Those Moments on the Road - A Trip of Chasing Maples and Admiring Colors in Canada

In golden autumn October, I went to see my daughter studying in Canada and took the opportunity to visit attractions near her city. Over nearly half a month, I toured two cities in eastern Canada, Toronto and Waterloo, along with their surrounding attractions and distinctive small towns. I also visited the renowned University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University. The beautiful campuses were truly inspiring, but it was a pity that my own youth is gone forever.

The schedule was basically centered around my daughter's class hours; outings were arranged based on her availability, so there was no fixed itinerary. Except for Algonquin Provincial Park and Niagara Falls, for which we booked hotels in advance, everything else was spontaneous.

1) First, about the visa to Canada. I applied for a Canadian passport in April. Since my daughter is studying in Canada, I applied for a visitor visa for family reunion. The processing was quite fast; I received the visa about twenty days after preparing the documents. The visa was issued until the passport's expiration date.

2) In Toronto, Canada, October brings deepening autumn colors. Mornings and evenings are quite cool, so be sure to bring a jacket.

3) For those wanting to see maple leaves, there weren't many red leaves at the end of September. Starting in early October, more vibrant colors begin to cloak the beautiful autumn.

Since my daughter lives in Waterloo, let's start the maple-chasing and color-admiring journey from Waterloo.

Waterloo is located in eastern Canada, a university city in southern Ontario. Several universities run through the entire city of Waterloo. Strolling through this small city, you can see students of all skin colors and little squirrels running everywhere. The ecological environment is excellent. Sunshine spills over every path, exuding the warmth of early autumn amidst the tranquility.

Waterloo Park is near the university. Although my daughter has been here for nearly three years, she visited the park for the first time with me—she really lacks curiosity. The park is mostly surrounded by green spaces, with a softball field in the middle and some children's playgrounds. I heard there are alpacas, but my daughter wasn't familiar with the area, and we walked around a lot without seeing any. However, we did see incredibly beautiful colors bathed in the sunset.

Near Waterloo there is a German town. It is said that this traditional town retains the 19th-century German style, and most importantly, it is famous for its pork knuckles. So my daughter took me there to try them. Because the timing was off, we didn't see traditional German costumes, but the pork knuckles were indeed on our plates.

For Halloween in October, we couldn't miss the festive atmosphere. My daughter took me to the German town and on the way we visited a pumpkin farm. Oh my, this pumpkin farm displayed all kinds of pumpkins—colorful and of all sizes, absolutely capturing your attention. Looking at the pictures, you'll see the pumpkin farm is like a fairy tale world, beautiful and vibrant.

Waterloo also has a Farmers' Market, open every Tuesday and Thursday. Local farmers and nearby growers sell their own products there. All the produce is clean and neatly arranged, often in creative displays that make you want to buy instantly. A life with such charm is the source of hope and joy.

Wilfrid Laurier University—a century-old prestigious school, founded in 1911, is a well-known public university in Canada. It is named after Canada's seventh Prime Minister. The buildings of the school my daughter attends are scattered, as if all schools in Waterloo are dispersed without grand gates, and residential houses are interspersed among them. I walked around the campus several times but still couldn't figure out its exact size. That probably doesn't matter; what matters is that it educates students just the same.

Algonquin Provincial Park is one of the most popular maple-viewing parks in Ontario. The intoxicating autumn colors are truly unforgettable.

It takes three and a half hours to drive from Waterloo, but the autumn scenery along the way is boundless. If you stop frequently to enjoy the views, even three and a half hours won't be enough. My daughter booked a hotel in advance and invited two classmates. The four of us drove there and stayed at a hotel near the park.

On my daughter's weekend break, she drove us to Niagara Falls the next day. I had previously booked the Hilton Hotel by the lake online, and it turned out to be a great deal. Standing by the glass window, we had a spectacular view of the majestic Niagara Falls right outside.

Niagara Falls is the world's largest跨国 waterfall, magnificent and awe-inspiring. Since we checked into the hotel that evening, we first viewed Niagara Falls from a distance at the hotel. After that, we strolled around Niagara-on-the-Lake. The next morning, we took the rainbow boat to experience the falls' grandeur up close.

We fell asleep to the roar of the falls and had a dreamless night. The next morning, we took the rainbow boat to appreciate the stunning beauty of the falls up close—haha.

The architecture in Niagara-on-the-Lake is unique. Looking up, sometimes I worried that a monster might fly down at any moment, and statues of pirates or ghosts lined both sides of the streets.

For lunch in the town, my daughter chose a place full of atmosphere, basically a tropical rainforest style. Leopards, elephants, gorillas, and more were lifelike. Occasionally, realistic calls and roars sounded. Under the dim lighting, I almost felt I had stepped into a real rainforest.

After a hearty meal, we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is said to be one of the seven most fairytale-like towns in the world. In 2004, it was designated a National Historic Site by the federal government.

The town was full of blooming flowers and lush green grass. Ancient buildings were surrounded by greenery and flowers. The occasional clip-clop of a sightseeing carriage made you feel as if you had traveled back to the medieval era.

After admiring the vibrant maple leaves, witnessing the thunderous waterfall, and smelling the fragrance of the fairytale town, our next stop was Toronto.

In Toronto, we visited Casa Loma Castle. This private mansion, built by 300 workers over three years, showcases the former glory and splendor of its owner. But the people are long gone, times have changed, and the old mansion now belongs to someone else.

In Toronto, we climbed the iconic CN Tower. After waiting in line for an hour, we enjoyed the sunset over Toronto from the tower.

In Toronto, we visited the Toronto Islands on Lake Ontario. On the serene islands, Canadian geese—a first-class protected species in Canada—wandered everywhere.

In Toronto, we toured the world-famous University of Toronto. The ancient buildings on campus seemed to radiate wisdom under the sunlight. Perhaps because I have always yearned for such a university, I especially loved the architecture and atmosphere here. It's probably the same principle as wanting to fill a personal lack.

Toronto—a prosperous yet quiet, fresh and beautiful city.

After visiting the University of Toronto, we mostly explored small towns near Waterloo spontaneously.

We visited the town where Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, once lived, as well as Brantford. Brantford was where my daughter first studied when she arrived in Canada, as it has a branch campus of Wilfrid Laurier University. So we went to see the environment where she first started her life in a foreign country. Being far from home in an unfamiliar place, the feeling of homesickness must have been bittersweet. Fortunately, young people gradually grow up; when their wings are full, they will fly to where they want to go. And we, as parents, eventually become passersby in their lives.

Brantford is indeed a small town, but it still has parks and an old church.

My visit to Canada to see my daughter has come to an end.

The fiery red and colorful maple leaves,

The magnificent and spectacular waterfall,

The quiet, tranquil towns with fragrant flowers,

The fresh and pleasant Lake Ontario—all remain in my heart.

And what lingers even more are the tears of parting,

Longing for the day when we will be together forever.