I'm not a fan of lines or touristy things, but you kind of have to see the CN Tower if you're a tourist in Toronto. It's like missing the Empire State Building when in New York, or skipping the Golden Gate Bridge when in San Francisco. So I paid for my $23 elevator ride and stood in line with the rest of the sheep for about an hour. It's a great view from the observation deck; I got some really sharp photos and further confirmation that Toronto's a big place. The open-air platform underneath was a disappointment, it's hard to see or take photographs through the chain-link fencing that surrounds it. The gift shop here is actually pretty nice, with some decent quality stuff that's a cut above the usual tourist crap. I was strongly tempted by the $40 CN Tower-shaped pepper mill, surely a conversation starter if ever there was one.