94 things to do in Toronto, Canada!

In honour of the Blue Jays 94 wins to date, here are 94 things to do in Toronto, Canada's largest and most populous city. In absolutely no particular order:
1. Ride an elevator up the CN Tower, the tallest free standing structure in the Western Hemisphere.
2. Touch a stingray at Ripley's Aquarium.
3. See pandas at the Toronto Zoo.
4. Discover secret passageways inside Toronto's castle, Casa Loma.
5. Take a ferry ride to Centre Island.
6. Check out the dinosaurs at the Royal Ontario Museum.
7. Catch an improve show at Second City.
8. Indulge your inner foodie at the St Lawrence Market.
9. Score a goal at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
10. Sample beer at the Steam Whistle Brewery.
11. See what's hanging at the Art Gallery of Toronto.
12. Tour the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the Skydome) and admire the world's first fully retractable roof.
13. Listen to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra inside Roy Thompson Hall.
14. Stop and smell the roses in Edwards Gardens.

Ross Petty in Peter Pan

15. Spend some money in the Eaton Centre.
16. Buy something vintage in Kensington Market.
17. Enjoy lunch in Chinatown.
18. Try your hand at Segway, in the Distillery District.
19. Check out a Broadway hit in a Mirvish Theatre.
20. Boo Ross Petty during his annual holiday pantomime.
21. Tour the Winter Gardens Theatre, the oldest collection of vaudeville memorabilia in North America.
22. Go nude at Hanlan's Point beach.
23. Explore the history of footwear at the Bata Shoe Museum.
24. Go back in time at Pioneer Village.
25. Rent a bicycle made for two (or four) and bike Ward's Island.
26. Laugh it up at Yuk Yuks.

Gargoyles at Old City Hall, Tour Guys

27. Join the Tour Guys for a free walking tour.
28. Visit the Ontario Science Centre.
29. Watch a movie in the Imax dome.
30. Challenge your wits at a Great Escape game.
31. Hoist the sails on a tall ship.
32. Hike the Scarborough Bluffs.
33. Go swimming in the Beaches.
34. Explore Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
35. Watch Shakespeare in High Park.
36. Join a ghost tour. Boo!
37. Wander through the University of Toronto.
38. Watch a movie at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The Distillery District

39. Stalk movie stars in Yorkville.
40. Walk the red carpet at the Toronto Film Festival.
41. Tour Ontario's Legislative Assembly.
42. Visit the barnyard at Riverdale Farm.
43. Seal your love with a lock in the Distillery District.
44. Cheer on the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.
45. Step back in time at Spadina House.
46. Take a clay class at the Gardiner Museum.
47. Eat Greek at the Taste of the Danforth.
48. Keep warm and dry in the PATH, 30 kilometres of underground shops and restaurants. Largest in the world!
49. Visit the Police Museum.
50. Place your bets at the Woodbine race track.
51. Explore themed gardens at the Toronto Botanical Gardens.
52. See a ballet at the Four Seasons Centre, or listen to the opera.
53. Hear the firing of the cannons at Fort York.
54. Wander through Graffiti Alley.


Graffiti Alley

55. Take in a Toronto FC game at the BMO stadium.
56. Look for Drake at a Raptors game.
57. Ride the train at the Toronto Railway Museum.
58. Get messy at Colour Me Rad.
59. Dare to do the Edge Walk at the CN Tower.
60. Skate by the lake down at Harbourfront.
70. Dance at Caribana.
71. Join the Pride parade.
72. Kayak the Humber River.
73. Learn some Canadian history at the McKenzie House.
74. Cheer on your knight at Medieval Feast, Toronto.
75. Play the Midway at the Canadian National Exhibition.
76. Ride a helicopter.

