The True Edwardian Theatres

I personally love vintage and extravagant places. The Elgin and Winter Garden Theaters are a must see on my list of Toronto attractions. The Winter Garden Theater is seven floor above Elgin Theater. They are most and unique in their way because they are the last surviving Edwardian theaters in the world. Their designing architecture was Thomas W. Lamb, and they were intended to compete in their different aspect of the market at that time. The two theaters were constructed in 1913, they have completely different characteristics just like two distinctive beauties.

Outside view of the two theaters

The upper floor theater, Winter Garden Theater was intended for upper-middle class customers. It had reserved seats for premium paying customers. It had country garden feeling to its decoration.

The ceiling made you feel like you are in a floating garden and it feels magical. 

The Winter Garden theater was closed for sixty years since 1928, until 1989 it was restored and finally opened its door to the public.

The Elgin Theater kept on performing various acts until 1981 when Ontario Heritage Foundation bought the building from Famous Players and the Car was successfully shown in the theater. The Foundation saw the potential of the theater, they closed for restoration in 1987 and after 2 years they reopened to the public. Now, the Elgin Theater also served as one of the locations to host the annual  International Film Festival. To me, these two theaters were so magnificent, they are beautiful and they tell so much stories. 

You can get a tour of the theaters for just $12.00, Thursdays at 5:00 pm and Saturdays at 11:00 am. 

No reservation required.

Now you can get a virtual tour of the theater:Virtual Tour

Foe more information: Elgin and Winter Garden Theaters

Distillery District Stays Unique

The Toronto Distillery District was once the site for Gooderham and Worts Distillery, it was founded in 1832. The area is a collection of Victorian industrial architectures and it is reopened since 2003. The district is a National Historic Site and attracts many tourists. It's current owner is Cityscape Holdings Inc. The company kept the originality of the vintage buildings and rent out many of the space to true artists, one-of-a-kind shops, unique boutique and a famous brewery, Mill Street Brewery. The atmosphere these rare shops make the Distillery District all that unique and attractive.

Last summer, one of my cousins who lived in New Zealand came to Toronto for one week then she is going to U.S. for a conference. We were close when we were children and after my 6th birthday her family went to New Zealand. It was a bit of awkward accompany her to every attraction that caught her eye. The Distillery District was on her list. I only went there once and it was a high school field trip and I do not remember much about it. This time we went there after sunset and it was so beautiful, unlike any other place I visited before. The architecture and the shops blind in perfectly, they all gave that vintage but yet very cutting edge urban vibe.

The Distillery District also has a Christmas Market from:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2014 – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014
At that time, there will be a fully decorated Christmas Tree, singing, all kinds of gift sales and  so much more. It is a even you do not want to miss.

For more information about the Distillery District: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/

If you love history and you love shoes, you must see this!!

The Bata Shoe Museum! Yes, a shoe museum!

I love shoes! I always feel like I am missing one pair, and I am sure I am not the only one. I also happens to love history, all kinds of history because it always tells you something about the present and maybe a glimpse of the future. Shoe is always a fashion thing, and you may think what is last season is gonna stay that way, but! NO! A lot of things are making a comeback! Prepare yourself!

This Shoe Museum for the curious is located in downtown Toronto, right on Bloor St and St.George St. One day, I was going pass the intersection after a day of shopping with my girlfriend, a painting displayed in the window caught my eye. Before that I have never heard of this museum for shoes. It was a painting  of a men wearing high heels, and he looked like a 1800s Royalty. I was puzzled and after I went home and searched about this place then, I've come to realize the men in the painting was  Louis XIV of France!! He was in red heels!

The building Bata Museum currently reside is designed by Raymond Moriyama in 1995. The shoe collection owner, also the owner of the museum, Sonja Bata requested Mr. Moriyama to create a "small gem of a museum" to hold her precious shoe collection to show to the world. The building is a five floor award wining architecture. The museum currently holds four exhibitions:

- Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th Century (opens June 18th)
- Collected in the Fields: Shoe Making Traditions from the World
- Beauty, Identity, Pride: Native North American Footwear
- All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages

I learned so much after I visited this museum. It is fun and you get to see a lot of weird shoes on display. There you can also see a lot of vintage brand name shoes on display. It is amazing.

