Toronto: Always Something to Do in Any Season

A trip to Toronto, Ontario, Canada presents you with an opportunity to enjoy diverse activities. This city, on Lake Ontario, offers a myriad of things to do, places to go, and events to see. Toronto is the capital city of the Province of Ontario, and as such, offers much to suit all tastes.

Consider the following tips for enjoying a trip to Toronto.

Visit the city's parks.

Toronto abounds with fine parks to enjoy at any time of the year. Examples include Queen's Park, a parcel of land that also includes the Ontario Legislature. There's also High Park, which is a municipal park in the city. Trinity Bellwoods Park is on the west side of downtown Toronto - the park is quite large and hosts many events in the summer.

Allan Gardens is one of the oldest parks in Toronto. It has a conservatory (greenhouse) and the park was founded in 1858. Withrow Park is one of the city's large multi-purpose parks. It is an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) park in the Riverdale neighbourhood. These are just a few examples of the many parks in the City of Toronto.

Visit Toronto's waterfront.

Positioned on Lake Ontario, Toronto has a magnificent waterfront. Highlights include The Beaches, a neighbourhood located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. This area of the city has a nice boardwalk along a portion of Lake Ontario.

Another fine waterfront area is the area at the far end of Toronto's Downtown. Not far from the Toronto Blue Jays home park, this waterfront area is host to walking paths, arts and crafts, and food exhibits, and boat excursions across to Toronto Island (an entire waterfront area of its own). In this waterfront area are stages that host various musical and other performances during the summer.

Visit sporting venues and events.

Toronto is a major league professional sports city. The city is home to MLB'S Toronto Blue Jays; the CFL's Toronto Argonauts; the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs; the NBA's Toronto Raptors; the MLS's Toronto FC, and the NLL's Toronto Rock. In addition, the city is home to The Hockey Hall of Fame. The major sporting venues in the city are the Rogers Centre, the Air Canada Centre, and BMO Field.

Visit downtown Toronto.

This is the city's heartland so-to-speak, where the aforementioned sports venues reside, and where theatre, film, and other entertainment venues reside as well. Examples include the Prince of Wales Theatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Harbourfront Centre, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre. In addition, there is the TIFF Bell Lightbox, which is the home of the Toronto Film Festival. For shopping there's the Yonge Street strip, the shops of Queen St. West, and the Toronto Eaton Centre, along with a host of other neighbourhood shopping areas.

Toronto has a castle.

Yes, indeed, called Casa Loma, it is a rich tradition in the city. Casa Loma is a renowned castle. It has 98 rooms, decorated suites, secret passages, stately towers, and estate gardens. The Gardens of Casa Loma have a broad array of specialty garden areas. Casa Loma was the former home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt.

Visit the city's vibrant neighbourhoods.

When you've accomplished sightseeing the major attractions, take a jaunt into the diverse neighborhoods the city of Toronto has to offer. There's Chinatown, the aforementioned Beaches, Cabbagetown on the east side of downtown Toronto, as well as the Annex. In addition, there's Corso Italia, Greektown, Kensington Market, Leslieville, Old Town, and many other fine areas.

Visit Toronto's museums, art galleries, and historic sites.

These also abound in Toronto - from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to the Art Gallery of Ontario. Along the way, you can also visit the Bata Shoe Museum, the Ontario Science Centre, and the Fort York National Historic Site. Furthermore, there's the Scarborough Museum, the Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens, and a host of others that you can discover once you visit the city and explore.

Toronto is a lively city that combines the traditions of its past with its present day and future ambitions. A trip to the city is certainly worthwhile and gives you a glimpse of Ontario's capital and its people. Planning your trip to Toronto ahead of time is your best bet for ensuring you see many of the things the city has waiting for you.