Page Updated: December 06, 2023
Toronto
Nathan Phillips Square - Toronto ON
Capitol to the province of Ontario, the city of Toronto is the largest in Canada and the fourth most populous in North America. More than 180 languages fill the air contributing to the city’s multicultural fabric with more than half of the city’s population being born outside of Canada.
Home to the nation’s largest zoo, its largest museum, its largest library, and the world’s largest underground shopping area; artists, events, festivals and sports help draw in more than 27 million visitors a year.
Cool vibe, cool city …crazy traffic; Toronto is a neat place to see. Lee visited Montreal a number of years ago, but this was my first trip into Canada. Being so close to the northern border, we couldn’t not cross over and check it out. After filling out the mandatory ArriveCan health info, we packed our bags and headed out Friday afternoon for a weekend in Canada!
Speaking as someone who takes an ridiculous number of photos of all types of signage, thank you Ontario for the cool “Welcome to Canada” display at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. Certainly isn’t one like it on the US side….
For logistics’ sake, we booked a room on the outskirts of Toronto in the city of Mississauga. The ride through southern Ontario to our hotel was gorgeous and green. We passed a surprising number of vineyards along the way.
Our late arrival had us grabbing dinner at Montana’s BBQ and Bar where we sampled authentic (?) Canadian Poutine. Still not as delightful as our first try in Estes Park CO, but we’ll keep trying!
Saturday
After a lazy breakfast and the necessary hot coffee, we headed into Toronto and started our Saturday off touring the beautifully picturesque Casa Loma. Built in 1914, located in midtown, and marketed as North America’s only full-sized castle – Casa Loma is one of Toronto’s top tourist attractions. The Gothic Revival style mansion offers self-guided tours allowing visitors to explore the property at their leisure.
On the advice of a local, we were encouraged to visit Kensington Market – a multicultural neighborhood in the heart of Toronto. Artist and owners occupy open air shops. Visitors roam from merchant to merchant while music spills onto the streets. There are plenty of places to grab a coffee or beer… and traffic is nuts. I love a place with history, and this place has qualifies. Today, Kensington Market is recognized as a national heritage site. In our travels so far, Kensington Market has been the most diverse, eclectic, and funky spot we’ve stumbled across.
After the market, we decided to get out of downtown Toronto and head to Mississauga for the evening. I’d say we made a beeline for it, but that implies we did so with speedy progress in our escape. Unfortunately for us, in the year 2022, Toronto ranked the 5th most populous city in North America; and the most populated city in Canada. To make it more fun, it was Honda Indy Toronto Race Weekend - an event that dominates Lake Shore Blvd. Ignorance is bliss ‘til you’re sitting in traffic. Almost felt like home!
Before checking out the Toronto Premium Mall, we dipped into Big Rig Kitchen and Brewery for a flight tasting. Afterall, we just suffered through Toronto traffic. Seems we had a 50/50 chance of getting something yummy here. In a rare twist for the two of us, the Gold Lagered Ale came out on top. After an evening of shopping, we had dinner at the The Keg Steakhouse + Bar for dinner - Prime Rib and Garlic Mashed Potatoes were perfect!
Sunday
We loosely had Sunday set aside for hiking; a chance for us to get out of the city and check out Canadian parks and hiking trails. There are many to select from around the Toronto area. But after spotting ads for the Royal Ontario Museum, our plans changed… because I’m crazy about a museum.
The Royal Ontario Museum, dedicated to art, culture, and nature, is the largest museum in Canada. In addition to its many galleries, the museum also hosts several exhibitions throughout the year. We our visit found this museum exceptional and well worth our time.
We arrived when the doors opened at 10am thinking we’d have plenty of time to see the museum in its entirety. We were wrong. By the end of the day, we were rushing through remaining galleries trying to take it all in. And, we still didn’t see everything.
Our first trip to Toronto was a blast. Plenty of cool stuff to see and do. But would recommend staying in the city to avoid the traffic issue. Less time sitting in traffic; more time seeing the sites!
-b&b
Rochester Harbor Lighthouse
Casa Loma
