One-Tank Trip for
June 9/12
(c) By Jim Fox
Kids just wanna
have fun.
Ontario Tourism
offers a “sand-bucket list” of 15 – what they call –
“eye-opening, adrenalin-rushing, imagination-boggling
adventures that kids just have to experience by the time they turn 15.”
 |
| It’s a jungle out there with lions, giraffes and lots of wildlife at the African Lion Safari. |
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
- Zipline. Long
Point Eco-Adventures, Turkey Point: Glide through trees and swing on suspension
bridges on a thrilling zipline and canopy tour.
The adventure
includes eight ziplines, two suspension skybridges, 14 platforms and a 40-foot
rappel. For ages eight and older. www.lpfun.ca
- Go wild! African
Lion Safari, Cambridge: Drive the kids wild as you get up close to thousands of
exotic birds and animals.
Steer your vehicle
through large game reserves, enjoy a boat cruise on the African Queen or relax
aboard a scenic railway. www.lionsafari.com
 | ||
| The weird and wonderful can be found on Clifton Hill by the Falls in Niagara Falls. (Jim Fox photo) |
- Clifton Hill,
Niagara Falls: Get ready for the weird, wacky and wonderful at this amusement
mecca.
Be spooked at
haunted houses, play glow-in-the-dark mini-golf or see life-like celebrities at
wax museum. www.cliftonhill.com
- Elora Gorge tubing:
Grab a tube and go with the flow down the rushing waters of this Grand River
gorge surrounded by towering cliffs.
It’s an awesome
experience for the older kids – participants must be at least 107 cm (42 in.)
tall. www.grandriver.ca
 |
For summer fun, try
tubing or kayaking at the Elora Gorge. (Ontario Tourism photo)
|
- Joyride 150,
Markham: Check out Canada’s first indoor all-season, multi-discipline bike
park.
Beginners,
intermediates and those with “mad-bike skills” will find a range of skinnies,
lines and ramps to match different abilities. www.joyride150.com
To the bat cave
- Brave the Bat Cave,
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto: Explore a simulated bat cave based on a real one
found near Kingston, Jamaica.
Experience a
spectacular dramatization of bats in flight during a nightly exodus for food. www.rom.on.ca
- Sainte-Marie among
the Hurons, Midland: Travel back in time to this recreated 17th-century French
Jesuit mission to the Huron people.
Take part in a
hands-on interactive tour led by costumed interpreters. www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca
 |
| A funky whimsical elephant fountain on the wacky Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. (Barbara Fox photo) |
- Warsaw Caves:
Take the kids underground and explore caves formed thousands of years ago and discover
fossils of prehistoric sea life.
Then go for a swim
and have a picnic nearby at Selwyn Beach and enjoy a paddling expedition on the
gentle Indian River, with camping overnight at Warsaw Caves Conservation Area. www.warsawcaves.com
- Upper Canada
Village, Morrisburg: Transport the family to the 1860s and learn just how
different life was for Canadian pioneers.
See the cheese
maker and broom maker ply their trades or watch a cobbler make a pair of shoes.
www.uppercanadavillage.com
- Calypso Theme
Waterpark, Limoges: Get wet at Canada’s largest themed water park with slides
and rides for kids of every age.
Make a splash at
the toddler-friendly Zoo Lagoon or at the Pirate’s Aquaplay for older kids. For
teens, choices include North America’s highest free-standing waterslide tower. www.calypsopark.com
Raft, soar and swing
- Whitewater rafting,
Pembroke: Experience the thrill of a family whitewater adventure along the
Ottawa and Madawaska rivers.
See spectacular
scenery and wildlife, learn about ancient Aboriginal portage routes and stop
for a riverside picnic. www.owl-mkc.ca, www.riverrunrafting.com, www.wildernesstours.com
- Eaglecrest Aerial
Park, Bracebridge: Release your inner eagle and soar through the trees at the
highest adventure course in Ontario.
Tackle the beginner
to intermediate courses that offer monkey lines, flippy bridges and walking
cables. www.aerialparks.ca
- Cedar Meadows
Wilderness Park, Timmins: Meet a majestic moose and a sure-footed mountain
goat.
Get up close to the
wildlife at the 70-hectare (175-acre) forest area. Three daily tours offer a
chance to see animals from the Northern Ontario wilderness. www.timminschamber.on.ca
- Tree Top
Adventures, Goulais River, near Sault Ste. Marie: Get comfortable with a
pre-climbing orientation, then swing like Tarzan at this exhilarating treetop
obstacle course.
Climb ladders and
rock walls and navigate wobbly bridges and swinging logs. www.treetopadventures.ca
- Fly-in Fishing
Adventures, Northwestern Ontario: Take a family fishing vacation like no other
and hop aboard a float plane to a remote fishing lodge.
Fish for walleye,
northern pike and lake trout. www.ontariossunsetcountry.ca, www.great-fishing.com
Here’s the deal
The 2012 Fun Pass, distributed
in schools this month, offers kids free admission to 21 Ontario attractions
when accompanied by a paying adult or senior, said Luanne Walker of Ontario
Tourism.
Families can also
use the pass to save $2 on a daily parking permit at Ontario Parks. www.ontario.ca/funpass
There are deals in
the free Attractions Ontario Passport Magazine and Coupon Book available at
travel centres or by calling 1-800-ONTARIO.
For more family fun
information: www.ontariotravel.net/family
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
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