Good to visit but better to be home...

I highly recommend a portable DVD player when traveling with kids...hardly heard a peep out of them the whole way to Toronto and back again, 4 1/2 - 5 hours each way. Thanks to Kris for the loan, I didn't have to leave anyone of the three on the side of the 401.

First stop, Toronto Zoo. Hot, hazy and humid...that pretty much tells all...even the animals were feeling the heat - they weren't real receptive to their many visitors. I sadly realized that this was most likely our last visit to the zoo. Alex, being 14, really wasn't into it - been there too many times already. Ben was a little more interested and Sarah, well as she put it - "the last time I was there I was too small to remember". But really, how many times can you revisit the zoo without it becoming ho-hum. Oh, well, we realized there is so much more to Toronto that we have yet to see so future visits will mean more places to explore and as the kids grow their tastes change so, onward and upward...still sad - means everyone is growing up.
Ben and Sarah could hardly wait to reach the 'splash zone' and with it being so hot the rest of us were just as anxious.


Casa Loma was Sarah's pick of places to visit. Lady Mary Pellatt was the first Commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada so that sparked Sarah's interest since she, herself, is a Girl Guide - 2nd. year Brownie to be exact. So she had to take lots of photos to take back to her troop. Unfortunately because of the rain we didn't tour the gardens, which are amazing. We took turns borrowing my brother's umbrella for a quick peak.


Bass Pro Shops, need I say more...we had to throw in one destination for the guys. Ok, I will admit, Sarah and I loved it too. It is an experience all in inself, even during rush hour on friday night.

My favorite place in Toronto is Harbourfront Centre. What a bustle of activity, all on the water. But even with all the activity going on it is still such a relaxed mood. People strolling along the boardwalk. Buskers performing, music all around, ferry moving people to and from the Islands - if I lived in Toronto this would be my place to hang out.w

We ran out of time and energy before visiting the Distillery District, but it is high on my list of things to do next time...my brother's response when I said we would save it for next time - "you're coming back?" Don't know how to take that.
The Beaches are a favorite spot for all of us. We usually save a trip to the Beaches for when we are all exhausted and need a place to relax.

With 1100 K. on the van and almost as many on our feet everyone was glad to be home, Toronto is great to visit but our little quiet village is the place to be.