Under Cover in Toronto

"Those colors -- they're just colorful," said the Hilton reservationist who checked me in after I spent an hour looking for the hotel, which can be accessed underground through Adelaide Place. "Sometimes I have to go outside, look to see where I am, then run back inside."

The system's northernmost reach is the Toronto Coach Terminal, the city's bus depot; its southernmost is the Air Canada Centre, home to the beloved Maple Leafs hockey team. Other points of interest sit along the eastern and western fringes, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Centre and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The good news: The PATH is set to expand. The bad news: The PATH is set to expand.

Saunders says plans are in the works to bridge the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts as well as the Ritz-Carlton, still under construction. "We're going to add another mile," he said. "But we're not trying to have the longest one in the world. We are trying to keep it compact around the financial district."

Confoundingly compact, that is.

* * *

Like a true pioneer, I set out on an exploratory mission, starting in Union Station, so big and obvious even I could find it without stopping every third person for directions. From there, I decided to head west (or orange) to visit the CBC's museum.

Since it was the weekend, the "streets" were fairly deserted, and many of the shops were closed. Occasionally, I passed other people, often couples or small groups of friends off to shop or catch the subway.

I also glommed onto a lot of people in an effort to get un-lost. Those included Brenda, who worked in the area and was taking advantage of her free parking spot for the weekend. "We use the underground even though it takes longer," she said. "We use it to go bar-hopping." I later saw Brenda milling around confused, and you couldn't blame the alcohol. "See, we get lost, too," she admitted, before giving up and exiting.

Even following the map religiously can lead to miscues if you take an escalator by mistake or pass by what appear to be off-limits metal doors. (Many of the passageways that cut through buildings lead to closed doors. Open them; it's allowed.) I was two corners away from my destination when I hit a hard obstacle: a locked door with a sign saying there was no access because of Ritz construction. I had two options: Abort plan or bolt across the street, sans coat.

Guess which way I went.

As hardy travelers know, getting sidetracked can be an adventure, even in a climate-controlled world. I retraced my steps and landed at the Roy Thomson Hall. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was performing a Chinese New Year's special that afternoon, and when I poked my head into the street-level lobby, I could hear music being piped in from the main stage. I didn't have a ticket, but the lobby and music store were open and free. So I ordered a drink from the lobby bar, plopped down in a seat overlooking the snowy cityscape and listened to conductor Sam Wong turn the Year of the Pig into a mellifluous celebration.