Back in the late 1960’s the Toronto waterfront was a run down and under developed area until work began on what is now Ontario Place. Opening in 1971 the five pod futuristic paviolions featured a forum, marina, restaurants and a IMAx plus plenty of family fun. over the years with huge upgrades Ontairo Place has become one of Toronto’s favorite playgrounds. Now the centre has waterslides, simulator rides, sporting facilities for volleyball and the Soak City Waterpark which is loved by kids of all ages. The centre also is home to a huge 16,000 amphitheatre which now attracts some of the world’s most popular performers. In the coming months alone entertainers like Rod Stewart, Judas Priest, The Backstreet Boys, Cheap Trick and ZZ Top will grace the stage.
Now if it is 3 top things we like about traveling it would be fast trains, Disneyland and Las Vegas. Unfortunately you can’t combine all three in the one trip, but that may change in the future according to this Slashdot story. Apparently the Bush administration has approved 45 million in funding towards a 300mph maglev train to link Disneyland to Las Vegas in under 2 hours. Maglev’s have been touted as the future of train travel as their speed is comparable to an aircraft but by being a train can move more people to and from a central city spot. The biggest problem with maglev’s is building the track that allows the train to levitate magnetically is frightfully expensive. The Shanghai system in China (video above) cost around 1.2 million US to build a 30 klm track and experts predict that this money will never be recouped over the life of the train via its fares. Apparently the 45 million set aside for the US system is to pay for environmental studies on the first leg of the project. With the length of the proposed track being around 250 miles we hate to think how much the train will cost if completed. Perhaps Bush’s plan is to make it so expensive GM will never be able to buy it to close it down! What do you think great idea or white elephant? Hit up our comment form below. Read the rest of this entry »
You may have noticed we love fun parks, we also think water slides are pretty cool too but when it comes to water slides we never imagined there would be much in the way of new styles of slides. Most slides work on the process of lay down in a tube and let gravity do its thing to get you to the bottom. The slide in the German video above differs in the fact you start off on the slide standing up, once the trap door below your feet pops open you are then propelled around a loop that seems to defy gravity. It all looks pretty cool, we would like to know where this one is so if you are familiar with it hit up our comment section below. Read the rest of this entry »
The Doton Bori Canal is the centerpiece of Osaka’s entertainment and nightlife district. The district offers an amazing atmosphere with colour, neon, music, people and aromic smells you can only find in Japan. Many of the city’s night spots, bars, gaming lounges including pachinko, restaurants and shopping can be found in the streets around the Doton Bori. The main meeting place and where Osaka celebrates is the Doton Bori bridge, here huge video and neon walls light up the night sky advertising everything from Pokey Chocolate to the latest Sports drink or beer. For those adventurous, Doton Bori is the place to try the infamous Fugu blow fish, this poisonous fish is deadly if not prepared properly and is not for the faint hearted, other tasty treats in the area include the Takoyaki Octopus Balls and Okinomyaki which is a tasty vegetable and sometime seafood pancake.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril or Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril in French is one of the premier rides at Disneyland Paris, and with the launch of the latest blockbuster film The Kingdom of the Crystal Scull the ride is even more popular than ever. Unlike the American and Japanese Indiana Jones ride which is set in an amazing indoor sound stage the Temple of Peril is an outdoor thrilling roller coaster adventure where brave travellers hop aboard a runaway mine train through the Temple of Peril. The 1968 feet track has a maximum height of 52 feet above the ground and the experience lasts 1 minute 30 and rival’s the other huge Adventureland ride The Pirates of the Carrbbean for both fun and excitement and was one of the rides which helped kick start Disneyland Paris after it’s less than successful start as Eurodisney in the early 1990’s.
St Kilda is a seaside suburb of Melbourne Australia and is home to two of the city’s most iconic buildings Luna Park amusement park and the Palais Theatre. When built in 1927the theatre was one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and was used primarily for a picture theatre but today it is used for live performances hosting some of the world’s biggest names, they have included the likes of the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and INXS who used the theatre in their Listen Like Thieves video clip. The building is one of Australia’s finest examples of Art Deco and has been placed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The building is planned to be restored to it’s former glory as part of a controversial redevelopment of the area surrounding the theatre. Read the rest of this entry »
Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is one of the most spectacular bay’s in the world. The bay a UNESCO World Heritage Site features thousands of limestone islands and outcrops covered in thick vegetation. Being only 185 km north of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi it is only a 4-5 hour journey to see this amazing place. The best way to see the islands is on the water, there are plenty of tour operators ranging from traditional junks to luxurious cruisers. Some of the cruise companies will stop at different islands so you can see the grottos and caves up close. Make sure you do your home work as prices and quality of tours can vary. Your hotel should be able to put you on the right track. Local folk laws say that the islands are a result of dragons descending from the heavens and spitting jewels of jade into the sea, its not hard to see why the place is spectacular. Once back on dry land visit the Halong Bay night markets, this is the best place for a cheap meal and some souvenirs, like laquerware, chopsticks and other trinkets – make sure you bargain- start at about 50% of the starting price- it’s all part of the fun. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hong Kong tramways has been operating for over 100 years and has the world’s largest fleet of double decker trams. There are only six tram routs and the total lenght of tracks only totals 30 km but the tramways carry and amazing 240,000 people per day accross there 161 trams. Stops are around 250 metres on average and there are 123 stops on the network. The trams offer a quick and cheap way to see some of Hong Kong island, One great trip is out to Happy Valley the city’s racecourse you can visit the racing museum or if its a race day have a flutter. The Central Admiralty & Wan Chai line offers easy access to many of the Hong Kong sights including Central District skyscrapers, Statue Square, the Ocean Terminal and the Zoo and Botanical gardens which are a great place to enjoy a relaxing stroll and a picnic- and best of all its’s free. The trams operate from 6am to midnight and at only $2 HK for any stop you like you won’t find a better bargain in Hong Kong other than the Star Ferry. Read the rest of this entry »
We all love the King of Rock and Roll but there’s so much more to Memphis than Elvis, and there’s plenty of other great music. One place where you can find it is B B King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. B. B. King is one of the legends of the Blues and he now has three of these amazing clubs, the original here in Memphis, another in country music capital Nashville and the other in the home of theme parks Orlando Florida. There’s three things to do at B.B. Kings- Eat, Drink and Dance. The menu is great Creole Cuisine and plenty of it- ribs, steaks, bbq and fried chicken and gumbo- just what you need to build up your energy to dancing to the best music Memphis has to offer. Many big names play at the club and the resident bands are sensational, it’s one of the best nights out you could ever have.
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood would have to be the most famous and most recognisable theatre in the world. Opening in 1927 on Hollywood Boulevard the theatre still today is used by many huge blockbuster opening screenings, even it’s first film was a opening screening Cecil B DeMille’s The King of Kings. The theatre has even been a host of 2 Academy Award ceremonies. Many tourists flock to the court in front of the theatre to see the dozens of celebrity cement blocks which have signatures, feet and hand prints of many of Hollywood’s biggest names. Today the theatre is owned by the huge Warner Bros and Paramount Picture companies and recently was restored to its former glory.
