One of the best cities we’ve visited in North America – Toronto, Canada! Easily accessible by car for those of us that live in Michigan, but also a location of a major airport- Toronto Pearson International Airport – Toronto is a must visit if you want to take a long weekend to a vibrant city. We went in early January, so it was cold with a capital C, but it was so amazing, and there is still ample things to explore and do.
Let’s dive into some of our favorite things we did while spending a long weekend in Toronto.
Ice Skating downtown!
There are ample places to ice skate in Toronto. While we were there we chose to rent skates and skate at Nathan Phillips Square right in the middle of downtown. We chose this rink for a few reasons. The biggest one was it was walking distance from our hotel, I think it was a two minute walk, which made it super convenient. Second reason, was I wanted the ambiance of the huge Toronto sign in the background of our skating. Call me touristy, I’ll take it.
This rink in particular does get super busy, as you would imagine, but we do still recommend it. We chose to go earlier in the morning when the rink first opened, as it was less busy, and again 2 minutes from our hotel so we didn’t have to plan ahead and wake up earlier than normal! But honestly, even as it got busier, it really didn’t feel super crowded, as the rink really is one of the bigger outdoor rinks we’ve skated on. Earlier in the day will probably also be your best chance to get a picture in front of the huge Toronto sign. They also stop skating every so often to clean the ice which is much appreciated. To rent skates here, it’s going to cost you $15 (adults) and a government issued ID for a deposit. This allows you to skate for a 2 hour time frame.
Fun fact about this particular rink, is that there’s a building that houses restrooms next to it, that allows you to take some stairs to the roof and get a Birds Eye view of those skating. Another fun fact is in the hours after the rink closes for rentals – many local Canadians bring their own skates, hockey sticks, and shovels (to clean the ice), and play drop in hockey! It was so much fun to watch those games. So if you happen to be up late, we suggest popping on over that way to see if there’s anyone playing.
The Toronto sign located at Nathan Phillips Square
Go to a hockey game!
Toronto is home to the Maple Leafs! If you’ve never been to a hockey game, or to a Canadien hockey game, we suggest going to a Maple Leafs game. Canadians LOVE hockey, and they’re really friendly- even when you’re representing the opposing team! We made friends with those sitting next to us while wearing Red Wings jerseys, and let me tell you I went into this game pretty nervous about being the opposing team, but honestly I had nothing to worry about. We did end up losing that game, so that may have helped.
Anyways, the Arena is very accessible. We took the underground the whole way there, and boy is that underground a lifesaver…remember January in Toronto is COLD. (We’ll explain what the underground is later in this post). Scotiabank Arena is home to the Maple Leafs. Afterwards head to a neighboring bar and have a drink, downtown is sure to be lively!
Visit the CN Tower!
We had a fancy dinner out at the CN tower at their 360 restaurant. Quite honestly, it was exactly what you would expect a fancy overpriced dinner with a view to be. Great food, awesome view, and a nice selection of wine. This one is going to be pricey $$$ so be cautious if you have a budget. We planned for this ahead of time because we knew we wanted to check it out.
There is a minimum spend per person here of $75, but that’s not hard to do. If you do plan on eating dinner here, be sure to make a reservation. It is definitely a tourist destination and will fill up fast. Seating options are directly by the window, or just across a small walkway to the inner circle. Both seating options offer amazing views of Toronto. The floor moves so that you are constantly rotating, offering 360 views. You may be able to request where you seat when making a reservation. We were sat on the inner part – and those 360 views were still a nice compliment to dinner!
Your reservation also includes access to the main level observation deck of the CN Tower, allowing you to walk around and get even more incredible views – do you notice a theme here?And if you’re not satisfied quite yet with the elevation you’re at or the views, you can go up even higher! This of course is a slight extra charge, that we did opt for. I will finish this recommendation with – if you’re afraid of heights, this level of the CN tower might make you a bit queazy. There’s even a plumb bob on this floor that shows you just how much the tower is actually swaying at that height.
A Bit of Random Info
The Underground, or more formally called, the PATH, is a pedestrian walkway located under the city. This pathways spans and connects much of the city. And the best part? It’s heated! Yes avoid some of the brisk air of the cold Toronto months. It also includes many bars, restaurants, and shops, and has many access points from up above – one including right by Nathan Phillips Square. Forewarning, some parts are not as developed anymore and some spots also aren’t nice on the noise. We even ran into a bunch of birds hiding from the cold at one of the access points.
Everyone is very nice- even when you’re representing the opposing hockey team.
Hockey really does seem to be the way of life!
Overall, Toronto CA has been one of our favorite long weekends. If you ever had a thought to check out this cool city, we say go for it!