Our Trip to Toronto

This will be my last post about our trip to Toronto. The other posts have been about food and beverages...this one will be focused on what we did for fun! Our first trip to Toronto last year was mainly focused on us visiting Niagara Falls since I've never been there. I wouldn't recommend visiting Niagara Falls on Canada Day, especially if you aren't staying in a hotel right next to the attraction. We had a wonderful time and the fireworks display was amazing, but it wasn't worth the traffic and added time getting back to the city. Lesson learned! I'm mainly going to talk about our trip this year, but I'll also mention some of the places we went last year.

1. The Distillery District - www.thedistillerydistrict.com

This was one of the places we went for fun during our trip last year and we knew we wanted to come back again this year. Distillery buildings from the 19th century were restored to create this cobblestone street area lined with restaurants, bars and boutiques. It combines the old and the new eras and is an absolute must stop if you're in Toronto. I feel it appeals to all ages and it's worth checking out each time you visit since they have different events and vendors there throughout the year and they also change up some of the architecture seen while you're walking through the streets. During our first trip we went to Mill Street Brew Pub and this year we went to El Catrin (which was highlighted in my post about Toronto food). Both were great and I'd definitely go back to both of them again. In December the Distillery District is transformed into an annual Christmas market, which I would love to check out some time. This whole space is so gorgeous and fun! All of the below pictures except for the last one were taken during our first trip back in 2018 over our 2nd wedding anniversary.

2. Scarborough Bluffs

I came across this place when researching things to do in Toronto. It's a beach/marina with some hiking trails. We initially went to the top of the park to try and get a good view of everything, but it was all roped off and was hard to get close enough to get a good view (probably for safety reasons). We then drove down to the bottom and took a nice stroll throughout the whole park. It was very nice and the views were pretty. I'd recommend going if you have some time to kill and are into nature, or if you want a nice place to picnic.

3. HideSeek - www.gohideseek.com

Pop-up experiences/museums are becoming very popular nowadays. I saw one had come through Toronto right before our first trip last year and was sad I missed it. However, after some heavy, HEAVY research online I came across this one...which was even better in my opinion. It just so happened to be open during our visit this year, so I snagged tickets right away! I'm so glad I did because I feel this was the highlight of the entire trip this year. HideSeek is a pop-up experience inspired by 90s nostalgia. Since Jon and I were born in 1990 and 1991 I knew this would be something we would enjoy together. I was right - Jon loved it too! I was literally taken back to grade school with this place...back to simpler times. There are multiple rooms decorated floor to ceiling with things like: slinkies, fur, glow in the dark stars, pillows, pool noodles, beaded curtains and much more. There's even a big ball pit! We were both so, so happy I found this place. Look how much fun we had!

4. High Park - www.highparktoronto.com

Our airbnb was located just minutes from this huge beautiful park. This is a great place to ride your bike, go for a stroll or enjoy a nice picnic with a view. It would even be nice to read or play backyard games here. It's so massive that even with a bunch of people there it doesn't seem crowded like a lot of the other parks in Toronto. We were here just in time to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom!

5. Concert at Budweiser Stage

One of the main reasons we planned our trip for Toronto during this time was to see one of our favorite bands on tour. We had seen The 1975 two times before and their show never gets old. This experience was a little different...in a good way. Budweiser Stage is huge and sits right along the lake. It was a breathtaking experience watching one of our favorite bands live with the breeze from the lake and the Toronto city skyline behind the stage. It was also a great place for us to try poutine for the first time. I would highly recommend going to a concert here if you're ever in the city. I'd love to go to another!

6. Degrassi Set

The sole reason I've always wanted to visit Toronto was when I found out the TV show Degrassi was filmed there. I started watching the show during the Next Generation series, which came out when I was in fifth grade (just ten years old). I watched it from then until the show sadly got canceled a few years back. I never missed an episode and have even watched the seasons multiple times. A couple months before our trip to Toronto last year, I found out exactly where the set was located and saw there were fans who had visited the set (an absolute dream). I reached out to someone from the company who owned the set/TV show at the time but unfortunately heard back after we were already on our way back home. I kept reaching out from then until our trip this year with no luck on getting a set tour, or even just getting a picture on those iconic steps in front of Degrassi Community School. The set was in the process of being sold during our visit this year, so there was no one there and no one to contact about getting in for a picture. Jon and I drove to the set just for the off chance that I could get in. The gate was open and no one was there, but the gate was stuck in a position that wasn't enough room for me to squeeze through. Unfortunately this photo had to be enough. Hopefully the new owners won't change a thing and will open it up for set tours again someday...I'm also holding out hope for the show to return as well. I guess we'll see!