Toronto is such a cosmopolitan city with so much to offer! Sadly, the Canadian border is still not quite open to Americans or any other leisure travelers at this time, but hopefully soon!
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and has become well known for its multicultural opportunities. Each area of Toronto has its own unique sense of identity and cultural offerings.
It's such a great choice for those looking to reap the rewards of international travel without having to travel far or break the bank. In fact, the exchange rate helps make it that much more affordable considering the current exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian $ as well as the ease of getting there.
Here are just ten of the many things you can see and do in Toronto:
1. The Distillery District was recently declared a National Historic Site of Canada. It claims to have the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. There are eclectic restaurants and great shopping including more than 40 boutiques and one-of-a-kind shops making it a 'best of class' destination to visit. It also houses art galleries, jewelers, and for Christmas, transforms into a magical Christmas Market.
2. Casa Loma was once a Gothic castle constructed between 1911 and 1914 as a residence for financier Sir Henry Pellatt. It's now a museum and even has fine dining available onsite with The BlueBlood Steakhouse featuring both indoor and outdoor dining on a lovely terrace (seasonally, of course). Funnily enough, this is the place where Rene and I were married - a beautiful location for a wedding!
3. The St. Lawrence Market is located in downtown Toronto on Front St. and includes a Market Gallery, Antique Market, a Market Kitchen, and the St. Lawrence Hall with a thousand seat amphitheatre. This historical complex dates back 208 years and has over 120 specialty vendors, merchants and artisans.
4. The Royal Ontario Museum is loaded with more than six million artifacts and has over 40 galleries of minerals, dinosaur bones, paintings and other fine arts. A great place to learn about Canada's history.
5. The Entertainment District of Toronto is home to The Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. There are also numerous performing arts venues within walking distance of the district.
6. The Art Gallery of Ontario is Canada’s largest art gallery and is located inside one of the largest collections of Henry Moore’s sculptures. They have rotating exhibits as well as a spectacular collection of European paintings.
7. The CN Tower is over 1800 feet tall and gives a great bird’s eye view of Toronto. It has one of the highest glass floor elevators in the world.
8. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada houses more than 13,000 exotic marine animals and holds more than 5.7-million-gallons of water. Each of the 9 sections of the aquarium highlight a specific geographical location or species of marine life.
9. The Hockey Hall of Fame is a great place to explore if you're a fan of ice hockey. It's the home of the Stanley Cup that sits in the center of the Great Hall. There are also 15 other exhibits displaying various trophies and hockey memorabilia for the sports enthusiast.
10. The Toronto Zoo has more than 5,000 animals living in both indoor and outside displays. There are many zones packed with rare sights such as the white rhinoceros, Western grey kangaroos, spotted hyenas and wallabies, to name just a few.
This is just a taste of what Toronto has to offer, but there's so much more! When Canada opens its borders and you're ready to book a vacation there, contact me and I'll be thrilled to share my city of birth and homeland with you!
