Road Trip: Toronto to New York City to Philadelphia

Every year, as the short summer dwindles down, I end up asking myself: "Did I make the most of it?" Last summer, I didn't do as much as I had hoped, and that left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. So this year I was hell-bent on crossing a few things off of my bucket list. One of those things was making the most of a long weekend by tearing out on an adventurous road trip. 

Challenge accepted. Next stop: New York City and Philadelphia, PA. 

I had forgotten how much fun it was to plan a trip like this. From the moment I booked the first hotel I had a month and a half, which meant a month and a half of scouting different routes; a month and a half to check out where we should stop for the night on our way to New York City; and a month and a half to dream about the Ford Flex Limited that Ford Canada was going to lend me for the trip (what colour will it be!?). Needless to say, I was pumped.

The month and a half countdown had counted down and the day was here. Terrina, her son Caiden and I (Chris, if we haven't already been introduced) were loading up our beautiful blue Ford Flex Limited. In true fashion, Terrina was busy rearranging the way I had packed the car, and I was busy arguing with Caiden about whose packing method was better. Caiden was shocked when he found out the Flex had a regular household outlet for powering his doodads (no car charger needed)! We passed the time in heavy traffic Instagram-ing shots of us flexing our muscles in the Flex while singing along to our favourite songs on the radio.

When we finally broke free of the traffic I opened up the 365 horsepower 3.5L EcoBoost (cue the Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor ape grunt) just a little as we headed south to the border. I soon found out that the Ford Flex Limited and myself had a lot in common - we are both ruggedly handsome, have strong hearts, are surprisingly techy, and, most importantly, we are both beautiful on the inside. 

We stopped for gas twice along the way; once because we needed it and the other to fill up on the gloriously cheap New Jersey gasoline. We drove 760 kilometers right through the Holland Tunnel to the front door of the Marriott on West Street in Manhattan. I handed over the keys to the Flex and we checked in. 

TIP: Staying in Manhattan can be expensive but if you want to see a number of sights during a short stay, then you need to be in the middle of the action.

After a quick rest we headed out to explore - umbrellas drawn. The first thing that stuck out was One World Trade Center and the Oculus, which according to the locals happens to be a "very expensive train station."

Walking in and around Manhattan we stumbled upon St. Paul's Chapel. What caught my eye first was the graveyard just past the gate with a long wavy path. I went in first, pulling away from the shelter of the umbrella as big drops of rain started falling off of the tree, totally messing up my hair. Along the path there were a couple signs explaining the history of the chapel and how much adversity it had faced throughout its many years.

We had a quick visit with the FDNY Ten House squad and then walked across the street towards the World Trade Center memorial pools. It was raining a bit harder now, I knew it was going to be tough to get a good picture so I hung back under the shelter of a small tree. At that moment, two people I love very much created the perfect shot for me.

Just outside our hotel we found ourselves in the historic and scenic Battery Park. From there we walked towards the pier and found ourselves gazing on the fairest lady of them all. The Statue of Liberty had just lit up, almost as if she knew we were coming. 

After the excitement of seeing the fair lady we decided to tour the city in our Ford Flex. We hopped in and with the help of the GPS were able to see Central Park, Times Square and the Empire State Building, along with a few more familiar sights in short order.  It was a great way to finish off the day.

The next morning I woke up with a plan to cross two major items off of my travel bucket list. The first: experiencing the 9/11 Memorial Museum. 

Have you ever heard of flashbulb memory? Its when you are able to remember exactly what you were doing when a life changing event occurs. September 11, 2001 was definitely one of those days. 

I was 18 and sleeping when the first plane hit. My dad woke me up and turned on my TV and from that point on I was glued to it. I recall watching the second plane hit; it felt like the world had stopped turning.

The museum's atmosphere resembles a mixture between a library and a funeral home. We realized that there is still a lot of hurt buried deep down from that very dark day. We held each others' hands a little tighter after every exhibit and I swore that someone was cutting onions nearby, because my eyes got a little watery at times. It must happen often to the patrons of the museum, because there are Kleenex boxes at most of the exhibits. When I had researched the museum on the line, it had said it should take about two and a half hours to see everything. We spent four and a half hours soaking everything in like a sponge. 

