we all decided to go and see the falls at night. I had been to Niagara Falls as a kid and had fond memories of the falls, I just remembered being hypnotized by the power of this natural wonder. When I went as a kid I saw the falls from the USA side, I have been told that the falls are significantly more beautiful from the Canada side. When we arrived all of us in the car hopped out like kids on a 3rd grade field trip. It was so cold outside that I couldn't feel my hands and the mist from the falls soaked us head to toe. The adrenaline pushed us through and we sat there and stared at the falls for about 20 minutes. The falls are lit up at night, The picture below isn't the greatest but It was the steadiest I could get as my hands where completely frozen.

 After seeing the falls we found a nice Italian restaurant called "Pranzo". After that amazing experience we treated our selves to a nice meal.

 It's so important that we take advantage of every opportunity we get in life and live without regrets. That night I almost talked my self out of going to Niagara because I was tired. If I would have stayed at the hotel I probably would have regretted that decision the rest of my life. Regardless of everyones individual situation, we all have opportunities that knock on our door. Its crucial that we take a deep breath and analyze the pro's and con's and make sure that we are making the correct decision. When I sat in front of the falls I stayed quiet and just looked out, absorbing the power and the noise of the falls. I soaked in that moment as much as I could so that I can relive it whenever I want. Life goes by fast but the more memories we create, the more that we have to look back and smile at. If you are traveling to Canada or have questions about travel in general feel free to message me through Google Circles.