visiting Toronto!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

so next month DH is going to a week-long conference in Toronto (held at Sheraton Centre). since it's a long trip and we like to travel we figured it would be cool for me & DS to tag along (we have enough airmiles to get a free ticket for me, and we will just hold DS in our laps). this won't be our first plane trip with DS, but it will be our first time travelling internationally.

anyway, i've been to Toronto a couple times before, but that was years ago, and it was always by car (never flew there). guess i have some random questions... mainly :

1) are there good public transportation options, or is renting a car there a must? i would have to get around with DS during the day while DH is at the conference. DH could get a rental car through his work, but then i wouldn't be able to drive it, so that wouldn't be helpful.

2) since i'd have to be on my own with the baby a lot, is a carrier (eg Beco, Ergo) a must? I was planning on taking my BJCM since it's so light and has 1-handed fold (and i've traveled with it before). I do have a SleepyWrap i've occasionally used with DS but since it's summer i imagine it would get too hot for him. Also, i think my DS would enjoy a carrier that lets him face outward so he can see things (he's not the type of baby that wants to cuddle with mommy, he just wants to be held in order to see things)

3) any recommendations on things to do during the day, with a 6mo old? recs on family-friendly restaurants?

thanx in advance! i know traveling with a baby can be a challenge, but i am so excited for this trip!

[mom2binsd]

Do you and DS have a passport?

I'm not familiar with that hotel and what's close by.

The Toronto public transportation system is very safe though and quite extensive.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx for the reply.

i have a passport, but i still need to get one for DS. we got his pics taken, on Monday we plan on applying for them at the post office. i will have to ask for it to be expedited since the trip is in a month and i kmow they can take 5 weeks to get otherwise

[SASM]

i will have to ask for it to be expedited since the trip is in a month and i kmow they can take 5 weeks to get otherwise

Definitely get it expedited. I haven't been to Toronto in years so hopefully my suggestions are still accurate. We absolutely LOVE Toronto Islands!! You take a ferry out from the Quay. You can walk all over (not sure if they rent bikes suitable fir transporting a baby). Lovely views of the city and a wonderful little old amusement park. We also love the zoo (they might offer a discount if you belong to another zoo or aquarium). If I remember correctly, it is fairly remote (not on the metro) so you'd need to take a bus or a car. Kensington Market is also a must. You can get some cheese from the cheese shop, fruit from a stand, breadfrom a bakery (sample everywhere!) for a picnic on the Toronto Islands. Chinatown is right near there, too. We always like to wander through a grocery store in Chinatown. Toronto has a lot of wonderfully distinct neighborhoods (The Beaches, Queen Street W, Cabbagetown, Casa Loma, etc)...we loved to just explore. The CN Tower is a must, if are not afraid of heights. Eaton Centre and Yorkdale are nice malls, connected by a long metro ride. If you like hockey, the International Hockey Hall of Fame is there. There are a lot if matinee theatre performances, that DS might sleep through. It's been a long time so I am not even going to try to recc restaurants...they might not be there or the quality might be lacking.

Oh...if you do rent a car & DH can go with you, I believe Niagara Falls is about 1.5 hours away on the QEW. And Niagara-on-the-Lake is north of Niagara Falls and is a sweet little picturesque village. Just a thought... Maid of the Mist boat rides get you closer to the Falls. Marineland is on the Canadian side ($$$, though).

Ohhhh...you have to sample the junk food! Canada has WONDERFUL candy and junk food...sorry! We LOVE the ketchup potato chips, Aero bars, Crunchie bars...just to name a few. Again...sorry...cannot write a post without mentioning this...you probably didn't want to know this tip, though. UGH! LOVE..THEIR..JUNK..FOOD!! Ohhh...and poutine! Really good french fries smothered with brown gravy and cheese curd...sounds weird but sooo yummy if done correctly! Sorry!

Have a wonderful time!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx for the response! yeah we definitely want to check out the CN tower (have been once before, but decades ago when i was kid).

and definitely want to check out Chinatown. DH & I have been to Niagara Falls already just a few years ago, so we may just stay in the area. We are considering renting our own car for a few days so we can see more stuff.

oh, and i just remembered another place that i really want to see is Yorkville (Bloor St). Mainly for just window shopping of course. Will go with just DS since he has much more patience than DH in terms of shopping.