After we finished up at the museum we grabbed a quick bite to eat and started driving. We were on a mission to get to Philadelphia, where the Fresh Prince used to spend most of his days. We were determined to make it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in order to cross the second bucket list item off: *trumpets playing* the Rocky Steps! 

We pulled off of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and into a free parking spot, Philadelphia Freedom indeed. The situation got very serious after we posed with the Rocky statue. Caiden had challenged me to a racing duel up the very popular steps (perfect activity for a 34 degree day). I used my Usain Bolt-type speed to dominate the race and make it to the top victorious. I danced around and threw punches into the air repeating "I am the greatest" over and over much to the dismay of my opponent, who I saw as a much smaller Apollo Creed. After my celebration at the top was over (and yes, that did take awhile) we celebrated a bit more with an ice cream and hopped back into the car to find our hotel.

We stayed at the Loews Philadelphia. It was lovely with very friendly and helpful staff and a heck of a view, if you ask me. 

The next day we were going on a free tour of Independence Hall and visiting the Liberty Bell, the real "belle of the ball." We had wanted to see both of these attractions when we were in Philly last September to see Papa Fracessca, AKA the Pope, but the entire city was shut down for the occasion.

As for the tour, it wasn't very long but it was full of rich history and the odd chuckle. Certainly worth every penny of the "free" price tag. Also, if you answer a history question right you get a free trading card. Caiden caught on quickly and collected a good stack. 

Before leaving Philadelphia I had to do one last thing: mow down on an authentic Philly cheese steak sandwich with mustard, provolone and mushrooms. You know it was good. 

We left that day with a feeling of accomplishment. I felt like we made the absolute most of our long weekend and we had made some amazing memories together. Road trips are good for the soul. 

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Escape and Discover: Thunder Bay Edition

I had been expecting a package from Ford Canada the other day; they were being weirdly secretive about it. I knew it had something to do with the new 2017 Ford Escape. When it arrived I tore into it and found a duffle bag emblazoned with the words, "Escape & Discover," along with a postcard telling me to "prepare for the ultimate adventure and an unforgettable night away." That and I was part of "Team Yellow," whatever that meant. I read it three times, trying to discern what this ultimate adventure was all about, but the only instruction was to be ready and waiting for 7 a.m. Then my mind did what it does best when faced with the unknown: it plays games. Where are we going? How are we getting there? What other team colours are there? Is it going to be a scavenger hunt, or perhaps some type of Hunger Games-style affair?

In truth, if I gave myself a rating on the adventurous scale, I wouldn't peg myself at the ultimate adventure end of the spectrum; I'm maybe... a medium adventure type guy. After dwelling on it for awhile I calmed down and became okay with the mystery of it all. All I had to do was get to sleep and find out in the morning.

Morning came and I was whisked away in the back seat of a black, unmarked car. I buckled in and the driver looked back and said, "Heading to Thorncrest Ford?" I give him a straight faced look and said, "Am I?" The driver looked confused and said, "That's what this booking says." I just smiled and replied, "Thorncrest Ford it is my good man."

When we arrived I was greeted by smiles and food. I mingled with the other people and met my teammates. Keeping with the mystery of the event, there was a huge curtain with the Ford symbol on it, and what appeared to be the shadow of an SUV conspicuously shining through. Maybe not such a mystery after all, so we thought. But after a quick welcome they pulled the curtain, and much to the shock of myself and the 11 other guests, there was no Ford Escape, just a table with four sets of three tickets. I grabbed my Team Yellow tickets and brought them back to the group, where we opened them together and found...

I was on my way to Thunder Bay!

So off we went like we were the McCallisters and we had slept in again! Arriving at Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Island, I was so happy that I thought I would grab an escalator selfie.

Our smooth flight featured an unexpected treat, an aerial view of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park! You may ask why is it called Sleeping Giant... well that is why they invented Google (that and to make heaps of money). Google it.

You might be able to tell why its called Sleeping Giant now.

We were picked up by Matt and Malcolm who had us cruising in style in the new Ford Escape we had been waiting to see. Ours was a beautiful pearl white with blacked out rims, the new Sync3 entertainment system and a sunroof that starts at the front seat and ends all the way at the back seat! I don't even know what you call that type of sunroof, but I do know that it is awesome.

