Toronto Via Rail

So this weekend I had headed over to Toronto to visit the folks.

I had planned to fly on Saturday and had booked the plane and was even going to take the Piper Dakota as it has an awesome GFC 500 autopilot in it to make IFR flying easier.  The autopilot in the Archer is currently inoperative and awaits being changed out for a GFC 500 and that should have been done in October but the avionics shop is ridiculously backed up right now..

But flying was not to be.  Direct perpendicular crosswinds of 20-28 knots, gusting in a plane with a demonstrated crosswind limit of 17 knots, was not my idea of a good time and past my personal limits for crosswinds.  Couple that with a first time international flight to an island airport and IFR conditions, and discretion was the better part of valor.

So I crossed the border by car, and at Windsor took the train to Toronto.

Overall, it was a pleasant trip, even being late by practically an hour.  Via Rail's on time percentage is around 53% and I sure lost that coin toss (it was even worse on the return trip being late to get home by over an hour).

Upside, the train had wifi, and it was a comfortable way to travel and I got work done while doing so. I arrived at 7pm.

The train station has a nice view of the CN Tower.

Met up with the folks and had a pleasant time even as my Dad tends toward the MSNBC school of politics.  I've finally learned to just smile and wave at some stuff instead of getting into arguments that benefit no one.

We caught up, and did some family stuff, and I assisted with their computer technical questions.

We also got some exercise in, and had a long walk around the huge Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

The cemetery is huge, well kept, and designed for people to stroll through or bike through. There are signs up that it is a cemetery and not a race track and that while bicyclists are welcome,  racing or race training is prohibited in the cemetery.

There's some very impressive tombstones and monuments within it.

Toronto's Chinese community has quite a number of impressive tombs and monuments, and the majority were red colored markers:

 There's also a monument to those who lost their lives in the SS Noronic disaster of 1949 that took place in Toronto Harbor:

Nearby, there's the tombstone of Dr. Frederick Banting, the famous co-inventor of insulin:

 

It's an appropriately large funerary monument considering the millions of lives he saved.

After walking there for hours, appreciating the chill weather and fall colors as well as interesting tombstone inscriptions, we headed back.

I visited with some other friends and did work remotely and then took the train home.

Got home at midnight as the train was over an hour late but crossed the border with no issues and made good time driving home.

Not a bad short weekend trip to see the family. Hopefully some good flying weather will occur and I can get there a lot faster and in better style next time.