EDMONTON -- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is in Edmonton on a "working vacation," he tells QMI Agency.

Ford, along with his wife, strolled by the outdoor fountain in front of Edmonton's city hall Thursday afternoon.

He liked what he saw -- and mused about trying a similar fountain plan in Toronto.

Ford said his visit to Edmonton includes checking out the football game Friday night when the Eskimos take on Montreal Alouettes.

Then he wants to head to Calgary and catch the Stampeders game against Toronto on Saturday.

Ford popped into city hall to say hi to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel but council is on a break until next week.

Earlier this week, Ford announced in Toronto that he will lead a two-day business mission to Chicago next month.

That was after a photo posted to Twitter on Tuesday showed what appears to be Ford reading papers while behind the wheel of his new black Cadillac on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway. Toronto's distracted driving legislation only applies to electronics, thereby making eating, drinking and reading behind the wheel legal.