Toronto with Toddlers!!

Toronto, Ontario, Canada ~ September, 1988

As I deplane in Toronto after spending six long hours on the red-eye flight from Los Angeles, I am smacked in the face with a wall of humidity that forces the breath out of both lungs while the sweet scent of baby-poo wafts up my nose and into my face. Our 9-month old son, Zachary, has not closed his eyes once since leaving L.A. just a few minutes before midnight. Air travel and altitude obviously do not agree with him as he is woefully unhappy and I am still wearing his unhappiness all over my new denim skirt. Erin, aged 2, also managed to stay awake all night, thinking this was a great way to travel. I am whooped and stinky as we disembark with two car seats, a stroller, a backpack, a toddler potty seat, and more luggage than you can possibly imagine. I am distraught and extremely embarrassed meeting Jeff’s co-workers while we make our way through the Toronto International Airport. What a sight!

Jeff was invited to work in Toronto for a few weeks and we decided to join him since we had never traveled to Canada before. We were not disappointed as this cosmopolitan city has so much to see and do. The Toronto Holiday Inn was located adjacent to the airport and we were looking forward to checking in and catching a quick nap. The roar of jet planes overhead was a bit disconcerting but we definitely made the best of it. That first night we headed down to dine in the Metropolitan Restaurant. The wait staff was extremely pleasant and the food was absolutely delicious.

*Side Note… Have I mentioned allergies yet? Well our family has a history of many types of allergies. Jeff had food allergies as a child and his seasonal allergies continue today. He also had a very unpleasant anaphylactic reaction after ingesting a healthy serving of shellfish that sent him to the emergency room the first year we were married. I have seasonal allergies as well and am highly allergic to mosquito bites, and bee and wasp stings too. So our Zach comes by his allergies naturally, you might say. We had tried a few solid foods with him so far and we knew he was allergic to eggs. As I said before, the wait staff at the Metropolitan was extremely pleasant and brought Zach a little wheat roll. I knew nothing… I mean I knew NOTHING about allergies like this. Zach swelled up like a plump little red raspberry, and he was covered with hives. His breathing became rapid and we raced up to our hotel room and jumped into the shower. I cannot believe that we thought these hives had suddenly appeared because of something external. I dialed our doctor, but there was nothing she could do so far away, obviously. We gave Zach some Benadryl and the hives began to subside. What was I thinking? I had no idea that simply gnawing on a little roll would create such a sight. But, here’s something else I learned that trip. Every time Zach was bathed in warm water, those hives came right back to the surface. It was as if the warmth just brought them back to the surface, poor baby. You can imagine that his food intake was very closely monitored for the rest of the trip and we headed straight for the doc when we returned! Dealing with food allergies yourself? Visit www.foodallergy.org for a tone of useful information.

Toronto… what a superb city and an exciting place to visit. We visited Canada’s Wonderland (www.canadaswonderland.com) where we enjoyed family rides, shows, sweet treats, and the most impressive restrooms for nursing mothers that I have ever seen. I believe that Canada is light-years ahead of the U.S. as far as accommodating new moms in public places. The Toronto Zoo (www.torontozoo.com) is not to be missed with its spacious geographic regions, kids’ zone, shark reef, all in an enjoyable naturalistic environment. Erin and I rode an camel together and I’ll never-ever forget that! The Woodbine Centre (www.woodbinecentre.com) and Fantasy Faire was a truly delightful shopping centre that included a children’s ride area that includes bumper boats, bumper cars, an arcade, and lovely old carousel. Erin loved this little area and we enjoyed the indoor respite from the heat and humidity. Ontario Place (www.ontarioplace.com) is a world-class entertainment area that hosts a water park, bumper boats, children’s rides, miniature golf, an IMAX theatre, and a variety of shops, and restaurants. This was a wonderful place to visit and cool off during the stifling heat and humidity of late summer.

We found the food to be delicious wherever we went throughout this multi-cultural city and the people were very friendly to boot. We also had a chance to drive to Niagara Falls and found it to be an awe-inspiring sight. In my opinion, the area around the falls was a bit cheesy, but the actual sight was absolutely amazing. We traveled through a beautiful little place called Niagara on the Lake and agree that it’s probably the prettiest little city in all of Ontario. This would be the place to stay if you’re traveling to Niagara Falls and want to stay someplace nearby. There are beautiful and affordable places to stay, from lodges to hotels and motels, to bed and breakfasts and finer establishments as well. There is a nice sampling of wineries in the area where you can taste and sample to your heart’s content. The drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls was truly among the most beautiful we’ve traveled.

If you’re planning a visit to Toronto and the surrounding areas, please check out some of these helpful websites to aid in your planning. Visit http://www.toronto.ca/ to get started making plans and reservations and just figuring out what there is to see and do. Toronto and the whole of Ontario is huge and there is so much to see and do! I highly recommend you carve out an extra day or two or three and visit Niagara Falls along with Niagara on the Lake. Check out http://www.niagarafalls.ca/ for more information on visiting Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and http://www.niagaraonthelake.com/ to find out more about the very charming city of Niagara on the Lake.

We can’t wait to get back to this side of the country  - don’t miss it!

Deb :)