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Aboard Amtrak’s Maple Leaf to Toronto

October 10, 2022 By Guy St. Clair

A Digital Post Card from Guy and Andrew

Andrew has retired, as of last Friday. So we’re happy to report that the first thing we’re doing is taking a vacation. Amtrak and Canada’s VIA Rail offer the Maple Leaf service to Toronto, and we’re taking advantage of it. We’re traveling along the Hudson River Valley and the Erie Canal, and despite a rather gloomy morning (weather-wise), the sun has now come out for Canada’s Thanksgiving Day (which we won’t be able to celebrate). Once we’re In Toronto, we’ll have short visit before we board VIA Rail’s The Canadian on Wednesday to travel across Canada.

It’s been a long morning. The Maple Leaf left New York, traveling from the beautiful new Moynihan Train Hall, at 7.15am. [Guess what time we had to get up?] We’re pleased that we left from the Moynihan Train Hall, because Senator Moynihan was a very special person, to our way of thinking. Opened just last year, the Moynihan Train Hall has quickly become one of our favorite sites in New York.

Moynihan Train Hall, Penn Station, New York

The hall is an expansion of Pennsylvania Station into the city’s former main post office building, the James A. Farley Building. As I say, the hall is named after Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the U.S. Senator who had originally championed the plan, and the building’s exterior resembles that of the original Penn Station; both buildings were designed by the same architects, the famous McKim, Mead & White firm, in the Beaux-Arts style. As far as we can tell, most New Yorkers – at least those we know – are happy with the new hall.

Later in the day, we’ll have a long stop at Niagara Falls while the train’s crews change from Amtrak to VIA Rail, and all passengers disembark (with their luggage) to go through Customs. We’ll get into Toronto about 8.30pm, so even if it is a long day (and with plenty of time for sleeping!), we’re enjoying the northern New York State views outside the train.

So no worries! Toronto’s Union Station connects via an underground passage across Front Street, taking us into the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, where we’ve stayed before. We are looking forward to another visit to Toronto, even though it will be a short one.

Don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow, our one full day in Toronto, but we’ll figure it out. For the evening we are dining with a Toronto colleague at Reign, the Royal York’s fancy restaurant.

And then it’s up very early the next morning for our departure on The Canadian for those four days and four nights taking us to Vancouver.

Filed Under: Art & Architecture, Current Events, Journal, Personal History, Travel Tagged With: Moynihan (Daniel Patrick), Moynihan Hall Penn Station NYC, Niagara Halls, VIA Rail's The Canadian

Guy St. Clair is a writer and editor living in New York City. In his blog, Sharing Guy’s Journey, Guy writes about any subject that crosses his mind (some friends refer to the blog as “Guy’s online journal”).  In his professional life, Guy is the Series Editor for Knowledge Services, from De Gruyter Saur in Munich and Berlin. 

Comments

  1. Sandra Kitt says

    October 10, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    Oh my goodness! I can hear the excitement in your words as you and Andrew embark on a terrific trip across Canada…but the train ride from New York to Toronto ain’t bad, either! Did you begin your journey on an Acela, or regular line? And, how nice that you know someone in Toronto you can dine with on your brief stay.

    Thanks for sending this first of what I hope will be many ‘postcards’ from the road…er…I mean, the train!

    Have fun, and I hope you have good weather all the way across the country.

    Cheers,

    Sandi

    Reply
  2. Joanna Rowley says

    October 10, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    The itinerary sounds wonderful! So glad you have taken up this opportunity with both hands! Enjoy!

    Reply
  3. Lettie says

    October 10, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Thanks for bringing us along!
    Congratulations to Andrew on your retirement.
    Lettie

    Reply
  4. Charles Masese says

    October 10, 2022 at 11:34 pm

    What a wonderful trip! You sound very excited. Wish you all the best and please remember to take as many photos for those of us who couldn’t be with you. Enjoy yourselves

    Reply
  5. Joan Williamson says

    October 14, 2022 at 3:12 pm

    Hello Guy and Andrew from the UK!

    We are quite envious of your trip. We last saw the Niagara Falls in 1974 on our way home from Japan to the UK!

    Enjoy the rest of the trip across Canada and keep us in the picture please!

    Reply

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