Humber River

77. Join a chocolate tour.
78. Try your hand at ax throwing.
79. Grab some bait and go fishing.
80. Rent some skis and grab a lift.
81. Join a scavenger hunt with Urban Capers
82. Play archery tag with Archery District, a tag game that combines foam tipped arrows and paintball.
83. Shop at the One of a Kind show, the largest consumer craft show in North America.
84. Head to a club in the Entertainment District and dance the night away.
85. Visit an indoor amusement park at the Woodbine Centre.
86. Play some laser tag.
87. Head out to the Greater Toronto area to do some Tree Top Trekking in Brampton.
88. Visit Vaughan and Canada's Wonderland
89. Get chased by zombies at Halloween Haunt.
90. Build something at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.
91. Visit Playdium in nearby Mississauga. Try over 200 interactive games, Go-Karting, batting cages, bungee trampoline, rock climbing and mini golf.
92. Dine at Winterlicious.
93. Explore Nuit Blanche.
94. And last but not least, GO TO A BLUE JAYS GAME. Go JAYS go!

Roger Stadium

Witches, Authors and Wharfs, Oh My!

My very favourite time of the year is approaching. There are pumpkins on porches and a chill in the air, and soon it will be time to strike a little terror into the hearts of neighbourhood children. We have long prided ourselves on having the scariest home on the block come Halloween, and this year like many before it, there will be zombies and coffins, skeletons and witches, and of course gravestones. I have long held a certain affection for graveyards, and all things that go bump in the night, and for many years I dreamed of visiting Salem, Massachusetts at Halloween. In my mind's eye, I always imagined darkened streets and candlelight, and the smell of something burning...

A mere 16 miles north of Boston, Salem makes for an easy and enjoyable day trip. We rode the orange subway line of the MBTA to North Station and from there caught a commuter train. For less than $10 and in only 49 minutes time, we found ourselves disembarking at Salem Station, only a five minute walk into the heart of Salem. We headed straight to the Salem Witch Museum. There, based on actual court documents, the museum brings to life the witch trials of 1692 for which Salem is famous. Using life sized stage sets and a chilling narration, the events that finally led to the deaths of twenty people are recounted. While none were actually burned, nineteen people were hanged, and one man was crushed to death. The combination of a belief in the devil, an outbreak of small pox and  accusations by a number of teenage girls culminated in widespread suspicion and hysteria. More than 150 people were jailed and awaiting execution before calmer heads prevailed.

Today, Salem is a bustling tourist town, with pedestrian only thoroughfares, intriguing shops and tourist traps. It is a little like Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls with its houses of horror, but Salem has a more dignified side as well. We walked through the town, stopping to tour the Old Burying Point Cemetery and pay our respects at the Salem Witch Trials memorial. Statues also commemorate Salem's two most famous "residents" - Elizabeth  Montgomery of "Bewitched" fame and author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Next stop was Wynott's Wand shop for a look at Harry's wand and a butterbeer. A truly remarkable wand shop for all aspiring wizards, Wynott's is like stepping in to a Potter book. Along the same street, there are a number of magic/witchcraft shops - and if you're looking for a psychic, Salem offers more per capita than any other place.

We continued walking toward the harbour and passed the Customs House. Though famous for its dark history, Salem was actually once America's sixth largest city with a bustling waterfront and busy privateering trade. Fortunes were made in international trade, and many houses remain, built originally for wealthy sea captains. Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked as the port's overseer at Pickering Wharf, the setting for his future novel, the Scarlet Letter. Today the wharf is almost abandoned, but near it is a house worth investigating - the House of the Seven Gables, the oldest surviving example of a 17th century wooden mansion in New England.
Guided tours of the house and gardens are $12.50, From there, we continued on to the ferry
docks, passing a fire truck adorned with Salem's logo, a flying witch on her broomstick. The ferry runs between Boston and Salem five times daily. The cost is a hefty $45 return, $25 one way for the hour's trip. These high prices do subsidize residents' rates making the ferry a more affordable commuter option. It can be a rough voyage, so if you suffer from seasickness, consider returning to Salem Station. Of course if you plan on visiting for Halloween, you may wish to book accommodations and enjoy all the season has to offer. Perhaps a ghost tour or two!