Although my mini-adventure to Northern Ontario went completely off the rails, from the moment I arrived at the wrong airport in Toronto to the message I received from Via Rail informing me that my train from White River to Sudbury, the main reason I went there in the first place, was cancelled for reasons they didn’t explain, I discovered something greater - the genuine northern kindness and hospitality from the many people I met on the trip. And then there was the landscape: raw, untouched, and breathtakingly beautiful. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by the heaviness of daily life or simply those who have lost faith in humanity, I recommend going far away from the big cities to explore the true north.

The Canadian province of Ontario may be lacking snow-capped mountains, sandy oceanfronts, tall grass prairies or arid deserts, but one thing that all western provinces are envious of is Ontario's iconic fall colours. Mild temperatures and not too much rain make the leaf-peeping season last longer than anywhere else in the country. With most of the foliage fallen down by now, I do realize that the tips I'm about to share will probably make more sense around mid-September - early October next year. But who said we can't start preparing for the next season now? Plus, as an added bonus, that's an opportunity to enjoy some pictures and bring good memories from this past season.

Have you ever participated in an obstacle racing? I have not. But I watched others do that and I can tell you - it's so much fun! Today marks one year since the last MUDGIRL in Ottawa, the muddiest activity of the year. No time limit, and no prior training is required - just you, other fellow racers and the 5 km / 3-mile course with lots of fun obstacles that will test your courage and stamina, and of course will make you muddy. I'm looking at those pictures and can't believe how different this current year has been with social distancing, face masks, hand sanitizers and other COVID-19 preventative measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic made me realize that Ontario does not actually have too many backpacking opportunities close to big cities like Toronto or Ottawa. With the US-Canada borders closed, Adirondacks Mountains as well as other destinations in Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania are out of reach for most Canadians. So unless you're willing to get stuck behind a steering wheel for hours bound to Northern Ontario or Quebec, you're pretty much down to a few options. One of them is the 387 km / 240 mile Rideau Trail connecting Ottawa and Kingston, Ontario.

As state-at-home orders and lockdowns are being lifted across Canada, more and more people are increasingly looking forward to escaping their domiciles and finally going out. Health experts also agreed that spending time outdoors during the pandemic is even safer than staying inside, assuming, of course, that proper social distancing is maintained. Turns out, nature is a great healing power, so exposure to the outdoors will help you improve your physical and mental health. But don't get too excited, at least not yet, as travelling in Canada is largely limited to the province of your residence. But who said that exploring your own backyard is a bad idea? Especially, if your backyard is a beautiful wilderness within the city limits. 

I often get asked and even teased about winter in Canada alluding that it's apparently brutal cold, lasts for more than a half year and that I can't probably wait to see it go. Well, I have to disappoint those who say so - it's not that bad, especially in Southern Ontario. After all, there is no such thing as bad weather, you may not be well dressed for it. But there are those special winter days when everything surrounding you is transforming into a winter wonderland. And I particularly love those days and would never trade them for tropical beaches, rainforests or other places where there is no white winter.

Everyone agreed that September was the hottest month in 2017 in Ontario, Canada. The last weekend was particularly cruel - the mercury was predicted to reach +38 C / 100 F with humidex in Toronto. Clearly, that's the kind of weather you don't want to spend in the city, so we decided to head as far north as possible without exhausting ourselves too much with a long drive. Restoule Provincial Park seemed like a good option considering that not many people would drive 4.5 hours from Toronto to get away from the nasty heat.

Despite its extreme natural beauty, Bruce Peninsula National Park with its adjacent town of Tobermory can no longer be fully enjoyed due to massive crowds of tourists. Located just three hours north of Toronto, the park provides an easy gateway for city-dwellers and attracts thousands of tourists on summer weekends. Not only is it busy and noisy, but also the mass tourism is simply not sustainable for the region. For instance, Tobermory does not have a centralized drinking water supply, parking is extremely limited and littering is becoming a big problem. So if you, like me, want to enjoy the nature of the beautiful Northern Bruce Peninsula, and not other people, go to Lion's Head instead of Tobermory and hike arguably the best part of the 885 km / 550 mile-long Bruce trail.

