Jeanene

We are driving from Burlington, VT to Collingwood, Ontario (about 75 miles north of Toronto) where we'll be staying in a condo exchange the last week in September. We want to drive down to Toronto a couple of times on day trips (no overnights) to discover the city. Question: will we have difficulty finding a place to park our car while we use local transportation to get around? Another question: any suggestions for things to do in and around Collingwood, including other day trips?

anne

Jeanene: I would suggest that you could consider parking at Yorkdale Shopping Mall just east of #400 on #401 at Allen Expressway and either take GO transit or the TTC downtown. Parking is free, you can also shop @ the mall should you wish and avoid the hassle of driving in downtown traffic and paying a premium for day parking rates. <BR>I've included a site on Yorkdale that has a map and info on both GO and TTC. <BR>http://www.yorkdale.com/ab_howto.html

anne

Ooops! Forgot all about the Great Northern Exhibition (aka Collingwood Fair) which is usually held the last weekend of September. A great little fall fair .. don't miss the mud bog.. when the cars and trucks are finished ploughing through, they open it up to a spectator run. Absolutely hilarious!! Collingwood is a wonderful example of small town Ontario .. hope you enjoy your time as much as we've enjoyed exploring Vermont over the years!

al

Around Collingwood: <BR> <BR>Some nice golfcourses around Collingwood. <BR> <BR>With luck, you will be hitting the peak of the fall colours and applepicking - try drives down Beaver Valley and the area south of Collingwood. <BR> <BR>Check Wasaga Beach, the longest freshwater beach in the world without the summer crowds. <BR> <BR>Ste. Marie Among the Hurons is a good historic site a short drive northeast past Wasaga Beach. <BR> <BR>Creemore is a nearby village including Creemore Springs, a microbrewry which makes great beer. <BR> <BR>A longer worthwhile daytrip is a drive up the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory - good hikes in the Bruce Peninsula National Park. You can also do a boat tour out of Tobermory but check schedules as it is past the peak summer season. <BR> <BR>If you want to splurge on dinner (C$300/couple) and can get a reservation (ie can be booked months in advance), try Eigensinn Farm. It is located near Singhampton, s. of Collingwood; one of Canada's best "restaurants" rated 4.5 out of 5; you bring your own wine - yes C$300 w/o wine; check torontolife.com <BR> <BR>In terms of Toronto, the previous suggestion of parking at Yorkdale is a good bet.

Lee

Anne's suggestion to park at Yorkdale mall is excellent. Parking downtown can be very difficult and very expensive. You can get off the 401 at Dufferin also and it goes right into the parking lot at Yorkdale. The subway station is at the far east end of the mall through the glassed in walkway that you will see. <BR>Have fun. <BR> <BR>