[mikeys_mom]

I live in the Toronto area, here's my 2 cents ;

1) Toronto PT is ok in the downtown area, but there are really only 2 subway lines. If you are going somewhere that happens to be located on those lines, the subway is great, clean and very accessible. Luckily the Sheraton is located between Yonge and University, both of which have subway lines. You just have to see if they will get you to where you need to go. I wouldn't rent a car to get around downtown. There is also an underground PATH system that basically connects all the major buildings and office towers together and to the subway system. There all sorts of restaurants and shops down there. If you want to visit the area by the lake, I think you will have to take a streetcar or bus. You can probably take buses to any attractions you want to see outside of downtown, but it is a bit of a "clunky" system and could take a while. I would take a taxi or rent a car if you are going out of the core downtown area and don't want it to take a ton of time.

2)A carrier would work but you would probably also be fine with the stroller. Most things here are wheelchair/stroller accessible.

3) I agree with PP's suggestion of the zoo. It's a great place to spend the day. There is a splash pad there that should be open already so bring appropriate clothes if you want to take DS. Most adults don't get into full bathing suits but I would just wear something you don't mind getting a bit wet and that will dry quickly. There is an exhibit where you can touch stingrays and sharks which is pretty neat.

Ontario science center is another fun place to visit. It's not downtown but they have an area called Kidspark that is meant for younger kids but not a ton of stuff for a 6 month old. They currently have a Harry Potte exhibit if you or DH are into that.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of the CN tower. I think it is overpriced for what it is. I guess it is neat to go up on a clear day and have a nice view of the city, but any time I go up there, I always feel like there just isn't much to do beyond looking around for 10 minutes. I dunno, maybe I'm just cynical about it...

Queen's Quay (pronounced "key") is a nice place to walk around by the water in the summer time. There are often festivals down there.

Toronto Islands is a really fun place to spend the day. You take a ferry to get there, which is half the fun for my kids! It is very stroller accessible. There is the Centerville amusement park there that is geared for little kids. There are certainly a few rides you can take DS on - Swans, mini train, etc...Lots of places for a picnic lunch tere as well. Another option is a boat tour of the Toronto Islands which is fun on a nice day.

Your hotel is right near the Eaton Center which has some pretty good shopping options. It's more mainstream stuff as compared to Yorkville. I haven't been down there in a while so I can't say how it compares to shopping inthe US.

The Beaches, Chinatown and Kensington Market are all great places to walk around.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I am happy to answer any other specific questions you have.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

wow, thanks mikeys_mom for all the info!! very helpful!!

[lizzywednesday]

I liked the Hockey Hall of Fame when I visited in high school, but it's not something I'd imagine a 6mo old would be interested in just yet!

We also visited the CN Tower, which is neat, but I do NOT like the glass block floor ... and Casa Loma, which is a stately home in the area.

Enjoy your trip regardless of what you end up doing!!!

[moosemama]

I haven't lived in Toronto for a couple of years now, so I'm a bit "out of the loop" but here are some things I used to enjoy doing when DS was a baby.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): http://www.rom.on.ca/index.php is easily accessible by subway. Admission is free every Wednesday from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm and there is half price admission on Fridays from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. It's really close to Yorkville, so you could combine the two if you were interested. Yorkville is great for walking around and there's a Whole Foods there too (if you like Whole Foods - it was a novelty for us when it first opened!): http://wholefoodsmarket.com/storesbeta/toronto/

The ROM/Yorkville are also really close to the main campus of the University of Toronto. I enjoyed walking around campus as well when DS was tiny.

High Park is a great place to walk around: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/highpark.htm. It's also easily accessible by subway. Do you have any interest in outdooor theatre? The Canadian Stage company puts on an outdoor show at High Park every year. This year it's Romeo and Juliet: http://www.canadianstage.com/dream. Very family friendly, in my experience (though it was pre-kids when we attended). Bring a blanket or something to sit on if you go.

The public library near Chinatown (Lillian Smith Branch at College and Spadina) is great for kids: http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/hou_az_ls.jsp.
You may be able to catch a storytime or something there (you'd have to call for details, sometimes they require pre-registration).

Riverdale Farm might be fun: http://www.friendsofriverdalefarm.com/. It's not very big, but I believe it's free and it's stroller accessible. It's not too bad to get to by public transportation (subway and streetcar if I recall correctly). There used to be a splash pad or wading pool at the park there too.

This website may be helpful as well: http://www.toronto4kids.com/

HTH! Have a great trip!

ETA: There are a bunch of coupons you can print out at the Attractions Ontario website: http://www.attractionsontario.ca/ind...=Chapter&ID=19

[♥ms.pacman♥]

wow thanks guys! i have a lot of ideas now.

thanks for the links moosemama, very helpful, i will definitely check those out!