Cherry Blossoms in High Park

My wife and I recently went to enjoy the Cherry Blossom Trees and go for a good walk at High Park.  It is one of our favorite parks in Toronto.  Unfortunately, it was overcast all morning and my hopes of getting some great pictures was dashed.  Also, this year the blooms came out later than usual because of the harsher and longer winter we had.  They normally are in blossom at the end of April/beginning of May.

Cherry Blossom Trees - High Park

Further, the trees started to go in bloom the weak prior and with the winds and several days of rain it also caused the trees to be more barren than years past when we visited.

Cherry Blossom Tree - High Park

Some Quick Facts about Cherry Blossom Trees:

• Cherry Blossom Tress (in Japan 'Sakura') are known for their beauty and elegance.  They are a good omen and sign of Spring.
• In 1959, as a gift from Japan the first Cherry Blossom tree was planted at High Park.  In 2001, 34 more additional trees were donated by the Government of Japan.  

Plaque Commemorating Cherry Blossom Trees

• Cherry Blossom trees have a short blooming period (less than two weeks) and approximately one after the blossoms appear ('kaika'), full bloom occurs ('mankai').
• In Japan, they eat the blossoms and leaves.  They are used to enhance the flavor of confectioneries and buns.  Also, as a tea at special events and festivities.  However, they can be toxic in large quantities because they contain Coumarin; which is harmful to the liver and kidneys.  
• 'His Worship' Mel Lastman now can enjoy retirement knowing that he is not the worst Mayor in Toronto history and his verbal gaffe's, out of wedlock affairs and bastard children are nothing compared to our current worship 'Rob Ford.' 

Cherry Blossom Trees High Park

Tips for Enjoying Cherry Blossoms and High Park:

• Get to the the park early.  We arrived at 10:00 am and got one of the last parking spots.  I'd suggest arriving at 9:30 or instead taking the TTC and getting off at High Park Subway Station.
• Parking can also be found on many of the side streets surrounding the park.
• Bring your SLR Camera and have some fun taking photos.

Cherry Blossom Trees - High Park

• Wear comfortable walking shoes that you don't mind getting a little muddy from the trails.
• Don't be 'Johnny' picnic under the Cherry Trees.  It is certainly poor manners and of course people are going to give you dirty looks and openly complain about you. I give two thumbs up to the photographer who set his tri-pod with his camera and cannon sized lens right next to the obnoxious family.
• We noticed the Police and Parking Enforcement out in full force; so I imagine respecting the laws and rules of the park would be a good idea.  I'd keep Fido on his leash and keep your beverages discreet.  

Nesting Swan - Grenadier Pond

Things to do around the Park:

• For the children there is ample to see including small Zoo (Llamas, Deer, Emus, Goats, Yaks, Bison, and Peacocks) and the Castle playground.  The latter is probably one of the best in Toronto and makes me want to be eight again.
• High Park also has a very large off-leash area and we just enjoy watching the dogs play.  I'm always impressed with a dog who can catch a Frisbee mid-air with a jumping leap.  

Swan - Grenadier Pond

• Visit the swans and walk along the shores of Grenadier Pond.
• See the flowers around the park and the central garden.

Tulips at the Main Entrance

Things to do outside the Park:

• Our favorite fancy grocery store Cheese Boutique is only a few block away, just off of the South Kingsway at 45 Ripley Avenue.  A great place to buy cheese, deli meats, pates, chocolate, gourmet cookies, and preserves.  The service is phenomenal and you can easily spend a fortune on some tasty treats.
• Just north of High Park is the Junction neighborhood (Dundas West and Keele St) and there are several good restaurants.  A little further north also is very tasty micro-brewery called Junction Craft Brewery.  Try some samples and see what you like.  You can easily walk out with a growler of great beer. 
• To the South-West is Humber Bay Park at the mouth of the Humber River.  It is also a great place to walk around and you have an amazing view of the CN and the downtown core.  

The Best Photo of the Day:

Trilliums in High Park 

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  What's your favorite park in Toronto?

That Mansion on the Hill - Casa Loma - Toronto Landmark

Toronto does not have many buildings that show the rich excesses of the 'Gilded Age' and if you want to see how the 1% lived in the early part of the 20th century than this is the place.

Casa Loma - Scottish Tower

This is wonderful place to visit year round, but it is particularly nice in late Spring and Summer when the gardens on the southern terrace are in full bloom.  They also decorate for Christmas Holidays in the Grand Hall and have events throughout the year.  One of the highlights is to see the Conservatory; but that and main dining room were being used for Mother's Day Brunch when we recently visited.

