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Tour the Grand Houses – The most famous is Casa Loma, about half an hour from downtown. Built by Sir Henry Pellatt
who made a fortune on the stock market and spent a good chunk of it building
his wife a “Scottish castle” in the early 20th century. The rooms
are as ornate as you could expect, and there are fun towers and passages
to explore, as well as lovely gardens. (Tip: Use your Toronto
CityPass.) |
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 Nearby
is the Edwardian Spadina House, (naturally on Spadina Road) built
in 1866, set in landscaped gardens, and also beautifully furnished. |
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Black Creek Pioneer Village – Go even farther
back in time and to a very different life style, preserved at Black Creek
Pioneer Village. A recreation of an 1800s farm town, the "Village"
has about two dozen buildings, including a barn with sheep and pigs, stables,
a one room schoolhouse, a log
house, and even a stagecoach. Best of all is watching crafts and chores
being performed by people dressed as Mennonite farmers and sampling period
foods. |
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Markham – On the 25 acres of the Markham
Museum and Historic Village you'll find a collection of pioneer homes,
trains, and buggies, blacksmith’s
shop, country Store. The Museum also hosts festivals as well as hands-on
exhibits that change periodically. |
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You
can also saddle up at one of the stables in the area, or head for Forsythe Farm's Enchanted Forest, where you can pet the animals,
or pick-your-own (seasonal) fruit. |
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Hit the trail – The Martin Goodman Trail winds
along the lakefront for more than ten miles from the Humber River mouth
to Victoria Park and the beach area. Walk as much or as little as you like – public transit is always nearby if you need a lift back! Or
stop at one of the bike rental shops along the lake and coast the
distance. |
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Lake shore – The area running east from downtown along the
lake shore has lots of cafes, and little beaches that make strolling
a relaxing way to spend the day. There's an old boardwalk where
you can stroll with an ice cream or bring a picnic and stretch out in
one of the lakeside parks. |
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Water fun – If the sun's not out... The
Wave Pool on Mill Road in Richmond Hill is a great spot for
kids of all ages. We don’t know who invented this idea, but getting to jump
around in four-foot waves, or even body surfing in an indoor pool is cool.
This one also has a great 160' twisting water slide, a shallow “beach”
area, a Swirl Pool ( 95 degrees) and sauna. There’s also a snack bar. |
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Whitby – Explore Whitby, a town that
works to preserve its charming historical buildings. |
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Stroll
around the Marina and just enjoy the sight of hundreds of sailboats,
or you can go boating or sport fishing on Lake Ontario. |
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Don't
miss the Andrews Nursery and Sculpture Gardens, one gallery
kids will definitely like: enormous wood sculptures created by chainsaw
artist Luke Andrews. Call ahead so you can be there as he transforms a log
into a bear, eagle, or maybe a gnome. |
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The Cullen Gardens & Miniature Village is an incredible 35 acres
of gardens with an all-time favorite of kids: 160 Miniatures lining "Main
Street, Cottage Country and the Miniature Fair." Kids can let loose
in the water park (with a slide and splash pools), take a wagon ride,
ride the miniature train or the ferry on Puddle Lake. All year long there
are festivals here, sometimes with fireworks. |
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Iroquois
Park Sports Centre is a massive 240,000 sq. ft. municipally owned facility,
with six arenas and two swimming pools, it's set in a 47 acres of parkland
that has playground areas, six tennis courts, a skateboard park, and game
fields. |
