sandi_travelnut

Never been to Canada and now have the opportunity to go to Cambridge for 10 days on business. I assume I'll be landing in Toronto (the trip is at the end of April so I haven't made the travel arrangements yet).

Looking for suggestions on how to pass any free time I might have. I love used books store, antiques, art museums, gardens, parks and spicy food. Any suggestions? Also, how far is from the Toronto airport to Cambridge?

Thanks for any advise.

BAK

Under an hour to Cambridge, which is west of Toronto, on the way to London and then Windsor and Detroit.

Are you going to have a rental car?

And when is your free time? After 6 pm, and before 8 am from Monday to Friday? How many weekend days -- come to Toronto for two of them, probably.

BAK

sandi_travelnut

IF there is ANY freetime it would be on the weekend and later in the evenings of the week. If things go well though I may be able to leave the office around 4p or 5p but I never know ahead of time. Hopefully the weekend will be mostly free. I will have a car. Is Toronto the main airport that services Cambridge?

bmwoods72

One of your evening meals should be spent at Langdon Hall in Cambridge. Ask for directions from your hotel. It is a hotel/restaurant/spa in the Relais & Chateaux family.

BAK

Toronto's real airport, code YYZ, is the main airport for Cambridge. there's a few flights into hamilton, too, and that's a bit closer.

But the real airport is Toronto pearson international, which is on highway 401, which in turn is the highway to Cambridge.

Cambridge is not a hotbed of action, especially during the week, and especially for people who like antiques, etc.

I phtographed a book called Going to Town, Architectural Walking Tours of Ten Ontario Towns, and Paris, which is a little south of Cambridge, was in the book. You could drive down there and look around, but this, of course, would be better in the daytime. Other towns in the book (sort of hard to find) are Stratford, St. Mary's, and Niagara on the Lake.

Assuming you are not exhaustrted by the day's work, you might drive to stratford on night for dinner; lots of good restaurants there to serve the crowd attending the Shakespeare Festival. This is maybe an hour's drive each way. Heading in another direction, you might want to drive all the way to niagara Falls and look at the falls under the night lights, and perhaps spend some time in the casino.

But, overall, this is a pretty quiet little city. You'll find nice parks, but during the week I'm betting the stores close around 6 p.m.

I know several people who live there because they could buy big houses at low prices compared to Toronto, but they both travel a lot and get their excitement by leaving home.

Ontario's full of immigrants from everywhere, including lots of spicy-food countries, so you are almost guaranteed spicy food, whether from Jamaica, India, Malasia...

And if you're coming to work at a high tech company, you'll probably find lots of people working there who came from these spicy-food countries, so they'll have favorite old-country restaurants, or will take pity on you and bring you to their homes.
BAK

sandi_travelnut

Thanks!! Wow, things close at 6pm? Hopefully whatever hotel I'll stay in has a good giftshop, huh? Any additional ideas is great. What kind of weather should I expect at the end of April?

sandi_travelnut

BTW - I would love to see Niagra falls. how far of a drive is it from Cambridge?

gemelli

Sandi,
Cambridge is an easy drive from Pearson airport. The regular Mall and the big box stores are open every night until 9. The outlet Mall is only open Thurs & Fri until 9.
Suggest a pleasant Sat/Sun excurision to St Jacobs, it is in the heart of Mennonite country and the village is nice spot for strolling. There is a weekend Farmers Market and outlet mall there as well.
Niagara Falls is an easy day trip from Cambridge. When you are that close you don't want to miss it.
Should be light jacket weather, no snow! Have a good trip.

gemelli

Wanted to say the trip to Niagara Fall is about 120 Km, mainly highway, little under 2 hours.

laverendrye

For antiques, try the Aberfoyle antique market near Guelph (a short drive from Cambridge). It's open on Sundays and has over 100 dealers. You might also look at Elora, which is a pretty town with lots of shops. The St. Jacobs Mennonite market just north of Kitchener-Waterloo is a good Saturday morning excursion.

Or you could certainly fill a weekend in Toronto--you'll find all your interests there.

BAK

The Aberfoyle market was always fun when I was there in the past.

In Toronto, there are a lot of antiques stores on Queen Street West, near Roncessevales, iin the west end of the city.

Drive on 401 to Highway 427, then south to the Gardiner Expressway, towards Toronto.

Stay on the right so that you can get the Lakeshore Blvd exit.

From the Lakeshore, take the first left turn one short block to The queensway, and then turn right, toward downtown. (If you miss the turn off the Laksshore -- it's very close to the exit -- just take the next left turn off the Lakeshore onto The queensway.

Drive east a few blocks, past the big hospital and the streetcar garage, and bingo, the street changes its name to Queen Street West and you will find antique stores on both sides.

BAK

mitchdesj

Cambridge is postcard pretty; we drove through once and visited a wonderful art gallery, can't remember the name........

sandi_travelnut

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I'll print them off and map it out so I'm ready when the free time comes.

Wallace_and_Gromit

QUOTE:

(the trip is at the end of April so I haven't made the travel arrangements yet)


My trip to Toronto is mid-MAY, and I already have my plane tickets and B&B booked. ... When your travel dates are not flexible, you get better deals when you don't wait to the last minute. I hope you are at least tracking air-fare prices by now so that you can nab a good deal. At this time, many airlines are offering Spring fare sales (but most state you have to book before April)

sandi_travelnut

my company is paying for it and until everything is confirmed I cannot make the travel arrangements. Trust me, if it were coming out of my pocket, I have a list of at least 8 sites that I check for airfare comparisons.