Summer Weekend Getaway in Toronto

The problem with summer is this. You have kids off for two months and parents who still have to work full-time jobs. How on earth are you supposed to fit summertime fun and family time with a schedule like that? Weekend getaways are often the key and a weekend getaway in Toronto has everything you could possibly need for a family looking for a little summer fun!

I recently had a chance to visit the newly renovated Renaissance Toronto Downtown and the lightbulb went off. This hotel is like command central for fun, as in park the car Friday, and don’t even think about it until Sunday afternoon. Everything you need for an awesome family weekend is within walking distance! Here are just a few of the attractions you can take in on your weekend getaway in Toronto.

The Boys of Summer

Summer and baseball belong together, so make sure you book when the Toronto Blue Jays have a home game! For even more fun book one of the stadium view rooms at the Renaissance or enjoy a lovely meal at Arriba while you take in the game.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

The latest all-star attraction in Toronto can easily entertain a family for hours. Loaded with galleries that explore Canadian Waters to the Rainbow Reef, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is the perfect mix of stealth learning (the kids don’t need to know it’s educational) and entertainment. Most impressive is the Dangerous Lagoon where you glide along a moving walkway under sharks. Yeah, let that sink in for a minute.

CN Tower

At 553 metres high, the CN Tower is an impressive testament to the wonders of modern architecture. But it’s not just an impressive tower, there’s a lot of fun things to do there too. First, you can test your nerves by either walking out on the Glass Floor and staring straight down (eep) to hanging off the edge for the daredevil delight, the Edge Walk (double eep). If you’re not feeling that adventurous, you can catch some fantastic views from the LookOut and SkyPod too. Of course what would one of the world’s tallest buildings be without a movie theatre and world-class restaurant. It’s not just another tower you know?

Hop On Hop Off City Tour

So maybe you want to throw the net a little wider for your weekend escape? Then you can still leave the car parked and enjoy the convenience of the Grayline Hop On Hop Off Toronto City tour. Pick up is on Front St. in front of the CN Tower and includes notable stops such as the Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma, and the Royal Ontario Museum.

To be honest, there’s enough to do that you might actually need a couple of weekends to take it all in. Thankfully we have a few of those in the summer!

Many thanks to Renaissance Toronto Downtown for inviting Life in Pleasantville to join them on their 3rd Annual Day of Discovery. It was a truly wonderful experience. So much fun to be had from with this beautiful hotel as home base.