hiking the scarborough bluffs

one thing i really wanted to accomplish this summer was to spend some serious time exploring the city i live in (toronto).  we've lived here for over 5 years & i'm ashamed to say i have seen very little of the city.  i often forget just how much this city has to offer.

one amazing gem, located on the east end of the city, are the scarborough bluffs.  a few weeks ago we went out to do some hiking, walking, exploring, picnicing & relaxing.  it was a beautiful, sunny day.  we could not have asked for better weather.

finding information on the parks was a bit of a challenge.  so we thought we'd share a few things to help you plan a trip to the bluffs:

- the park is accessible by ttc (woot!). you can take the subway to kennedy, and take the #12 bus down (exit the bus at kingston road (at brimley) & continue walking down the road).  you can also exit at either warden or victoria park subway & take the #12 bus as well (this option is a little bit longer).

-  there are a few different parks, all relatively close to each other.  scarborough bluffs park offers some incredible views of the top of the bluffs. bluffers park has the marina, yacht club, and a beautiful walkway that has some great views of the bluffs along the water.  cathedral bluffs has the beach (at the bottom) and some hiking trails above.

- if you want to do a lot of exploring along the top of the bluffs, good shoes are a must.  the bluffs is a fairly large area, so expect to do a lot of walking.

- this is a great park to have a picnic at.  all along the water are bbq pits and lots of grass to toss a blanket.

we had such a great day!
if you've been to the bluffs and have recommendations on things in the area worth checking out, let us know.

st. jacobs

i fell so in love with this cute little town when we went a few weekends ago.  beautiful homes, friendly people, adorable shops, and little stands selling fruit, veggies & flowers.  b had to drag me away!

one of the best things about st. jacobs - it's the perfect day trip from the city.  

here are a some things we did:

[st. jacobs market] this market is huge!  not only does it have fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses, but also flowers & plants, baked goods, clothing, jewelry, antiques, furniture, and a flea market.  you can find just about anything here.

[antique market]  there are loads of antique markets in st. jacobs.  the downtown strip has a few, but my favourite was the st. jacob's antique market.  voted number one by the waterloo region, it is located just next to the market. 

[explore the town] downtown st. jacobs is so cute.  cafes, restaurants, specialty food stores, and shops line the downtown strip.  

[beer sampling at block 3 brewing company]  wherever we go, b does some research into the beer scene. i was surprised when he said st. jacob's had it's own brewery.  so of course we stopped in.  this place had an awesome atmosphere (records playing good music & board games to play), friendly staff, and a variety of great craft beers.

[exploring the country farms] this is the best place to get produce.  little fruits & veggie stands are everywhere.  this is the produce actually grown on the farms in the area.  some larger farms also have little shops.