Labour Day is almost upon and I have to say, its bit bitter sweet for me. On one end, it means long weekend and an extra day off work (woohoo!), on the other it marks the last long weekend of the summer (*cries).
So with this in mind, how do we make the best of Labour Day? If you're in Toronto, here's how:

Canadian National Exhibition (a.k.a CNE or "The Ex")
http://www.theex.com/
Last weekend for the CNE is this weekend, so if you haven't gone yet, it's a good opportunity to check it out. Plus, this weekend is the airshow!

Canada's Wonderland
http://www.canadaswonderland.com/
Open until October, it's definitely a good option if you're looking for something to do this weekend.
Centre Island
Hop on the Ferry and head over to Centre Island. Bring a lunch and have a nice picnic. Bring your bike or rollarblades and ride the paths, or bring the kiddies to Centreville.

Woodbine Beach
Take a stroll on the boardwalk, relax on the sand or get into a game of volleyball!

Hot and Spicy Food Festival
www.harbourfrontcentre.com/summer/hotandspicy/index.cfm?ref=fp
If you like spicy food, you got to check this out. Head down to the Harbourfront and get your taste of spicy and hot treats.

Cirque du Soleil Totem
Cirque du Soleil is in town and if you have been to one of the shows before, then you know its an eye-popping. If you haven't, find out what everyones talking about.

Toronto's Hispanic Fiesta
Celebrate hispanic culture with food, dancing and more at Mel Lastman Square in North York.


Enjoy you're long weekend. Be safe and have fun!

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It's that time of year again... the CNE is back! It's a bit bittersweet for me. On one side I always look forward to it every year, at the same time it also marks the end of summer. However with all thats going on this year at the CNE, your bound to forget that summer is almost over (well, almost).

Thinking about checking out the CNE this year? A couple things to get you there...

When:
August 19 - September 5, 2011

Admission:
General Admission (Adult) - $16
Seniors and Children - $12
Children under 4 - FREE

Saving on admission: 

•  Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs after 5pm is only $5 to get in
• You can also redeem for CNE tickets through AIR MILES®

How to get there:

• The CNE is accessible by car, ttc and go train

For more information, check out the CNE web site: http://theex.com/plan-your-visit/getting-here/
or http://www.ttc.ca/


What to do:

• Rides
• Attractions
• Special Events
• Shopping
•  Games
• Casino
• Shows
• and more

Also, don't forget to check out the Air Show Saturday Sept 3-Monday Sept 5, 2011 from 12:30-4:30pm

For more information about the CNE, make sure to check out their web site: http://theex.com/

Now "let's go to the Ex"!

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On the way back from Tobermory, we stopped off at Cyprus Lake to check out the Grotto. We heard it was amazing, but until you see it for yourself it doesn't quite kick in.

A 20 minute walk through the the Bruce Peninsula and you're there. The walk itself was beautiful and relaxing, such nice scenary within the woods.

Once we got there, we were greeted with turquoise blue water, caves and rock cliffs. Swimming in waters that look like they are from a caribean vacation. I just couldn't believe a spot like this existed in Ontario.  It reminded me of Tulum, Mexico (minus the mayan ruins). There are so many places like this in Ontario that are just absolutely amazing waiting to be discovered. However, I have to say out of all the places I have seen in Ontario, this spot was just breathtaking.

To see more pictures of Cyprus Lake, visit my photostream on Flickr

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I had never heard about Tobermory before, however came across one of those travel magazines through Ontario Tourism and instantly became intrigued.

The drive up is a few hours (even longer if you take the waterfall route, but well worth it). However it is such a scenic drive, you are going to want to take your time and enjoy it.

On our way up, we checked out some of the waterfalls, and I was just amazed how many waterfalls are on the way up there. Definitely worth checking out... and bring your camera!

A few hours later, we got to Tobermory, which is a small, quaint town with a lot of charm. Located right at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, it is right in between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Its location makes it home to a unique geographic landscape and a historic past.

WHAT TO DO

 

DIVING & SHIP WRECKS

One of the popular things to do there is diving. Many people head up there to get their diving certification. There’s some great diving spots and about 25 sunken ship wrecks in the area you can check out.

SUNSETS

We stayed at the Bruce Anchor Motel, which boasts the best sunset view. They have a deck right on the lake and it was gorgeous! Looking over the water with a beautiful sunset is just so relaxing.

FERRY TO MANTOULIN ISLANDS

Tobermory is also where you get the car ferry over to Manitoulin Islands. We saw some of the ferries come in and they were huge!

