Travel Tips

Traveling to Canada: Niagara Falls, Medieval Times, Unionville, Family Farms and More

Locations in this article:  Toronto, Canada

Canada forestContrary to expectation, our first adventure up north in Canada didn’t involve Niagara Falls, Mounties or Canadian bacon.

It was a forest.

That’s right, if you’re seeking a day trip that involves both local flair and natural history, this is a great option in almost any major destination.

Just about an hour outside downtown Toronto is York Regional Forest, where trails accommodate equestrians, mountain bikes, hikers, and even winter dog-sleds.

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York Regional ForestAnd “all-ages” walk-about takes families through towering trees and open green fields on easy-to-handle trails.

The forest is tranquil with wide, well-marked trails, and kids can run as far ahead as they want with few worries of them getting lost or separated.

(Tip: Consider having them carry a small whistle and dress the kids in brightly colored clothes, a smart safety measure even on guided nature walks.)

But the outdoor adventure doesn’t stop there. Nearby is Forsythe Family Farms (www.forsythefamilyfarms.ca), where visitors get an up-close, hand-on look at how a real working farm operates.

Lamb Hug Forsythe FarmsFeeding the goats and lambs, “milking” a fake cow (it spares the real cow’s tender feelings, we were told) and taking a fun tractor ride across wide-open fields are all on the agenda.

With daily homemade baked goods and fresh produce available for purchase (easy snacks for the car!), it was really a treat.

Noelle gave a baby lamb a bottle of milk, held newborn baby bunnies and chicks, rode the tractor, ran across an open field screaming her head off laughing and giggling with other kids and listened raptly to owners and operators, Jim and Leslie Forsythe tell us all about life on a farm.

When I later asked her what her favorite part of our trip was, she said, “Niagara Falls and holding the baby bunnies at the farm.” I agreed, they were both indeed favorites.

Get more family-friendly travel experiences in our Family Travel section.

Bunnies at the farmAnd for $7.50 CA a person (about $7 US) this kind of experience is right on target for families on a budget.

Also in the York region is the historic town of Unionville. It’s a typical quaint little town, but frankly, if you’re looking for a family-friendly stop, I’d skip it.

The small stores lining Main Street—at least the few I could con my kiddo into browsing through—were overpriced and filled with touristy tchotchkes. Without kids in tow, it’s worth stopping by to absorb some of the ambiance, but aside for a quick lunch and an ice cream for the kids, there’s not a whole lot more to do.

Check out a Great Kids’ Programs Around the World.

Dining with Canadian Knights

The good news is that dining in Toronto doesn’t have to involve fast-food or pizza joints. Instead, we opted for an experience that promised more than just food: Medieval Times (www.medievaltimes.com) in downtown Toronto.

The Green KnightNoelle and I were seated in the front row for our tournament, watching the antics of “our” Green Knight (decided by the color of the crowns given when you enter). The Green Knight, we discovered in short order, was the “villain” of the show and aside from having a requisite gravely villain-type voice, was also pretty darned handsome.

Apparently the Green Knight had designs on my little girl instead of mom (bummer)—after his tournament feats he trotted up on his horse to my positively glowing, giggling and blushing daughter, and presented her with a green sash that dubbed her his  “Princess of Love and Beauty” flashed her mom a saucy wink. We were both blushing a little after that.

The festivities run about $63CA for adults and $44 for children 12 and under for an evening of jousting, jesting, jeering, and general carousing. If you’ve never experienced the gaudy goodness of eating with your bare hands and being given free reign to yell and scream as loudly as your kids, cheering on guys in tights trotting around on horses and waving around big sticks, then, my friends, a dinner show such as this is a raucous good time.

Up next: Museums, a random Rob Lowe sighting, and conquering one of my biggest fears.

By Loretta Copeland for PeterGreenberg.com.

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