Grand Fountain on the Garden Terrace

Quick Facts:

• Casa Loma commenced being built in 1911 and was substantially finished 3 years later at a cost $3.5 million at the time. Modeled after in the style of an English 19th Century county Nobes home. 
• Built by Sir Henry Pellatt; entrepreneur and one time Chairmen of 21 companies.  He founded Toronto Electric Company in 1883 and key investor in the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company and North West Land Company.  He eventually got over extended during the changing econonmy during WWI and declared bankruptcy.  Thereafter, Casa Loma changed hands many times and eventually became a tourist attraction.
• Often featured in Movies and was notably the School for the Gifted in the first X-Men movie. For a more detail history see their website or better yet visit and listen to the audio guide.

The Library

What you need to know for a visit:

• Open Daily year round from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm; except Christma Eve and Christmas Day.
• Admission is $24.00 for adults, $18.00 for Seniors(60+) / Teens (14-17), and Children (4-13) $14.00.  Admission includes an Audio Guide that explains the majority of rooms and provides a narrative history.  They are picked up from the Gift Shop in the basement.
• Located at 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON, M5R 1X8 - Nearest major intersection is Bathurst & St. Clair Ave.  

Lady Pellatt's Suite

• On site parking is available for $9.00
• TTC - Casa Loma nearest Subway station is Dupont on University/Spadina Line and is about 3 blocks North, but it does involve going up 110 steps.  Someone else counted.

For more information see Casa Loma's visitor website.  

Suggestions for a better visit:

• Try to arrive early in the day to avoid the crowds and have more elbow room.  Also, you may be able to find free street parking nearby.
• Try to come on a sunny day with your SLR Camera; it is a great place to take pictures and you have some unique views of the city from the towers.  

View of Downtown Toronto

• Comfortable walking shoes, as there are countless steps and cobble stone patios. 
• If you have a Metropass you get 20% off.  If you are Toronto Resident and have a Library Card you can obtain free Passes via the MAP program; for more details see my blog. 
• Bring some light snacks/bottled water as the site only has one restaurant and it grossly over-priced for an okay salad or panini.  
• Take the 1000 foot underground walk from Casa Loma to the Carriage House.  See the stables and vintage cars.

Carriage House

Don't be that Guy and the little things:

A Merry Traveler

• There is numerous decorative motifs to keep an eye open for.  However, there is an obscene amount of graffiti in the rafters and in the towers.  Don't be 'Johnny' I was here.
• Also, the Norman Tower which is the tower that lets you go outside for a panoramic view of the city is closed for renovations and I could not find when it is expected to re-open. 

View West of the Norman Tower Under Renovation

What to do in the Neighbourhood:

• Casa Loma is situated in the Forest Hill neighbourhood and there are ample streets to walk around see gorgeous mansions/homes, which are surrounded by Old Oak Trees.  I'd suggest weaving your away homes to the NE of CASA Loma, East of Spadina Avenue and North of St. Clair.  
• I'd also suggest visiting Timothy Eaton Memorial Church at 230 St. Clair Avenue East; it is an impressive building inside and out.  

View North from the Scottish Tower 

• Get lunch or a snack in Forest Hill Village that is about 1 KM north of Casa Loma.  There is a Starbucks, Aroma Espresso Bar, Subway, Second Cup,  Hero Burger, Cobb's Bread, and What A Bagel.
• If you are looking for more restaurants including many of the chains head east on the St. Clair Streetcar to Yonge and St. Clair.  There are countless bars, pubs and my favourite Toronto book store - Book City. 
• Or go the other way on the St. Clair Streetcar to Dufferin and walk west into little Italy.  There is countless restaurants, shops, bakeries and of course Gelato. 

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Did you have a good visit?  Please be that guy who puts a comment below.

How to See Toronto Tourist Sights for Free

The Toronto Public Library in its effort to promote arts and culture in the city has partnered with Sun Life Financial to create Museum + Arts Program ('MAP') back in 2007.  We only learned of this program last year, but have now taken advantage of it several times to get free admission to the Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Gardiner Museum, Bata Shoe Museum and Textile Museum.  The saving can be great, getting for example a pass to the Toronto Zoo will save a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) $90 dollars or $70 at the Ontario Science Centre.  

