DAYS 1 & 2

Creme de la Creme Tour - May, 2018

NOTE:  For additional trip pictures and videos go to Facebook , search for Sunrise-Canada Creme.

DAY 1 - Travel to Marshall, MI. 
               The bus travelers departed St. Louis on their journey to Toronto, Canada spending the night in Marshall, MI known for its world famous Schuler’s Restaurant.  The guests were quite pleased with the tasty menu offerings and raved about the delicious bread pudding.  

                Sunrise Tours is extremely accommodating to its guests as travelers can choose to take a scenic bus ride to their destination or for those who prefer the fastest route, for an additional fee, they have the option of flying.

DAY 2 - Travel to Toronto, CA

               This was a very busy day for the “Wanderlusters”, my nickname for our tour group as the bus riders and flyers all rendezvoused at the conveniently located Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre.   I thought the hotel lobby area was stunning, especially for a Holiday Inn.

          While several of us flyers, including me, had some harrowing airline adventures en route to Toronto, ranging from cancelled flights to mechanical issues, we all managed to make it to the hotel in time for a flavorful Italian dinner at The Badali Bar and Cucina, located right in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District.  The service was prompt, the food choices quite appetizing and the scrumptious tiramisu was the best ever.

               From there it was a quick ride to our evening’s entertainment, the play ‘Annie’ shown at the historic Ed Mirvish Theater.  While Annie is the named star of the show, the true highlight of the evening was the renowned actress Lesley Nicol, famous for her role in Downton Abbey, playing the deceiving Miss Hannigan.  The show was quite entertaining with stunning stage sets, well-designed era costumes and exciting dance numbers.  We all enjoyed a fun-filled evening.

DAY 12-The End

Our Sunrise Tours Creme de la Creme Trip ended today with some of us flying home and others riding the bus back to St.Louis. It was such a fun filled experience from the luxurious hotels to fine dining experiences.

I highly recommend Sunrise Tours as they offer such a wide variety of trips and strive to provide a memorable travel experience every time.  

They hire only the best people to take care of their clients.  Ruth Smith, our Tour Director, worked non-stop not only to meet our needs but also anticipated what would make the trip even more enjoyable for us.  Always smiling David Bruning was our highly competent bus driver.

My 3 favorite attractions were:

The Parliament 

the  Sainte Anne de Beaupré Basilica in Quebec City

 and the Montmorency Falls

If you’d to see more pictures and the videos, go to Facebook and in the search block type in Sunrise-Canada Creme.   There are several videos there including our tour of lower Quebec and both falls.

DAY 11 - Niagara Falls

One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the world famous Niagara Falls.  

Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Ontario, Canada and New York.   From the largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls,  the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.  The Horseshoe Falls lies on the border of the United States and Canada with the American Falls entirely on the United States' border.  The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also on the United States' side.

Located on the Niagara River, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate.  Niagara Falls is such a valuable source of hydroelectric power which has created a challenge in balancing the recreational and commercial uses since the 19th. 

Up close you can feel the enormous power of the Falls by taking a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat. The original Maid of the Mist was built at near Niagara Falls on the American side of the border.  The boat was christened in 1846 as a border-crossing ferry and could carry up to 100 passengers.

The ferry did well until 1848, when the opening of a suspension bridge between the United States and Canada cut into the ferry traffic. It was then that the owners decided to make the journey a sightseeing trip, plotting a journey closer to the Falls. The current Maid of the Mist VII was built in 1997 and carries 600 passengers.

(Backup) DAY 8 - Continued

DAY 8 - Montmorency Falls

After an uplifting visit to the Basilica, we went to the Montmorency Falls.   

Open year-round, the spectacular falls at 272 feet high are 99 feet higher than Niagara Falls.  After arriving at the lower level cable car area,  we immediately heard the roar of the rushing water which I found so energizing.  The cable car ride to the top cliff provided us with breathtaking views of the falls.  

From the top, I took the panoramic path to the first suspension bridge overlooking the Falls.   It was quite a hike for me, but I was determined to make it especially when one of the other group members, a lady who was 82, passed me on the path.    

We enjoyed a delicious late lunch at the Manoir Restaurant located a short walk from the Cable Car.

I loved Quebec and our hotel as it was located right in the heart town, within walking distance of many fine hotels and lower Quebec.   If you didn’t feel like walking, you could take the Old Quebec Funiclar railway, located less than a block from our hotel, down to the Petit Champlain shopping district. 

That evening we strolled the Governor’s Promenade behind our hotel, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, shown below.    The Promenade runs along the St. Lawrence River from behind the  Frontenac Hotel past the Citadel ending at the Plains of Abraham, a famous battlefield.   

The Promenade had many interesting attractions including the luge and canons.

Views from the Promenade 

DAY 8-Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Basilica

After breakfast at L’Omelette, we traveled to The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré set along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada.  

Legend has it that the church was originally founded by fishermen who were lost for days in a storm and prayed to St.Anne to save them.  They promised to build a church in her honor wherever they landed.  I was raised Catholic and did not know the. history of Sainte Anne who was the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The present-day basilica was built in 1926 on the site of the prior church.

                The details in the ornate copper front doors were extraordinary. 

The intricate tile work prominently displayed in many areas of the church takes years to complete. Once I met a tile master in the Palermo Cathedral who explained that her entire life’s work would be to retile the foyer floor.  I found it incredible that this young girl was so devoted to the Church.

          

                           

The foyer below  was bookended with a baptismal font on one side representing the beginning of life and the other end with a crucifixion scene representing the end of life.    The altar on the crucifixion side was designed to look like a coffin.

The Catholic Church credited many miracles of curing the sick and disabled have occurred within the Basilica.  Two pillars near the entrance are filled with racks of crutches, canes, braces, and other signs of disabilities. Each item has been left by a pilgrim who reports being healed at the Basilica.

        

Below are several picturing depicting the overwhelmingly beautiful Basilica.

In all Catholic Churches there are devotional candle areas where you can make a donation and offer up prayers for your loved ones or special desires. 

Beautifully decorated ceiling work below.

This is a small altar devotional area dedicated to Sainte Anne as many parishioners and visitors expressed a desire to pray directly to her.