Hi Pretties,
Have you dreamed of traveling for the holidays? I mean how much turkey, dressing, mac n’ cheese, collard greens, and sweet potato pie with a big glass of sweet tea will you have in a lifetime? But that menu does sound really good, fattening but super good. Okay I digress, yes that Thanksgiving menu sounds grand, but what about a trip up North, way up north to Toronto, Canada. I traded turkey for Toronto and it was so worth it!
This trip was at Thanksgiving and the temps were quite cold and it was not Thanksgiving in Toronto. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October. And, as a major metropolitan city and the capitol of Ontario, Toronto has everything – lodging in every price point, dining with diverse options, sightseeing from museums to the zoo, and shopping from high end designer stores to vintage boutiques. We were there a short amount a time but managed to see some fun sites such as the Toronto Christmas Market and the CN Tower, which has amazing views by the way!
My most favorite attraction in Toronto was the Bata Shoe Museum. During the time we visited, there as a Manolo Blahnik shoe exhibit called The Art Of Shoes. First things first, do you know this famed shoe designer is a man? I did not and was totally taken aback. There was a large display of shoes, renderings of shoes, and a video featuring the designer. In addition to this fabulous exhibit, there were several floors that housed various exhibits of shoes – the earliest shoe design from over 4,000 years ago, basketball shoes which as I recall belonged to Shaquille O’Neil, glass slippers, snow shoes, kids shoes, mens shoes – something for everyone and super educational, I mean who knew shoes had such a storied history. There is also an adorable gift shop with an assorted selection of shoe related gifts.
The food in Toronto was really good with lots of choices. The first place we ate was Jack Astor’s is was very lively and we had a fantastic server. This spot was the jump off for our trip, a real neighborhood feel. And, definitely put us in a mood to have a good time seeing Toronto – highly recommend. Apparently Evviva’s is super popular because there was a line and a wait. I would say it was so worth it. Not only was the food delicious, but the ambiance was really nice – highly recommend. My favorite though was dinner at the CN Tower. The service was outstanding with a very attentive server. Our food was on point, beautifully presented and delicious. But the view of Toronto is unmatched. The restaurant revolves with 360 degree views of Toronto. So pretty, especially at night. The prix fixe menu with three courses was well priced at under $100 – highly recommend
Toronto has some interesting sites, including a wrecked police car hanging out of a building. I believe this was from a local television station. Another interesting building is the Flatiron Building that has a trompe l’oeil painted on the side by the artist Marg. There are also many architecturally stunning buildings throughout Downtown Toronto. Grab your camera so you don’t miss a shot.
As you can read from this post, I loved Toronto – the food, the attractions, the shopping, we didn’t have dull moment. But frankly, unless you like super cold weather, I would not recommend going at Thanksgiving. It was soooo cold for my taste – I’m talking puffer coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. However, if you prefer colder temps, it is the perfect time of year to visit. The Christmas Market is also a good draw for this time of year. I plan on visiting Toronto again…when it is warmer. Do you prefer traveling in colder or warmer weather?