MAP Pass Front

What Toronto Sights are Available:

Available at Limited Locations (32 Branches - See Here for a List) 

• Toronto Zoo (Adult: $28.00 Senior: $23.00 Child: $18.00)
• Royal Ontario Museum (Adult $16.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $13) 
• Casa Loma (Adult $24.00 Senior/Teen: $18.00 Child: $14.00)

MAP Pass Casa Loma Back

• Black Creek Pioneer Village (Seasonal) (Adult $15.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $11.00)
• Ontario Science Centre (Adult $22.00 Senior/Student $16.00 Child: $13.00)
• Gardiner Museum (Adult $12.00 Senior $8.00 Students $6.00 Child: Free)

Admission prices are from May 1st, 2014 and subject to change.  See links to their respective sights.  

Available at All Library Branches:

• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Museum of Inuit Art
• Textile Museum of Canada
• City of Toronto Historic Museum
     a) Colborne Lodge in High Park
     b) Fort York National Historic Site
     c) Gibson House Museum
     d) Mackenzie House
     e) Montgomery's Inn
     f) Scarborough Museum
     g) Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
     h) Todmorden Mills Heritage Site

The Cons and How to Get Them:

It sounds to good to be true that you can get access to all these locations for free.  The caveat is that you have to be up early on a Saturday morning and be in line for about 8:30 at an eligible library.  Passes for most attractions are limited to 3 per week and they go quickly.  In talking to librarians that some people line up as early as 6:00 am for the more coveted Zoo, ROM or Ontario Science Centre passes.  We have been in lines with 20 or 30 people at the Victoria Village Branch this Spring.  However, we have had the best luck in Winter when the line was short and we managed to get Zoo passes and we had great day. (See my old blog.)  The perk is getting up early on Saturday lends itself to getting your out of the house chores and shopping done before the crowds.  Also, the line moves rather quickly and we have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for our turn to see the librarian when it opens at 9:00 am.  Our experience is that the librarian announces what passes are no longer available and is helpful in suggesting alternatives.

Toronto Zoo - Panda

We also got passes for museums that we would never consider paying for and we had great visits to Gardiner Museum (ceramics, dishes, objets d'arts - they have piece called Monkey Symphony which is a must see) and the Bata Shoe Museum (history, fashion and customization of foot wear - it is interesting.)  The one flop and thankfully it cost us no money was the Textile Museum.  The latter takes about 30 minutes to see and has less than memorable collection in my opinion.      

Wooden Shoes - Bata Shoe Museum

Rules regarding Museum and Arts Passes:

• You must be Adult living in Toronto with a Valid Toronto Public Library Card.  (See here how to get a library card.)
• You can get one pass per week from the Toronto Public Library and the pass must be used within 3 months. If not used, the pass just expires.
• Passes are generally good for 2 adults and 2 children, see individual passes for details.
• When visiting a site you must show the MAP pass and date due receipt, your library card and ID upon request (at the venue's discretion.)  The pass holder must be present.
• Passes can not be sold or transferred. 
• For a complete list see Library's page here. 

What you Don't Get:

• Special Tours and Exhibits that have additional fees are not included such as the recent David Bowie exhibit at the AGO or the current Forbidden City at the ROM.  Additional fees apply for shows Ontario Science Centre Imax Theatre.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and CN Tower is not part of this program, nor tickets to the Toronto Symphony, Theatrical Shows, Toronto Opera Company, or TIFF Lightbox.  
• It does not include parking or access to member's lounges; or features that come with annual family memberships.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Have a favorite tourist attraction in Toronto? Please comment below.

Toronto Zoo is Winter Fun

During the Winter holidays Mrs. Shopaholic, friends, and I visited the Toronto Zoo on a warmer Winter day.  We all love the Zoo, but had never been during Winter.  We were all pleasantly surprised and it was a lot of fun.  If you are looking for a Winter activity and don't mind bundling up then this is great one.

For more information about the Toronto Zoo see their website.  The Zoo is open every day of the year except for Christmas.  Adult admission is $23 a person and parking is $10 a vehicle.  It is possible to get to the Zoo by TTC (Sheppard 85 East Bus from Don Mills Subway Station, bus alone takes 38 minutes per the TTC.  So, I would not recommend it. 

Winter Zoo Fun:

The Zoo bills says that each visit you will see something new.  The following things I have never seen at the Zoo during our usual summer visits:

• The arctic wolves singing and moving about.  We were listening to the Polar Bear zookeeper and the nearby wolves started singing. 

• The Hyenas.  For years I have walked by the Hyenas and have never seen them standing or moving.  In the summer you can only make out vague details of them sleeping in their dens.

Hyena

• Pandas moving.  We saw Toronto Zoos famous addition back on the Victoria Day weekend when they came to the zoo.  Neither of the pandas moved and were not worth the line to see them.  In Winter they were both moving and we ample elbow room too see them.

