By Jessica Padykula
Toronto Expert, about.com
[post_ads_2]Spring is about ready to, well, spring in the city and there are tons of great things to look forward to as the weather continues to warm up. The temperatures in March tend to fluctuate and there could be a few more (gasp) snowfalls, but for the most part, we’re over the hump and rolling our way towards the eagerly anticipated spring season. Here are some of the best aspects of spring in Toronto to look forward to.
Getting back outdoors
If
you’ve spent the better part of the last few months in hibernation, you
can finally get back outside. Toronto’s many parks are just waiting to
be explored and as soon as the snow and slush are finally gone, the days
warm up and the city goes from grey to green, it’s time to lace up your
kicks and get moving outdoors. Toronto has more than 1,600 public parks
and 600 km of trails so it shouldn’t be hard to find a spot to enjoy
the sunshine. You can find an alphabetical list of the city’s parks here. Some of my favourite parks in Toronto include High Park, Dufferin Grove Park and Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Sitting on a patio[post_ads_2]
Torontonians are crazy for
patio season and as soon as it’s warm enough to walk around without a
parka, people are seeking out ways to eat and drink outside. But it’s
easy to see what all the fuss is about after enduring a bitterly cold
winter. While there are year-round patios
to enjoy in Toronto, spring brings with it the chance to slow down,
relax and forget all about winter while sipping drinks outdoors.
Cherry blossoms in High Park
High
Park is always worth visiting but come spring, when the cherry blossoms
are in bloom, the park turns into a bit of a fairy tale-like wonderland
of pink flowers. The blooms only last for about a week to ten days at
their peak fullness so there’s not a lot of time to check them out but a
visit is definitely worth it. I’ve been to see the cherry blossom trees
just before full bloom and even that is pretty spectacular. The flowers
often bloom late April into early May and the timing depends a lot on
how frosty a winter Toronto has had.
Visiting your local farmers’ market[post_ads_2]
Unless it operates year-round,
the majority of Toronto’s farmers’ markets open in May so the chance to
start stocking up on local, seasonal goods is around the corner. There
are farmers’ markets located all over the city and usually there's one happening every day of the week.
Taking a foodie walking tour
What
better way to shake off winter and embrace the warmth of spring than
with a walking tour devoted to food? Toronto has several such walking
tours that introduce locals and visitors alike to some of the best
things to eat in the city. Some food-centric walking tours to check out
include The Culinary Adventure Co. Little India Food Tour, Tasty Tours Kensington Market Sweets Tour and Savour Toronto Vegcursion Tour.
Going garden-hopping[post_ads_2]
There’s
nothing like seeing new growth in the form of beautiful plants and
flowers to make you feel energized and ready for a new season. Embrace
warmer weather with a trip to one of Toronto’s many gardens. Some to add
to your garden-hopping list include Toronto Botanical Gardens, Toronto
Music Garden, Hillside Gardens at High Park, James Gardens and Casa Loma
gardens.
Taking a trip to the Toronto Islands
While you can visit the Toronto Islands
all year long, there’s nothing better than going as soon as the weather
warms up and through the spring season. Spring on the islands is less
crowded than it is during the summer and there’s plenty to see and do.
Have lunch at the Rectory Café
on Wards Island (they have a massive lakeside patio), rent a bike and
explore or simply wander around in the fresh air and sunshine.