It's hard to say when the best time is to visit MacGregor Point Provincial Park, but I know for a fact that the late spring / early summer is definitely a perfect time to do so. Not only is it not crowded as the beach season has not started, but also there are almost no mosquitoes and black flies that could be quite nasty in this area. MacGregor Point Provincial Park sits on the eastern shore of beautiful Lake Huron just south of Port Elgin, Ontario and is open year-round. The park gets pretty busy in the summer attracting beach-goers. It also becomes a mecca for cross-country skiers in the winter. Both the spring and the fall have many things to offer, too. Below are my top 6 to enjoy at this park in the late spring / early summer.

The Bruce Trail is probably the most famous and definitely the oldest marked trail in Canada. It runs from Tobermory to Niagara for almost 900 km / 560 miles along the Niagara Escarpment, the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. This year the Bruce Trails officially turns 50. Even though Ontario province of Canada technically has no tall mountains (the highest peak is only 693 m / 2,274 ft), the trail often is very strenuous and requires advanced hiking skills. But today I'm going to tell you about a stretch of the Bruce Trail which can be attempted by virtually anyone. It's located at Limehouse Conservation Area, an easy one-hour drive from Toronto.

Looking for things to do on a rainy weekend in early May? Why not try a hike in a local forest? But before hitting the road, make sure you dress in layers to keep you warm and dry and don't forget to wear your rain boots and rain jacket, so you can fully enjoy your hike. I can almost guarantee that you will have the forest for yourself, or maybe share it with very few people. For those who live in Greater Toronto, I recommend you try Rockwood Conservation Area, a beautiful place just about an hour's drive from Toronto.

I'm really glad we came across Mountsberg Conservation Area located on the western edge of Greater Toronto. Although we came specifically for the Easter Egg Hunt, we quickly realized that this little park is a hidden gem offering lots of things to do especially for children. So instead of spending a few hours as per the original plan, we stayed there until the park closed for the day. Scroll down to see what this park has to offer.

Lake Superior is often referred to as the largest freshwater sea in the world emphasizing its size and might. It's also the most stunning one as none of the other four great lakes rivals its beauty and would be as pristine as Lake Superior is. I think the key is in the lake's remoteness and wild nature: storm waves as high as a five-story building can crash everything on their way and the old-grown boreal forest stays on guard to protect the lake's rugged shore. 

When people ask me to recommend places to visit around Toronto in the summertime, my obvious number one choice is Niagara Falls. And then depending on how much time they have and how far they are willing to drive, I usually recommend three additional day-trippers: Muskoka,  Algonquin Park, and Bruce Peninsula National Park. The last one is my long-time favourite as it offers some of the most stunning views of Georgian Bay. The trip to the Bruce Peninsula can easily be combined with visiting Fathom Five National Marine Park and its Flowerpot Island's miraculous rock formations.

I have some good news for those of you, my readers, who have been complaining about the lack of snow in Toronto: only a short ride north from the city brings you to the winter wonderland where you can enjoy all sorts of winter activities, and trust me - we have plenty of those in Ontario! From snowshoeing, skating and skiing all the way to winter camping, dog-sledding and snowmobiling. Today, I've recently had my first cross-country skiing experience at Wasaga Nordic which I've been craving for a few years now. I really really enjoyed it, and hopefully, this post will encourage you to do the same while the spring hasn't completely taken over.

Just north of Toronto lies one of the most beautiful regions in Canada commonly referred to as Cottage Country.  A big part of it is called Muskoka, a well-known weekend gateway and a popular vacation destination for people from all over Canada and the northeastern US. Most people who come to Muskoka are from Toronto though, because every Torontonian seems to love Muskoka. And you know exactly what I mean if you happened to get stuck in heavy traffic on summer long weekends on Highway 400 that connects Muskoka and Toronto. But today, I'm going to show you another place called 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay, a little less known yet even more beautiful compared to Muskoka.  

Winter in Ontario can be full of fun if you dress appropriately. I always look forward to winter activities such as skiing, skating, snowshoeing or just hiking in a forest. I especially enjoy being outside on sunny days with below-freezing temperatures. This past winter in Canada (2015-2016) was unusually mild, however, Family Day weekend (February 13-15) has reminded everyone what the real Canadian winter should look like.