Given the chance to be in Toronto with a limited amount of time, I have some suggestions for how to tackle the area. I know one could spend weeks there and still miss the fullness, but 2 (and a half) days was the most realistic for us!
One of my favorite things to do first in any large city on a body of water is to find a water taxi and get a view of the skyline from the water. Like Hong Kong, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco, Toronto has one of those skylines that is distinguished by a few landmarks that make it really stand out in my mind. It only costs $10 Canadian a person to take a water taxi to a park on Toronto Islands, which has a boardwalk overlooking Lake Ontario, bikes to rent, a marina, and a huge green space with gardens to enjoy. The ferry took about 20 minutes to get there, and we spent about the hour at the park walking around. There was some flooding on the island on the day we were there, but it didn’t keep us from exploring most of the island by foot.
Next, the CN Tower is another iconic landmark from which one can get the best views of Toronto. We bought our tickets earlier in the day and waited until about 5 or 6 p.m. to actually ride the elevator up to the Glass Floor and Outdoor Sky Terrace, which are about 342 meters up (1,122 feet).
The CN Tower is actually 553 meters or 1,815 feet, making it the world’s 9th tallest free-standing structure. It held the title for tallest for 32 years until 2007 when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
My next suggestion for taking in the fullness of Toronto is going to vary. Josh and I found ourselves in the midst of a very festive atmosphere as Raptors fans congregated at Jurassic Park for the upcoming Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs. It reminded me of any time I’ve been in a city when the atmosphere, whether it be sports related or whatever, unites everyone! I think if you can catch these vibes somehow, do it! Whether it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey), the Toronto Blue Jays (baseball), or the Toronto Football Club (soccer), make your way to the streets of Toronto, Jurassic Park, or better yet, go to a game! We witnessed a live sports broadcast happening inside the practice court of Scotiabank Arena, which was really fun. Go Raptors, go!
The night of the actual game, there were long lines to get into any restaurant with a tv. Listening to one of the local radio stations as we drove around kept us posted on updates and set the tone from the point of view of a Raptors fan, and it was so fun!
It was pouring down rain, and so we found cover in one of the restaurants in The Distillery District, which is the my next area of recommendation. This area of Toronto is near downtown, and it receives a high rating by me. It is a collection of Victorian Industrial buildings that were pronounced a national historic site but recently transformed into a walkable village of one-of-a-kind stores, shops, galleries, studios, restaurants, cafes, theatres and more. It has a blend of industrial architecture with the hip and cool dynamics of a trendy urban neighborhood like NYC’s SoHo or Chelsea. I wish we would have had more time here!
In the Distillery District, we chose Madrina, a Spanish tapas restaurant, and the food was so tasty! I recommend the huevos estrallados (scrambled eggs) con chorizo, which they presented to us in a bowl resting on a “nest”. The soup-y texture was made by potato foam and poached and seared duck egg. The chorizo bread crumbs sprinkled on top complimented this dish with the perfect amount of crunch. The server “scrambled” the eggs in the soup when he presented it to us.
I also recommend the avocado salad cannelloni, which was equally delicious!
I would add that there are several other neighborhoods walking or even driving through. Chinatown is always important for me, because I love to try authentic Asian cuisine. This trip was no different. Asian Legend was our restaurant of choice this time, and I would give it 5 stars! Also, Josh and I wanted to visit the Ontario Legislative Building, just to see what it looked like. The building is surrounded by Queen’s Park, and a quick stroll through the park leads you to University of Toronto, with its towers and green spaces. Graduation had recently taken place, and there were signs and tents around reflecting the ambiance of that occasion.
You can drive through Yorkville to see the old houses and take a stroll through Lawrence St. Market after this, where you can find a Whole Foods if needed. These were quaint neighborhoods, and if we had another, we would have gone back to explore more.
Last but not least, it is possible to make a day trip to Niagara Falls during your Toronto stay. The drive from Toronto is about an hour and a half (3 hours round trip). If you have plans to be in the area, it isn’t necessary to book separate lodging accommodations, if you are crunched for time. For our Niagara day, Josh and I actually left around noon from Toronto and made it back around 7:00 p.m. I am saving details about Niagara Falls for a separate post, because they deserve their own post, but it definitely fit into our Toronto experience.
From Arkansaw to Ottawa 