Nice Ride eh?

Team Yellow's first stop was lunch at a waterfront restaurant called The Bight; a delicious meal with a superior view. Speaking of superior views, we snapped a couple of shots of Sleeping Giant from shore. I tried to point at it in a selfie and came close... and that calls for a "that's what she said."

Not even close to the giant.

After seeing our first bit of wildlife (groundhog), we spotted a fox. Well in Canada he is THE Fox. I was so excited to see the Terry Fox memorial but when we hopped out of the Escape I wasn't expecting the somber, yet enchantingly appropriate music that we heard. A gentleman was practicing his bagpipes at the memorial, and it made our experience a little more emotional and definitely a lot more memorable.

Bagpipes, the Canadian flag and Terry Fox. I think I've got some dirt my eye. Ya, dirt, that's it.

Then it was road trip time. Turn down the windows and turn up the music. (Aside: Do we technically turn down windows anymore? I guess not. Anyhow, back to my #EscapeAndDiscover Adventure, and yes, you should check that hashtag out). We were headed to Kakabeka Falls. If you have seen them before you know exactly what I mean when I say, nature is freakin' beautiful.

FYI, if you are planning to have a stop at the falls on your journey be prepared to pay a small parking fee of $3/hour, but it is worth every penny.

After we saw the falls we stopped into the Kakabeka Falls gift shop. We had a great conversation with the shop owner about how much he loves free advertising from the local bingo that runs six months of the year, so this shout out is for you gift shop guy!

Our next stop had us at the bottom of Mount Mckay looking way way up to the summit. You can get up to the summit somehow, but we never really figured it out. Mount Mckay is the highest, most northern and best known of the Nor'Wester Mountains.

That was our last stop of the day. We checked into the local Holiday Inn Express and had a small rest before dinner. We dined at a popular wine bar and restaurant called Caribou. I had a pairing of wood fired pizza and a Lake of the Woods beer named Firehouse Amber. C'est Magnifique. When we walked out to meet our driver we were blinded by sunlight, even though it was after 9 p.m.!

Lake of the Woods Firehouse Amber

The next morning I was feeling recharged, despite our whirlwind of a Saturday. We were taken to the restaurant Hoito, a Thunder Bay staple known for their Finnish pancakes. I had mine with bacon and, oh baby, was it good. If you go to Thunder Bay, it's a must.

Hoito has been in business for almost 100 years

After breakfast we were on our way to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. We finished our trip off testing out the impressive handling of our Ford Escape while winding through pristine Canadian wilderness, occasionally dodging the odd deer or stray rock. We found ourselves at the Silver Islet store that sits on the site of a former silver mining operation from the 1800s. 

Shhhhh. Don't wake the giant.

Silver Islets Store

Our last stop before the airport was at the Thunder Bay lookout right smackdab in the middle of Sleeping Giant. A perfect view for saying goodbye to Thunder Bay.

That's a wrap folks. Our #EscapeAndDiscover adventure ended on a very high note. It was nice to be in a place where cell reception was so bad but the nature was so good. It reminded me that we live in such a huge beautiful province. A big thanks to Ford Canada for including me in this awesome adventure.

Shout out to Team Yellow!!

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Christmas at Home Thanks to Ford Canada

Christmas is undoubtedly my favourite time of year. I love the feeling that surrounds it. People are friendlier, extended family makes themselves more available, friends host parties and of course children light up at the thought of Christmas morning.

A present under the tree

To tackle all my Christmas shopping and to make it home to celebrate with my girlfriend’s and my family, the fine folks at Ford Canada supplied us with a Ford Explorer Platinum to #GoFurther for the holiday break. The Explorer came in handy quite a few times over the holidays as we were able to load up all of our gifts, our Siberian Husky and a friend (her gifts too) with plenty room to spare. We were all quite comfortable in the roomy cabin, but my girlfriend and I were pampered with massaging seats in the cockpit.

Ford Explorer parked at my girlfriends parent's house.

