contributed by James LeDoux [IT training consultant / travel enthusiast / dancing machine] 

Northern Exposure 

In addition to bringing the world such entertainment icons as Alan Thicke, Jim Carrey, Mike Meyers, Alanis Morissette, and Celine Dion (or despite this – depending on your taste!), Canada is home to several amazing ROAD TRIP destinations. In this installment, we’ll take you to one of my favorites: Ontario, Canada. Ontario is Canada’s second largest province and home to two great spots: its capitol city of Toronto and the Ontario Wine Region.

Though many of you may not think of an international destination for a Road Trip, Ontario, Canada is the perfect place to broaden your horizons. As your tan lines fade and you begin to unpack your winter clothes, PLiNTH & CHiNTZ brings you the perfect Road Trip to help ease the transition to winter.

While most folks in the U.S. eager to view the changing of the seasons head to New England, smart Road Trippers will grab their passports and head north to Canada for a fun-filled trip through Ontario.

WHY ONTARIO”

• Toronto – Toronto is a cosmopolitan city on the shores of Lake Ontario. Much like New York City in the U.S., Toronto is a rich melting pot of diverse cultures. This leads to a dazzling array of art, shopping, food, and fun.
• Wine – The Ontario Wine Regions is home to over 90 commercial vineyards. Outside of Napa Valley it has the highest concentration of good vineyards in North America.
• Buying Power – Despite the weakening dollar, budget conscious Road Trippers will love the buying power that the exchange rate brings. As of 10/13/2004, $0.80 US buys $1.00 Canadian. In addition to the exchange rate, the Canadian government has a program rebating sales tax to visitors to help promote tourism. For details on this program see the Canadian Visitor Rebate Program website at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/visitors/

TORONTO

Nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario (one of the Great Lakes), Toronto is the largest city in Canada, the world’s second largest country. Though it is a northern destination for most P&Cers, Toronto is at the same latitude as Northern California.

• Art – Toronto is home of the world’s third largest English speaking theater district. It rivals New York City and London for its number of live theater venues. Furthermore, the city offers lots of opportunities to laugh: it’s rife with comedy clubs and comedic theater.
• Diversity – Home to more than 80 different ethnic groups from Africa, Asia, and Europe. As such Toronto is truly a melting pot. So much so that the city tourism board has trademarked the phrase a “The World Within A City”.
• Size – Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the fifth largest in North America, trailing only Mexico City, Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago.
• Proximity – More than 60% of the population of the United States is within a 90-minute flight to Toronto. Note: See charts at the end of this article for both flight and drive times from major US origination points.

What to See:

• CN Tower – Located in the heart of downtown, you can’t actually miss the CN Tower. (Hint: it is the big pointy building you see in the picture above.) Currently this is the world’s tallest building at 1,815 feet. Located at a height of 1,122 ft, be sure to visit the Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Deck. A walk across the Glass Floor is a one of a kind experience. Don’t worry, even if you aren’t felling particularly svelte, the weight of 10 jumping hippos could not crack the glass. For more on this engineering and architectural wonder see the official CN Tower website at http://www.cntower.ca/
• Theater – As mentioned above, theater lovers are in heaven in Toronto. Shows such as Hairspray and Mamma Mia! are currently playing.
• Second City – Comedy lovers will be sure to take in the Second City show. Featuring sketch and improv comedy, this is a must see. Find more info at http://www.secondcity.com/theatre/toronto/index.asp
• Art – Check out the Art Gallery of Ontario at http://www.ago.net/navigation/flash/index.cfm

Groove me, baby:
Toronto has a great live music scene. Live jazz, blues, and popular music can be heard every night of the week.

• Blues/R&B – Healey’s 178 Bathurst St., Phone: (416) 703-5882
• Jazz – Alleycatz Live Jazz Bar 2409 Yonge Street, Phone: (416) 481-6865
• Special event – Need another reason to visit Toronto” The Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival is scheduled for Feb 25-27 2005. Find more details at http://www.tojazz.com/index.asp

Where to Eat:

• Chinatown – Found on Spadina and Dundas, there is a large Chinese community in Toronto and an amazing array of authentic restaurants and shops.
• Little Italy – Found on College Street, Little Italy is home to authentic and affordable restaurants. There are also quite few great pubs and bars to spice up the street.
• Brassai– 457 King St W, Upscale French bistro on King St West. Exceptional martinis and wonderful atmosphere. Named for a 1920’s French photographer, Brassai is one of my personal favorites.
• Blowfish – 668 King St W, Inventive and fun sushi restaurant with lively atmosphere.
• Tuti Mai – 364 Adelaide St W, The name means “everyone is crazy” in Italian. Exceptional Italian food in a casual atmosphere.

Where to Shop:

• Upscale – Bloor Street is home to many of Toronto’s upscale shopping choices.
• Hip – Queen Street West. Hip and cool shopping includes many one of a kind boutiques and locally owned shops.
• Funky – Kensington Ave – Home to Kensington Market. Hunt through many vintage shops, bargain stores, and ethnic stores for hidden treasures.

Accommodations:
Being such a large city, there are too many housing options to list. Hotels range from the high end SoHo Grand to the low-end economy motels. Consult Expedia.com or your local travel agent for help finding a room to meet your budget.

