tlaw

My husband and our two girls (2 and 7) are arriving on a late Friday night flight into Toronto from Los Angeles and are staying at the Park Hyatt. Sunday morning we'll be driving to a lakside family resort in Muskoka. It's our first time in Toronto and there's obviously so much to see and do there, but unfortunately our time is limited to one day and one night(and a couple hours Sunday morning). The Waterfront, Ontario Place, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Miniature Villiage, the Children's Museum, and many other sites seem great for us. Any advice on how best to spend our day?

BAK

The Children's Museum is closed.

Since there's very little a two year old cars about, let's plan this for the seven year old, and her mom and dad can tag along.

But first, for mini-kid, ...

The side of the PArk Hyatt is across Avenue Raod from Cimberlasnd Avenue. Cross Avenue Road and walk east on Cumberland to the weird sort of park there, and let the little girl climb on the huge rock. You'll see more of these rocks in Muskoka -- this one was sliced up and trucked to Toronto and reassembled. Both girls will like this park, and mom and dad can have a coffee and watch the kids have fun. Nearest Starbucks is inside the Chapters book store right beside the rock, but if that one isn't open, wa;lk up the little pedestrian laneway on the other side of the rock, turn left on Yorkville Avenue, walk past the parking garage, and get your coffee at the Starbucks there.

Kids love the subway ride, so take that to harbourfront. Cross Bloor Street from the hotel, walk half a block south to the Museum Subway stop, and ride south to Union Station. Inside Union Station there a tunnel (good signs) to the Harbourfront / Queens Quay (pronounced key)streetcar. Take that and you'll go through a tunnel and emerge into the light at the harbour. Get off at York Street, or the second stop. It doesn't really matter.

Walk around there for a while, staying close to the water. If you walk quite far west, you'll get to a sort of swamp with wild flowers, on the way to (watch for signs) the Music Garden.

Skip Ontario Place. Skip Cullen Miniature Village, which is far away anyway.

Walk north on Rees Stret (it's by the harbor police station and the Radisson Hotel) under the highways, toward SkyDome and the CN Tower.

The CN Tower is a favorite of kids and parents alike, and there's more to do inside than just ride to the top. Tourists love this, and I recommend it.

After the CN Tower, if you and big-girl are museum fans, (my assorted children loved the museum when they were seven) this is probably your next best place to visit.

From the CN Tower, either grab a cab, or walk east on Front street (in front of the CN Tower) back to Union Station's subway stop, (there's real trains and communter trains in the same station, too) and ...

it gets tricky...

if everyone's getting tired, ride north on the University route to Museum stop, get off, and walk the half block back to the hotel for a nap.

But, if no-one's exhausted yet ...

The subway is U-shaped, and you can take the Yonge Street side of the U to Bloor Station, and then walk west on Bloor Street past some high-end stores, or walk a block north (Cumberland again) or two blocks north (Yorkville Avenue) and walk west to the hotel, and then cross Bloor Street and go to the museum.

Options -- Teh St. lawrence market is in full swing Saturday's, and there will be entertainment the kid's will like, plus good sandwiches, so you could take a cab there from the hotel Saturday morning, then walk south on jarvis (the side of the market) to Queen's Quay and then walk along to the Harbourfront area.

We think LA people don't walk, and New Yorkers do, so maybe this is more walking that you are used to. But there are lots of cabs to flag.

Food: there's a McDonald's half a block west of the hotel, on Bloor Street. Across Avenue Raod, in the basement of Hazelton Lanes, there's a Whole Foods gourmet supermarket.

Two blocks west on Bloor Street is a branch of Swiss Chalet, the quintessential Canadian family restaurant, with excellent chicken. I raised my children at Swiss Chalet.

The Yorkville area, immediately east of the hotel, is full of restaurants, some more suitable for kids than others.

The Chapters book store has an excellent children's department, if you want to stock up on books for big-girl at the resort.

Sunday morning's are pretty dull. This might be the time to visit the park on Cumberland Avenue, or just to go for a walk, west-bound, on Bloor Street to Bathurst and back again. All kinds of interesting people and shops (maybe closed) and food places, etc.

BAK

tlaw

Thank you so much for your helpful advice and detailed directions. You're right -- Angelenos travel by car to their local Starbucks.

travelbunny

..if a beautiful warm day..go to toronto island..lovely view of toronot..centerville (on the Island) is a perfect amusement park for small childre..this is easily reached by subway..a short walk and then the ferry..also there is a movenpick in yorkville (about a block from your hotel)..very kid friendly (went when my children younger and they used to have crayons and a placemat to color)..have fun!

MonaManuel

I remember taking a flight over Toronto--it was so long ago, but I'm guessing it was from the Buttonville airport--in a small four-seater plane. It's certainly not for the weak at heart, but your kids are probably too young to have learned our grown-up fears and phobias.

Anyway, I was about seven or eight years old at the time and thought it was a real blast. I would look into that for a really memorable family experience.

BAK

You could, if you wanted, make arrangements to fly from the Toronto island airport, by seaplane, to your resort. The hotel should be able to suggest a charter company.
BAK