SEAFOOD...mmmm

The area boasts Whitefish and they have every reason to. They fish was sooo good! I ordered fish and chips from one of the several restaurants along the harbour and it was delicious! There was more fish then batter and just so tasty.

FLOWERPOT ISLAND

There are boat tours you can take across to Flowerpot Island, and one where you can check out 2 sunken ship wrecks on the way. Although a bit pricey ($35 a person), its a great place to do some exploring and enjoy the scenery. If you have some time, bring a lunch and sit along the lake to take it all in.

Tobermory is definitely a hidden treasure and a great place to explore. Nature lovers will not be disappointed. Take time to take it all in and enjoy. I'm looking forward to going back next year!

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So I have to admit, before this year, I had never heard of the Taste of Lawrence. Didn't know what to expect.

So this year, I was checking out pulse24.com and came across some information about it. I kinda wasn't in the mood to venture downtown too much. It was a sunday, it was hot... something that was easy to get to and not too far was what I was thinking, so I thought I would check it out.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. 

Some of the many food vendors

It's not a big festival by any means. Just spanning the distance from Warden and Lawrence to Birchmount and Lawrence. What a liked about it though was it was fairly low key and there was a lot of interesting stuff going on there. Now I have passed by that area before and there are tons of small food shops, some of which look a bit sketchy, some I barely notice or  have no clue what they are. However, here all the shops came out offering their food and I have to saw, wow there’s a lot of delicious stuff out there. All flavours too! There was Chinese food, Malaysian, Halal, Caribbean, Thai, you name it.

There were also tons of stands selling jewelry and small goods for cheap. I got a necklace for $3! They also had rides and games for the kids and rock climbing.



Oka performing



However, the part I liked best were the performances.

I was a bit disappointed I missed the Bollywood dancers, however I got there just in time to see Oka perform. They are an Austrailian band performing across Canada right now. And they were absolutely amazing. I don’t know how to describe them expect for a new age jazz.


So while Taste of Lawrence isnt something to dedicate a weekend too, you should definitely pass by and check it out. All in all a good time!

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Well its that time of year again... it's Indy time in Toronto! If you're looking for the following: watching fast cars, beers, freebies and more of watching fast cars... this is the place to be.

This year they are doing something a bit different. On Friday, they are offering FREE admission. No this is not a typo... FREE. I mean sure it's just the practice races, but still! If you're looking for something to do on a Friday on a budget, its worth checking out.

If you don't get a chance to go Friday, you can still get tickets for Saturday and Sunday (for a cost of course :-) ).

Also, this year Paul Tracy is racing for a really good cause - Make-a-Wish Canada. I'm cheering for Paul... Go Paul Go!!!

For more information, you can check out the Hondy Indy Web Site:
http://www.hondaindytoronto.com/

Now off to the races...

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I just had the amazing experience of spending this Canada Day in Ottawa. What an experience!

I got to say, they know how to celebrate.

We got there on Canada day itself, let me tell you if you plan on going book in advance! We tried finding something a couple days before and everything was sold out. And if it wasn’t, it was super expensive. We were lucky to find a last minute availability at the Lord Eglin Hotel right downtown. I have to say, this place was amazing! Within walking distance to everything and the service was fantastic.

We woke up early to drive from Toronto to Ottawa. Took a bit longer then expected and ended up there right in the heart of the Canada Day festivities. There were some road closures because of the events (and also because Will and Kate were there).


As soon as we finally got to our hotel (which took about an hour within downtown Ottawa becuase of road closures), it was a huge sigh of relief.

We quickly rushed to get ready so we could partake in the festivities and maybe get a glimpse of Will and Kate.

Heading downtown, IT WAS PACKED! I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in on place in my life. But I have to say, it was amazing!

The energy was great! Even though it was crazy packed, everyone was in a fantastic mood!

After Will and Kate did their thing, the crowd started to clear (for what was a bit of a break to the streets and patios). And we got to hangout in front of parliament while the bagpipes were going.

There were tons of patios on Stark St. Its right down in the downtown “government” district. Some really good places!

I would also check out Rideau and Elgin if you're looking for places to go out drinking.


At night we stayed for the bands and the fireworks. They were amazing!

After that, went down to Rideau for a few drinks and the rest is history.

As we walked back to our hotel, there were TONS of workers cleaning up the streets from all the mess.
The next day, was completly quiet. Was actually really weird compared to the day before. Such a contrast. We went to a small breakfast place on Stark ($4.99, can't go wrong with that) and headed home.

All in all, a fabulous trip. See you soon Ottawa!

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