The night before heading down to the National Home Show And Canada Blooms in Toronto, we were at our friends place doing a video greeting for his moms upcoming birthday and with laughter in the air and fingers pointed at me… I confessed that I have a passion for gardening and we had to be up early in the morning to attend the show. I’m sure you couldn’t judge this book by it’s cover and every spring our small garden in the back yard is an indication as to my skills in the dirt.

We were invited down for the gala opening ceremony and we were looking forward to some complimentary breakfast and to being some of the first people to tour the shows.  This year both the National Home Show And Canada Blooms teamed up and visitors had the opportunity to be part of both shows for one low price. However it made for a ‘huge’ area to cover.

After a tasty breakfast and a brief introduction, we were guided  over to where they had constructed the ‘featured’ home (yes within the show’s building)… as Caron pointed out, it felt as if we were just off the cruise ship and herded to one of those tourist-designed tours, which always found it’s way though some straw market or souvenir shop. After some explanation as the design, functionality and general stats on the house, we headed over to the main stage for the opening tape-cutting ceremony. In attendance was someone I recall watching on tv years ago (before Home and Garden tv), Mark Cullen and it’s was indeed nice to see the man in person. Quite honestly one of the smartest men in the horticulture world IMHO. After the Mayor and attending dignitaries did their thing with the hedge clippers (no scissors here.. it’s a garden show), we were invited for a tour of the show, but in true OntarioAlive fashion, we opted to do our own thing. Here’s a video clip…

If you’re new to these types of shows, be prepared to be overwhelmed, but don’t let that hold you back from asking questions. I found all the exhibitors to be very welcoming and eager to answer our questions (and I’ve been know to be rather engaging), even though the crowds had already started to arrive. With just two hours gone after opening the place had already started to get packed, especially when the tour buses loaded with eager visitors arrived.

The show itself is huge and can be confusing, even with a map. We suggest to start at one end and try your best to make it to the other without falling into the maze-like trap it can be. You will be doing a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes and prepare yourself for crowds. Since you have access to both Canada Blooms and The National home Show, you may want to reserve a better part of an entire day from your schedule as there’s a lot to see and do. There’s no need to pack a lunch unless you want to save some money, as there are many tasty food options and the coffee isn’t too bad either.

The highlight for many seem to be the 4 “JUNO Rocks” gardens inspired by JUNO Award winning and nominated artists – Feist, Jann Arden and Keshia Chante, as well as Royal Wood and Sarah Slean. Designed in partnership with artists and landscape professionals and intended to capture the artistic spirit of each musician. In the video above you’ll notice that I made a mistake when mentioning the name of one of the celebrities (JUNO Gardens), but that just goes to show how knowledgeable I am when it comes to ‘stars”. Personally we much preferred some of the other gardens and landscapes than the JUNO appointed ones, but that’s a personal preference and nothing against the creativity shown. The assortment of tulips were also amazing, but we were a bit puzzled as to what happens to the flowers after the show. Reliable sources told us that flowers were sent to retirement homes for seniors to enjoy and those like the tulip bulbs and bigger trees were taken by the city (we assume Toronto) for reuse.

Canada blooms is a horticulturalist and hobby gardener’s’ dream and for those of you into the home “oasis”, you’ll be just as excited at the National Home Show.

For tickets, group discounts and info on the National Home Show  And Canada Blooms visit: http://www.nationalhomeshow.com

TIP: Buy tickets online and save about $3 a ticket

Direct Energy Centre (DEC)
Halls A & Heritage Court
100 Princes’ Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario

* Parking is available on-site. During the Show, surface parking can be purchased by visitors at self-service Pay & Go machines (make sure you have a credit card – no cash) in the lots or through attendants for  underground lots. $13-$15.

Additional parking is also available at Ontario Place (South side of Lakeshore Rd.) for a cost.

WINNER WANTED!

