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Toronto is a big city. If you're the kind of traveler who loves cities, you should visit Toronto. It sits on the tip of Lake Ontario, the eastern most of the Great Lakes of North America. While the city is large, the sights you'll probably want to see are centered fairly close around the Harbourfront.
It's a lively, multicultural city. About half of its citizens were born outside of Canada. Waves of immigration from Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean have created an interesting patchwork of ethnic neighborhoods to explore.
Start with the CN Tower. It was at one time the world's tallest building. It still offers spectacular views over the city from the Lookout Level or the Sky Pod. They even say that on a clear day you can see all the way to Niagara Falls! If you have nerves of steel you might want to see the view from the Glass Floor which is a mere 1,122 feet (342 meters) above the ground -- that's 148 floors if you look down! There is a cafe and a restaurant in the tower. The tower is in the heart of the Toronto Entertainment District.
Want to know about some of the neighborhoods to visit? The Distillery Historic District is a pedestrian only neighborhood full of heritage architecture. There are art galleries and boutiques here and plenty of places to eat. St. Lawrence Market is close by with lots of specialty merchants. The Chinatown is the second largest in North America. All are within a few blocks of each other and the Harbourfront.
A few blocks inland from the lake you can find Casa Loma, a castle-like mansion on a hill in the middle of the city. It was built in the early 1900s for a Canadian tycoon. Today it is owned by the city. Its gardens are open to visitors, and you can take self-guided tours with audio guides in several languages.
Canadians are hockey fans, so you should visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's more than a museum. It does house hockey's most precious artifacts and provides a home for the Stanley Cup, but it has interactive exhibits, a replica of a dressing room and rink, and state of the art games.
Go to a game... any game. The Maple Leafs are the National Hockey League team. They also have the Marlies which are an American Hockey League team.
Like other sports? We went to see a Blue Jays baseball game. My hubby likes baseball, so we try to see different baseball stadiums when we travel. That gets you out of the museum circuit. Inquire about the sport of your choice or check local city magazines.
If shopping is your thing more than sports, visit the Eaton Center. It's one of the city's top tourist draws. This mall has interesting architecture as well as hundreds of stores.
There's also the Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Center, and the Zoo. And if you really get tired of the city, you can take a day trip to Niagara Falls if you want.... or you can use Toronto as a start off point for a longer visit to Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The summer days are long and warm. Spring and Fall are nice seasons to visit. Winters get cold, so I say visits then are only for the hardy. Whether you want to shop or see sports or just explore the city, Toronto makes for a great get away.