I was excited to have the Explorer which made it possible for me to make it up to my parents’ house this year for Christmas Eve. I love seeing how my mom has decorated the house, she is quite the artist when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree. This year was no exception as she used bronze, copper and brown ornaments on a white tree (the only thing white about this Christmas this year!). I woke up a little bit earlier than everyone and quickly filmed it in all its glory. Check that out below:

My dad ended up gifting me and my girlfriend engineered hardwood flooring to spruce up our kitchen floor. Thank the stars we actually had the Explorer or we never would’ve got that home with the sub compact car I would’ve rented to save money. Unfortunately though I now have a project to complete on my next day off…thanks Dad!

Hardwood flooring, padding and laundry. It all fits in the Explorer!

The holidays are spent with family, so we didn't just visit mine. In the morning of Christmad Day we loaded up the gifts into the Explorer and drove over to my girlfriends parents' house. My girlfriends mom is a great cook and baker, so we had an amazing spread of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, yams, turnip and veggies. Afterwords we had some home made treats and a cheesecake so delicious words wouldn't do it justice. What I love about her family is that similarly to mine they also give it all they've got to decorate the house. After a gift exchange we unfortunately had to hit the road, pick up our pooch and head back to the big city.

My girlfriends family's living room all decked out in Christmas decor!

Between both parents' homes and back and forth to the city for dreaded boxing day shopping, we put this truck through it's paces. One thing I noticed was how smooth and quiet the ride was, unless of course we were blasting Christmas Carols and singing along. The other little perks available in this model actually saved our butts a few times, particularly the park assist feature. Parallel parking with any vehicle in Toronto can be a pain, let alone a big SUV. The parking assist made it a piece of cake by doing it for me! All I had to do was hit one button and apply or let go of the brakes. While this terrified my girlfriend the first time we tried it, there was no denying it was incredible.

The controls of the cockpit, and a heated steering wheel!

As hard as it was to get in the spirit with it being a green Christmas, I am extremely glad I was able to make it home to see family and friends thanks to the good folks at Ford Canada. I hope you all were also able to get home and see your friends and family. If you have any interesting stories from your holidays please share below in the comments, I'd love to hear them!

Happy New Year everyone!

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Bad Axe Summer Nights with the Ford #Fusion

When Ford Canada asked if we wanted to spend one of our summer nights throwing sharp objects across a room, and putting the Ford Fusion Energi through the rounds of Toronto life, I had to think about it for an entire second before a simple "Yup" fell from my mouth. I will, however, admit that I had to ponder the connection between throwing axes with the fine folks at Bad Axe Throwing and the 2015 Ford Fusion Energi. It came to me later that Gamification was the key. More on that later.

First let's get to the axe throwing. Axe throwing is a hot new activity sweeping the nation like the next One Direction song (or the Backstreet Boys if you're over 25), and its brilliance lies in its simplicity. Take a sharp axe and throw it at a piece of wood. Then naturally it progresses to: "Take a sharp axe and try to hit the centre of a piece of wood. Suddenly, it's a game, a competition, a sport.

We here at Real Man Travels excel at throwing sharp objects. It is known.

That's me. Capturing a quick selfie with one of many bulls eyes our crew mustered over the hours we spent hurling objects of destruction towards unsuspecting plywood. You might be thinking: "How did you spend hours simply throwing axes and still look so happy about it?" The answer, again, is gamification. Our hostess led us threw a few quick lessons on the proper technique. Once all of our members had a handle on the sweet science we were lead through various games with different scoring methods. Each game rewarded a slightly different skill, and this kept the evening enjoyable for the members of the group that found the bulls eye on a much less frequent basis than our Real Girl Travels team member Alison (she beat me, I will own that).

Our friend Dante was a natural. He seems destined for a career in the pros.

When our time was up we ventured back downstairs to our Ford Fusion. As a car guy at heart I always look for what makes a car stand out from the crowd. It sat parked in a long line of cars hugging the curb that night in the Junction of Toronto, yet the sporty lines stood out amongst the sea of bland mid sized sedans. A quick press of the remote start button brought the first stand out moment.....there was silence. No "vroom" noise, just the lighting system awakening as we walked towards it.

The stylish space aged cockpit.

