After 20 years, my aunt from Hong Kong finally decided to brave the winter and visit Toronto again. For someone who lives close to the equator, her family came at a great time to see snow! She got to go through freezing rain and saw the crystallized aftermath, she saw heavy snow that collected on our driveway and best of all we all spent a cozy white Christmas together.
I thought I’d take this chance to share what we spent 1 week doing in the Winter time.
Travel Guide to Ontario
Day 1 – Dec 23rd – Horseshoe Resort
- While I worked that day, my boyfriend took them skiing/snow boarding at Horseshoe Ski Resort. They got the Novice Package: $94 (includes 4 hour rental, 4 hour lift ticket and 1.5 group lesson). They reported back and told me they have great beginner slopes and wasn’t very busy.
Day 2 – Dec 24th – Ontario Science Centre
- I’m not sure if the Ontario Science Centre is worth recommending. Half the exhibits were out of order or didn’t work properly. (Note: If you’re a MasterCard holder, enjoy a 20% off coupon here)
Day 3 – Dec 25th – We stayed home and enjoyed the snowfall. We briefly went tobogganing, though the ice made the ground hard and bumpy so that wasn’t too much fun.
Day 4 – Dec 26th – Vaughn Mills
- We took them to Vaughn Mills to experience the hustle and bustle of Boxing Day shopping. In hindsight, I should’ve chosen to do something else. Sales are always for the whole week and there’s always better deals in the New Year.
Day 5 – Dec 27th – Niagara Region
- We started off at Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake where they enjoyed the little boutique shops – that took 2 hours longer than expected.
- Then we went to lunch at The Stone Grill, none of us were big fans. Service was nice, decent sized portions but the taste was not worth the price.
- We then went to Pillitteri Winery – I specifically chose this winery for the wine but also because they offer free tours and included sampling of the wine. Many wineries in the area charge a minimal fee for the tour, around $5-$10. While I’m not a wine drinker at all, I ended up with a bottle of the 2012 Gewurztraminer Riesling Fusion. It was sweet enough for me to enjoy. I should note that wineries are usual child friendly – while we sampled the wines, my cousin got some grape juice to enjoy.
- Afterwards we headed off to The Falls where we went to The Journey of the Falls. It wasn’t much of a journey – just posters on the wall in the tunnel. But the view was quite staggering. Once the elevator opens, you can hear the roaring of the falls. We also took a chance to stroll through Clifton Hills – the tourist trap!
- Since we were in the area anyway and it was only 7pm, we headed to the Canada One outlets. Once again, not many deals but killed some time.
Day 6 – Dec 28th – Bowling and Laser Quest
- To make sure my little cousin was entertained, we took them bowling at Kennedy Bowl. The place was a little outdated but it was clean and did its job for a good price. We went after lunch so it wasn’t very busy then.
- This may have been my cousin’s favourite activity – Laser Quest. I got us 3 games each for $19. We ran through the maze for 20 minutes each game and had a hell of a time trying to beat each other. It was much more tiring than expected.
Day 7 – Dec 29th – Downtown Toronto
- Around lunch time, we took my cousin skating at Harbour Front.
- After lunch we walked towards the CN Tower. I haven’t been up for more than 5 years and I forgot how expensive it is! I mean, the view is definitely different but I’m not sure if it justifies the price. We walked around in a circle, took some pictures and that was about it.
- I though it’d be nice (since we were in the area) to show them around Distillery District. But since it was a long day, they didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I hoped. We grabbed a coffee from Balzac’s and made our way home.
I must say, it was hard for me to find places to take my relatives around in Toronto, perhaps its the weather. They weren’t particularly amazed at any of the attractions we went to – which I think is understandable. The top 3 places for them would be laser quest, Horseshoe Resort and Niagara Falls.
Spending:
Horseshoe Resort – ~$250
Ontario Science Centre – $88.80
Journey Behind the Falls – $52
Bowling – $56
Laser Quest – $128.82
Skate Rental (for 1) – $5
CN Tower – $142.86
Total: $742.28
Life Outside the Inbox 