We're blogging about what we know best. What to do, where to do it and where to stay 'north' of Toronto. It's a well and little known fact that within an hour of the big city of Toronto, Ontario offers the most amazing and special places to find culture, history, entertainment, nature and recreation.
Follow our blog for information and news about events, attractions and activities for the perfect day trip or getaway 'north' of Toronto.
"The ski season is gradually getting under way across the province of Ontario and we have several alpine and
cross country centres open today".
These are the alpine resorts open today:
Horseshoe Valley Resort: Open today 8:30am - 4:30pm, open tomorrow, machine groomed granular, 45 cm base, no new snow, yes snowmaking, 4 lifts, 7 slopes, half pipe/tubing closed, terrain park open.
Snow Valley: Open today 9:00am - 4:00pm, closed tomorrow, machine groomed powder, 20-30 cm base, no new snow, yes snowmaking, 3 lifts, 4 slopes, half pipe/terrain park/tubing closed.
Mount St. Louis Moonstone: Open today 8:30am - 4:30pm, open tomorrow, machine groomed powder, 25-45 cm base, no new snow, yes snowmaking, 3 lifts, 10 slopes, half pipe/tubing closed, terrain park open.
These are the cross country resorts open today:
xc Horseshoe Valley Resort: Open today 8:30am - 4:30pm, open tomorrow, machine groomed granular, 10 cm base, no new snow, no snowmaking, 25 km open, track set and skating.
xc Highlands Nordic: Open today 8:30am - 5:00pm, open tomorrow, packed powder, 20 cm base, no new snow, no snowmaking, 9 km open, track set and skating.
xc Hardwood Ski: Open today 8:30am - 5:00pm, open tomorrow, packed powder, 16 cm base, no new snow, no snowmaking, 20 km. open, track set and skating, snowshoeing available.
Ontario Ministry of Tourism Reports:.Hardwood Ski northeast of Barrie and Highlands Nordic south of Collingwood have both opened their trails.Hardwood has opened 26 kms of trail and Highlands Nordic has 5 km open today.Several alpine operators continue to make snow and we expect to have a few areas open this weekend.Horseshoe Resort will be open Friday with as many as 3 slopes open.
Central Ontario has been blanketed with lots of fresh snow since Saturday evening. Hardwood Ski , located just north east of Barrie, opened their cross country trails. The Ministry of Tourism reports additional cross country centres to join the list for this upcoming weekend. and an alpine area or so open this weekend. Night time temperatures will be in the -7 to -9 degree Celsius range this week, which will beideal for snow making . Book winter getaways .
In the recent Toronto Star about Ontario's favourite destinations, the survey identified the top 5 plus honourable mentions to the next five. 8 of the top 10 attractions are north of Toronto. In order they are Algonquin Park, Ottawa/Gatineau, Lake Superior, Killarney Provincial Park, Elora Gorge, Muskoka, Rideau Canal in winter, and the Thousand Islands Gananoque. For the most part the attractions can be accessed by heading north on Highway 400, however several are to the North East, and North West accessible from the 401.
Fresh snow over Kempenfelt Bay Lake Simcoe is the first sign of winter north of Toronto. Many winter enthusiasts are busy tuning up snowmobiles, ice huts, skis, and skates for the upcoming winter er sports season. Many festivals of lights will glisten with the backdrop of fresh snow. See our selection of 100's of winter getaways, festivals of lights and Santa Claus Parades. Be sure to check out winter road conditions before heading north of Toronto.
Condo and chalet rentals http://www.400eleven.com/condo-chalet.html are excellent fall & winter venues for large families, family reunions or groups looking for the privacy of bedrooms with a common area for socializing. Ontario winter time is ideal for refreshing activities that the whole family can enjoy such as cross country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, relaxing around the fireplace and soaking in the hot tub or Jacuzzi. Winter cottages with wood burining fireplaces are a special winter travel treat when travelling north of toronto into Ontario's famous cottage country. http://www.400eleven.com/private-cottages.html
Tourism operators north of Toronto may be pleased with the election of Obama, as he has been a great supporter of the Great Lakes Clean up. See Georgian bay Echo for full news release on future of Great Lakes http://georgianbayecho.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama-good-for-georgian-bay.html