After adjusting the controls and finding The Highway on Sirius/XM, I was ready to see how the Energi system adapted to my driving style. A brief pause for the technical jargon: The Fusion Energi offers the best of both worlds, providing the capability to be driven as an electric vehicle for short trips and as a hybrid for longer trips, boasts Ford. I found it did one better; it made me a better driver. It was only a few short blocks before I found myself watching the SmartGauge measure my driving efficiency. Within minutes I was growing new leaves (a smart way of showing the driver how well they are doing) and finding the right times to let off the gas to maximize my regenerative braking power (the car captures energy every time you coast, and stores it in the on-board battery pack). My competitive nature had taken over... I needed to own the high score!

A few sweet benefits to the green vehicle: Free reign of the HOV lanes and being able to plug in to any household outlet to charge using the supplied charging cord.

Thanks to gamification this Ford taught me how to win at the gas pumps, and how to survive the pending zombie apocalypse with my newly discovered axe throwing skills. Women still like guys with skills right?

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Checking out Toronto from the Edge with Ford Canada

Perspective is a fascinating thing. Just as our personal perspective causes us to view the world differently based on where we stand on issues, where we physically stand literally shapes how we view our world. You may have seen this fascinating post that explores how shockingly different major landmarks appear from different vantages; it makes the impact of perspective shockingly clear.

Last week, I was invited by Ford Canada to test drive the all new 2015 Ford Edge, and also to experience Ontario’s capital from a few unique perspectives.

Coming from a small town, we referred to Toronto as “the City” growing up. Despite being one of several cities within driving distance, everyone knew what you meant when you said: “I’m driving down to the City today” or “They are coming in from the City.” Like many from small towns, my personal perspective of Toronto was narrow and clouded by fear of the unknown.

Having family in “the City,” we made regular trips in, mainly to the west and north ends. Though somewhat rare, we did make it downtown for the odd baseball or hockey game, or on a field trip to a museum or other attraction. These infrequent trips provided a limited physical perspective of Toronto; that of a tourist who viewed the city as a novelty, a place full of visual “treats” and sensational experiences.

As a young adult, my perspective of Toronto widened as I took apartments in the city’s west end and worked for a few years in the core. My personal perspective also widened as I began to experience the culture of the city and befriend its people. Physically, I experienced the city from the top of office buildings, from side streets, fancy restaurants and seedy bars.

We met the Ford team at Steam Whistle Brewery to learn about the new features of the completely redesigned Edge. The perspective from the brewery was nothing new to most who have visited the city.

I was pleased to hear that the mid-sized crossover SUV was built in Canada, adding critical jobs. Hopping into one of the Titanium models, we weaved through the city streets, testing out the solid navigation system and enjoying the incredibly quiet cab, complete with well-crafted and immensely comfortable leather seats. We met at Polson Pier, a site I'd only ever visited at night to attend concerts and events at the Sound Academy (formally the Docks, for those old enough to remember).  In the daylight, we were treated to another perspective of this great city. This time, it was a beauty.

At Polson Pier we put the Edge through its paces on a closed course. Encouraged not to hold back, we challenged the vehicle through aggressive acceleration and breaking and tight turns and slaloms. The Sport model stood out firmly in these tests, feeling glued to the road and incredibly responsive. At 315 horsepower, it also had guts to spare. We gave some of the impressive driver assist technologies such as assisted parallel and perpendicular parking a try, all while enjoying the view.

The front end wide angle camera lets you pull out of tight parking spots confidently.

We took a test drive to enjoy another perspective of Toronto, the sprawling York University Glendon Campus.

We then returned to the Steam Whistle Brewery to prepare to experience Toronto from one of its most thrilling perspectives: the CN Tower EdgeWalk!

Thorough and repetitive safety checks preceded our rapid ascent up the tower’s elevator to just above the LookOut level. Stepping out the door onto the grated walkway that wraps around the tower, we were greeted with an incredible view of the Toronto Island. Taking our first, terrifying glance over the edge, we saw the Steam Whistle Roundhouse building and the Roger’s Centre, positively dwarfed-looking from 116 storeys up (1168 ft!). Walking around the tower and attempting the various lean-outs recommended by our guide, it is truly something to experience Toronto from one of the widest possible perspectives. The city is truly immense.

Perspectives. Whether you view "the City" from a bench in High Park, Yonge-Dundas Square, the top of the CN Tower or through the panoramic sunroof of a Ford Edge, there is always something that changes how you feel about a place.

How has viewing something from a different physical perspective changed your personal perspective about something? Share in the comments.

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