I first visited Toronto last June for TBEX – a travel blogging conference. I flew in Friday night and departed early Monday morning and spent most of the time in between at conference sessions. Needless to say, I didn’t see much of the city itself.
Therefore, I am very excited to visit Toronto again next weekend. The city is an easy trip from Chicago; just a short flight on Porter Airlines will take me from Midway Airport to Toronto’s downtown airport located about as close to the heart of the city as you can get. I have also heard that Toronto and Chicago are similar in a lot of ways so I am curious to check it out and judge for myself.
The weekend will be a whirlwind. I arrive Friday evening and plan to head straight to the Taste of the Danforth festival after checking into my hotel (although fellow blogger Ayngelina has warned me that it’s “Cra-Zay”). Saturday morning, I’ll visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and hopefully meet up with a friend I met in Georgia during my career break. Then, I’ll head to the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, where I will have my very first press access for a sporting event! I’ll see the men’s semi-finals, which should be quite entertaining – especially if Canadian favorite Milos Raonic is playing! Although I have to admit, I may be almost as excited at the prospect of hob-nobbing with some of my favorite tennis reporters in the press room.
Sunday will be my opportunity to see a lot more of the city. I am taking a walking tour with Tasty Tours Toronto in the morning and then hopping on a bike with Toronto Bicycle Tours in the afternoon. My tour with Tasty Tours is their Oh Canada! Farmer’s Market Sweets Tour, which will take me through the Distillery District Sunday Market. We’ll talk to local farmers and sample local sweets, like maple syrup, and learn about the history of Canadian sweets. I have also been assured that they can accommodate my gluten intolerance so I’ll be able to try at least a few things!
Right after the walking tour, I will meet up with a group from Toronto Bicycle Tours for their four-hour Heart of Downtown tour. I haven’t been on a bike in years, so this should be interesting! But at least I’ll burn off some of the calories of the sweets in the morning! Ideally, this probably should have been my first activity in Toronto, but it didn’t work out that way, so I’ll at least enjoy a thorough orientation of the city before I leave – and know what else I need to see on my next trip!
And then, I’ll head back to the airport, surely wishing I had more time…
Thank you to Tourism Toronto for their assistance in planning my trip. While some of my activities will be complimentary, my opinion are always my own.
There’s so much going on and so much to see in that city at any given time that your head will be spinning after each day that you are there … enjoy!
You’re going to love getting to know Toronto a little better, and we can’t wait to show you around! See you soon =D
Ah, you will be in my neck of the woods! Have fun. Toronto is absolutely amazing. I almost think perfect.
Tori’s Bake Shop also has great gluten-free options! The Distillery and St. Lawrence are great markets to wander, have a great time in the city! I live in Toronto so definitely give me a shout if you want more suggestions 🙂
I hope you really enjoy your time in Toronto! I’m from the Toronto area so I know a lot about the city if you have any questions 🙂 If you’re looking for gluten-free baked goods, I totally recommend checking out Bunner’s Bake Shop – they have 2 locations and they are 100% gluten-free! Be sure to shoot me an email if you have any questions or anything like that! justinpluslauren at gmail dot com
Thanks for the tip! Will definitely have to check that out!