Just outside of Toronto:

A few hours drive from Ottawa, the real capital of Canada, you'll find Toronto.  The city that holds 1/10 of Canada's population in the Greater Toronto Area.  It's a popular place to visit in the summer, and there are a lot of options for a visitor to Canada.  As most people will include this big city in their travel plans, Real Footprints has put together a just outside of the city guide: Niagara Falls - A couple of hours drive and you can see the honeymoon capital of Canada. A little bit of kitsch, Casinos and wine country as well as a whole lot of Water! Make sure you take the wonderful Maid of the Mist boat voyage to get as close as possible to these mighty falls.

The Bruce Trail:  Canada's oldest and longest footpath, provides the only continuous public access to the magnificent Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.  It is one of only fifteen such reserves in all of Canada.

Canada's Wonderland - 30 mins north of the city, it has the biggest roller coasters with the most g-forces as well as a great water park, open seasonally from Spring to Fall.  Be sure not to miss the brand new for 2012 Leviathan!

Muskoka Cottage Country - Three hours north of the city you'll find Ontario's Cottage Country. Relax amidst the blue lakes, green trees and Canadian Shield.  You'll find cute historic towns, waterfalls and great hiking trails and unparalleled beauty.

Algonquin Park - This is the quintessential park that needs to be on anyones travel check-list. This was Ontario's first Provincial park, and is actually bigger than Canada's smallest province (Prince Edward Island.)  This is the place to go hiking, canoeing and camping. They have great programs like "howl with the wolves" and guided nature hikes.   It's a year-round destination where you can spend  multiple days camping in the back country or a couple of hours on a short nature trail.

Have you been to Toronto? What are your experiences there?  Leave a comment!

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