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Facing Lake Ontario, just a few steps away, this small hotel is about a 15-minute drive from downtown. Parking is free, rooms are large and well-furnished, and there’s a restaurant and bar.

Coddling its guests with every comfort, and in a prime Yorkville location, this hotel is a favorite with celebrities. The excellent Truffles restaurant and chic Avenue bar add to the elegance.

Vanguard performances run the gamut from flamenco and buthoh to modern contact.

In summer and fall, roadside stands in the Niagara region sell luscious fruits. Local companies turn these fruits into delicious jams, which are available at select stores. Greaves preserves are especially popular.

The neo-Gothic splendor of the University of Toronto’s Hart House (see University of Toronto) sets the tone of refined tradition, and the menu adds sparkle to the sedate surroundings. Fine sandwiches, soups, and an extensive selection of wines by the glass.

Historic and modern pieces from around the world (see Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art).

The only museum in North America devoted solely to ceramics was founded in 1984 by private Canadian collectors George and Helen Gardiner to showcase their extraordinary collection of pre-Columbian American pottery and European porcelain. Recent additions include Asian ceramics and contemporary artwork (see Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art).

More refreshing and lighter than ice cream, Italian ices come in an assortment of flavors, from lemon to caramel.

This 1,036-seat concert hall hosts international performers along with local favorites the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra and the Amadeus Choir.

Georgian Bay’s rugged landscape is characterized by the windswept rock and pine trees of the Canadian Shield. Thousands of islands – some just mounds of granite – dot the Bay; 59 of them make up the park. Access to the largest island, Beausoleil, with its hiking trails, sandy beaches, forest, and the largest variety of reptiles and amphibians of any national park in Canada, is via a 40-minute water taxi ride from the town of Honey Harbour.