ONTARIO WINE REGION

Though you could easily spend your whole trip in Toronto. Wine lovers will enjoy a trip to the Ontario Wine Region. Located along Lake Ontario, the Ontario Wine Region is comprised of four distinct areas:

• Niagara Peninsula – The Niagara Peninsula is recognized globally as an outstanding wine-producing region. With complex glacial soils and a climate similar to that of Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Oregon and New Zealand, the region is ideal for growing grapes.
• Lake Erie North Shore – The wine region of Southwest Ontario boasts the most sunshine hours in Canada. Couple that with a proximity to the warm, shallow waters of Lake Erie and you have the ideal microclimate for grapes to grow.
• Pelee Island – As Canada’s most southerly location, Pelee Island enjoys a longer growing season than any other winemaking region in Canada. It is also Canada’s oldest wine region – the country’s first grape growing operation began here in 1866.
• Prince Edward County – Prince Edward County is the wine region with the coolest climate in Ontario. After three years of growth, Ontario’s newest region is ready to produce their first crop.

Source: Ontario Wine Council

Visitors to Toronto would be remiss for not taking the 1-hour drive to the wine regions and hitting a few vineyards. A great resource for planning this part of your trip can be found on the Ontario Wine Council’s website. http://winesofontario.org/

Be sure to try the Canadian ice wine, which the region is famous for producing. To produce ice wine, the grapes are left on the vine until well after the first freeze. This produces an ultra sweet desert wine that is unique to the region. Ice wine is more expensive and potent than other wines due to the extra time and risk involved in production.

For obvious safety reasons, pick a designated driver. If no one in your party is willing to forgo the wine (and who can blame them”) consider a wine region tour such as the one mentioned on the Ontario Wine Council website listed above.

Expect to pay between $8-50 CAD for a nice bottle of wine. You can carry two bottles per person back through the border with no fees when reentering the U.S.

In addition to being home to great wine, the area is famous for Niagara Falls. While the areas around the falls are quite touristy, it would be silly to be so close and not visit this natural wonder. More information about Niagara Falls can be found at http://www.city.niagarafalls.on.ca/

HOW TO GET TO ONTARIO” Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Planes – For road weary travelers, Toronto is a quick jaunt from many U.S. destinations. Toronto has 2 airports that are accessible from many US originations. They are Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ). Pearson Airport is located 16 miles from downtown and is accessible by public transit. The City Center Airport is located on the Toronto Island and links to the city by shuttle. The chart below shows estimated flight times.

Estimated Flight Times from Major US Cities

From	Est Flight Time
Atlanta, GA	2hrs, 20 min
Austin, TX	5 hrs
Boston, MA	1 hr, 30 min
Buffalo, NY	55 min
Chicago, IL	1 hr, 30 min
Cleveland, OH	1 hr, 10 min
Dallas, TX	3 hrs, 25 min
Detroit, MI	40 min
Los Angeles, CA	5 hrs, 20 min
Miami, FL	3 hrs
Minneapolis, MN	2 hrs, 10 min
New York, NY	1 hr, 30 min
Philadelphia, PA	1 hr, 30 min
Pittsburgh, PA	1 hr
San Francisco, CA	5 hrs, 20 min
Washington, DC	1 hr, 30 min

Airfares can range from $180-600 US with a 21-day advance depending on your origination city. In addition to checking directly with several airlines, check the following websites for discount airfare:

• Expedia.com – Discount travel fares
• Orbitz.com – Discount travel fares
• Site59.com – Bargain travel fares that combine airfare with your choice of hotel or rental car.

Note: Whenever booking airfare, be sure to check fare restrictions, as you may not have much flexibility to change your fare once it is booked. As a general rule, the more flexible your fare the more expensive it will be.

Trains – AMTRAK bring visitors into the heart of the city each day. Toronto’s Union Station is located centrally downtown and connects to the underground subway. Consult www.amtrak.com for cost and travel times.

Automobiles – Frugal Road Trippers can drive to Toronto from the U.S. Several highways – including 2, 401, 407 and the Queen Elizabeth Way – link surrounding cities to Toronto. Nearest Canada-U.S. border crossings are at Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Windsor. See the chart below for rough distances and consult Mapquest for driving directions.

Estimated Distances from Major US cities

 

From	Est. Miles	Est. Drive Time
Atlantic City, NJ	567	10 hrs
Boston, MA	566	10 hrs
Buffalo, NY	96	1 hr, 30 minutes
Chicago, IL	534	10 hrs
Cincinnati, OH	501	8 hrs, 20 mins
Cleveland, OH	297	5 hrs
Detroit, MI	236	4 hrs
New York, NY	529	8 hrs, 45 mins
Philadelphia, PA	508	8 hrs, 40 mins
Pittsburgh, PA	324	5 hrs, 40 mins
Rochester, NY	171	3 hrs
Syracuse, NY	244	4 hrs
Washington, DC	517	8 hrs, 40 mins

 

Paperwork – Entry into Canada

• U.S.-born citizens should carry a passport or a birth certificate plus photo I.D.
• Naturalized U.S. citizens need naturalization certificates with photo I.D.
• Permanent residents (who are not citizens) need an alien-registration card.

Tip: Even if you rarely travel internationally, take the time to get your U.S. passport. Late winter and early spring bring cheap fares to Europe from many U.S. origination points. Unlike Canada and Mexico, a passport will be required to enter European countries country form the U.S. Why miss the fun”!” Find information here: travelinsurance.org

NOW GET OUT THERE AND TRAVEL!