Here are some examples from the Bata Museum website:

Sabatons, part of a complete suit of armour. German c. 1490's

Roger Vivier evening shoes embellished with silver thread embroidery and ostrich feathers for Delman‐Christian Dior, French, 1954. Gift of Valerian Stux‐Rybar, 1979.

For More Information About Bata Museum please visit: Bata Museum

Toronto's Majestic Castle - A taste of Romantic

You obviously heard of the great castle Casa Loma, once the residence of Sir Henry Pallet. In 1911, he spent $3.5 million dollars and had 300 workers working 3 years to built the original Casa Loma and filled the castle with precious art pieces. After World War I, following the collapse of economy Sir Henry Pallet was overwhelmingly in debt and he was forced to auction off this dream home. From then on, there were numerous investors using it as different facility, during World War II it even served as a secret site for researching and constructing sonar devices. As of 2014, the city of Toronto remain as the sole owner of Casa Loma and signed a contract with Liberty Entertainment Group on which $7.4 million founds will be provided and use on Castle's restoration and construction project.

This magnificent castle is consisted of 7 floors, 64,700 sqft, 5 acre of garden. Every room is decorated elegantly and extravagantly. It also seemed romantic to me too, I imagine Mrs. Pallete must have been very happy to decorate her home with all of her favorite furniture, paintings and art pieces. Right now, Casa Loma is a must see tourist attraction in Toronto and it is among the most wanted list of wedding receptions. I would want my wedding be at Casa Loma, both romantic and formal. 

This is the outside garden of Casa Loma, at night.

There are also many WOW rooms in this Castle, lets look at some of them.

This is Sir Henry's Suite

The Oak Room

For vintage car lovers!!! The stable in the Castle now features early 1900s vintage cars!!!

And what castle is fun without secret passages and tunnels????

Casa Loma now also hosting various events such as King's Court family event, Easter Brunch Buffet, etc. It is a great place to visit and have fun!

Here is a glimpse of Casa Loma

Everyone Loves Blue Mountain

For Winter Lovers

Blue Mountain after sunset

We, as Canadians love winter because it lasts for almost six month every year, we ought to find a way to make it enjoyable. It is this time of the year where Blue Mountain is covered in pure white snow and is greeting every enthusiastic skier with the best it can offer. The best thing about the Blue Mountain is that you do not have to know how to ski in order to enjoy its beauty. This resort is the largest ski resort in Ontario and is one of the most favorite vacation choice in winter for Toronto families. As an only child, my parents did not do winter sports so I had great expectations when I finally get a chance to go there with few close friends.

Blue Mountain has everything you need to enjoy skiing, from equipment renting, equipment store, training sessions, etc. There are also many different events and activities such as scavenger hunt, snowshoe hike, movie night, live music, etc. The resort will fill your entire calendar with excitements. For you busy and tiring moms out there, Blue Mountain also offers spas. Relaxation guaranteed after series of massage therapy and Scandinavian bath experiences. The first time I step into the hot tub it was like Christmas again.

DID YOU KNOW THEY HAVE A ROLLER COASTER IN BLUE MOUNTAIN??

The resort also offer a wide variety of tasting experience. With many different cuisine to choose from, all guest will ensure to fill their every cravings while at Blue Mountains.

Here is a list of some of the restaurant you can find at Blue Mountain.

Avalanche @ Blue BeaverTails Booster Juice C&A Steak Company Chuck Burger Copper Blues Bar & Grill Firehall Pizza Co. The Happy Valley Candy Co. Jozo's Kaytoo Restaurant & Bar Kikaku Sushi Bar Magnone's Italian Kitchen Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt MJ Bryne's Irish Pub

Mile High Poutine Oliver & Bonacini Pita Pit The Pottery Restaurant Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Royal Majesty Espresso Bar Bakery Rusty's at Blue Starbucks Coffee Sunset Grill Tholos Twist Martini & Wine Lounge Wild Wing Yeti Cheese

There are many wonderful lodging options you can choose from. The Boutique Suite offer a boutique-style suite that has elegant and distinctive architectural element. This suite offers all-year-around accommodations. The Resort Homes features larger units, ranging from one bedroom condo to 3 bedroom townhouses. Which are ideal for larger families to stay at.

For more information about Blue Mountain Please visit: http://www.bluemountain.ca/