High Park

I was looking for somewhere to visit early this spring and when I started researching High Park the “cherry blossom watch” kept coming up. I had no idea it was such a huge deal! People wait for peak bloom time and then go hang out under the trees. By the time I managed to get there, the blooms were almost done but it was still very nice (and probably quite a bit less crowded). Besides the cherry trees, there are lots of other things to check out at High Park. There’s Grenadier Pond with its willows and waterfowl. There are nature trails throughout the park, formal gardens with water features, an adventure playground with castle-like structures for the kids, and a zoo with a variety of animals: bison, highland cattle, capybara, and more I can’t remember. For a bit of money you can ride a little trackless train that runs around the park. There are washrooms and a restaurant at the centre of the park, with more washrooms, both permanent and temporary, in other places. There is lots of parking but in really busy times you’ll probably end up outside on one of the side streets. Take public transit if you can.