Lady Panda - Er Shun

• The Giraffes were also active and strangely licking the metal chain link fences.  Don't they know their tongues could get stuck to it?  Everyone had that one kid in primary school who did this.  

Masai Giraffe and her calf born Oct 18, 2013

• The pavilions were a lot easier to get around in and you hardly ever had to line up to view an animal.  One of the highlights was the Australian Great Blue Jay who got up close with us.

• Lastly, the Polar Bears usually put on a good show regardless of time of year.  The key is catching them at Noon when the Zookeeper is feeding them.   

Lady Polar Bear

Arguing over a Salmon

Some other fun facts that I learned about the Zoo:

• On Boxing day they have a Christmas for the animals.  The zookeepers are out and giving special treats for the animals.  It is meant for families and the zookeepers make themselves far more available than usual.  Also, they offer half priced admission.  
• On New Year's Eve they throw a family oriented party complete with stage and show for children.  They have live band, magicians and a proper stage setup in the entrance courtyard of the Zoo.  They do a New Year's eve countdown at 8:00 PM for kids.  
• The Giraffes will be moving in 2014 to Elephants former domain.  
• The Zoo will be re-opening for Victoria Day Weekend the Eurasia loop (Camels, Reindeer, Wild Horses, Snow Leopard, etc).  Although, it will only be accessible by Zoo Mobile.  (*Lame*)  

Reindeer out for a Stroll

Cons of Visiting the Toronto Zoo in Winter:

• Some of the African large mammels (hippotamus, antelopes, zebras, lions and cheetah) were not on display outside or inside.
• The food at the zoo is not that good and over-priced.  Only 2 of the 5 restaurants were open and mind you I think I'd rather go hungry than eat at a Mandarin Express.   I'd suggest bringing a sandwich or snacks.  
• The African penguins were not swimming about as their pool was frozen.  Although, I don't know why a penguin would be indoors for winter.
• In the Malayan Woods pavilion the butterflies must have all been hibernating and not flying about.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Do you have a favourite animal to see at the zoo?  Please add your comments below.

Distillery District Christmas Market (My Review)

Christmas is coming quick and I find the malls sap my strength and take away my Christmas cheer. However, the Distillery District's annual Christmas Market always puts me in a cheerful mood and in the holiday spirit.  To my knowledge there is nothing like this in the GTA and per a friend it is similar to what one could experience in a town in Germany. We suggest going with friends to share in the merriment and we have gone the last few years without any real complaint.

Distillery District Christmas Market

There is ample shopping with some thoughtful stocking 'stuffer' type gifts from numerous vendors.  Also, many of places to get something tasty such as Oktoberfest sausage, poutine, chocolates and other baked goods.  However, I would not suggest Veal Schnitzel on a bun as it was too thin and lacked a decent bun.

Biergarten Fun

There is also multiple biergartens where you can sit next to a fire and enjoy a beverage.  I personally like hot apple cider, but my friends are big fan of the mulled wine.  Also, various liquor companies were advertising there products and providing cocktail samples.  My two favourites were:

Tasty Cocktail Recipes

My Favourite Things at the Market:

• Brick Street Bakery - Lots of tasty baked goods and treats.  Personally I love there Eccles Cakes and the Olive Loaf.  A great place to get a snack or a loaf of bread.

Eccles Cake (Per Wikipedia)

• The overall ambiance created by the lights, big Christmas tree, and the smell of burning wood.

The Big Christmas Tree

• Soma Chocolate Maker - This store has all sorts of gourmet chocolate treats and is great place to warm up with a Mayan Hot Chocolate.
• Really I can't complain about free samples of booze.

Key Facts:

Runs from Friday Nov 29 to Sunday Dec 15, 2013

Hours:  Monday to Friday - Noon to 9:00 PM
            Saturday to Sunday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM

For more details see the official website: http://www.torontochristmasmarket.com/

The Address: Google Map of Distillery District

Tips for Enjoying the Market:

• Take the TTC (King Street Car #504 East to Parliament St stop.  Walk 2 Blocks south.  Parking is difficult to find and traffic is terrible in this neighborhood.
• Get to the market earlier in the day on the weekend as it gets very crowded.  Or go on a weeknight.
• Check out the events schedule to see one of the many great free performances at the stage adjacent to the big Christmas tree.
• Dress warmly and wear clothes that you don't mind smelling like a camp fire.  They have many cauldrons to keep 
• Leave the dog at home.  Although they are allowed outside, they will just be underfoot.
• Don't be a Scrooge and try buying the food and supporting the local vendors.

Have you been to the Market? Have a favourite thing or tip?  Please share them below.