As part of our goal for 2012 to include our readers in our travels we’ve secured a wonderful prize pack to give away to one lucky person. Our friends at Frog Tape was kind enough to donate a T-Shirt, cup holder and shopping bag to be part of this wonderful prize. There’s over $100 worth of coupons and individual items and we even cover the shipping expenses to have this sent to one lucky reader.

How To Win!

All you have to do is tell us what’s your favorite post so far from our travels in Ontario, in the comment section below and your name will be automatically entered to win. Yea.. It’s that simple.

There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube channel and leave a comment  there. We don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell us what you like about the website.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the prize pack…

- contest is open to everyone globally (even if you won something here before)

- there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

- 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

- contest is open from March 21 – to midnight March 31.

- winners will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

- the winners will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

- we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as we would really like to mail this wonderful prize pack out to you. It’s simple, free and it’s always nice to be a winner.
Good Luck!

Kudos to the people at the Food Network for raising the culinary bar on food shows in Ontario, with the Delicious Food Show this past weekend at the Better Living Centre in Toronto. Caron and I were invited to the gala opening last Thursday night and from the time we stepped onto the posh pink carpet, the inner VIP in us revealed itself… I even got a chance to whisper in the ear of Julia Childs (Miss Conception). She not only greeted attendees with her bubbly personality (could be the glasses of vino?) and huge smile, she took time for the paparazzi  in us to catch a pic or two.

We’ve been to a number of food and wine shows in the region, but this is the first time we saw the true potential of all that Ontario has to offer when it comes to the culinary industry. Unlike other shows where there always seem to be more focus on ‘wine’ than other aspects of the culinary landscape, the Delicious Food Show was a very comprehensive  presentation for food lovers. In a welcoming environment where celebrity chefs and everyday foodies enjoyed beverages, tasty treats and good conversation. I believe there were also live cooking demonstrations, but with ‘sampling’ to be done.. our focus was elsewhere.

Speaking about celebrity chefs, we got the opportunity to meet and chat with Mark McEwan (I’m a huge fan of his work), Corbin Tomaszeski (you’ll see a pic below with Carom and Corbin) and Rob Rainford. BTW though these guys are classed as celebrities, they’re very approachable and took time to chat with us briefly. Mark even jokingly tried to get me to purchase 10 of his books.

Armed with something for everyone, even those concerned about “gluten free”, “organic”, “eco friendly” and “biodegradable” the Delicious Food Show is not just for the everyday foodie like myself. From booth to booth you’re captivated by something or the other. Be it the launch of the individual pie maker, the largest selection of hand carved pepper mills we’ve ever seen or the playful antics of the two Italian guys at the espresso station (check the video), you’re sure to fill the free reusable shopping bags which were handed out on entry with some goodies.

Being the opening night we went with the expectation that there would be a huge crowd and from what we saw waiting when we arrived to pick up our media passes, we were spot-on! However even during the peak hours, it didn’t seem crowded or did we see overly long lines for sampling. The layout, wide aisles and what seemed like specific placement of booths giving out samples allowed for an even and steady flow of guest traffic. The longest line was probably the one where the guy was shucking oysters… where else in the city were you about to get freshly shucked oysters at a price everyone could afford? FREE! I could see the disappointment on the fella’s face when people would top their oyster with hot sauce, cocktail sauce or anything else. I could hear him repeating to samplers “don’t add any topping, they’re best naked”… no one paid him much attention.

By far the most floor space were dedicated to cakes (especially cup cakes which to be quite honest – it’s time for that fad to die) and chocolates. Don’t get me wrong, they were very delicious and the creativity was simply amazing, especially the the ones which were shaped like designer pumps (shoes)… but I was more impressed with the variety of exotic sauces, wines and not to be outdone… the caramel apples (first time in all my years I had this) which were amazing.

The exhibits, demonstrations, sampling and overall spirit of the Delicious Food Show was truly unmatched from our personal point of view. Hey we even got to meet celebrities!

To learn more about the Food Network’s Delicious Food Show in Toronto, check out their website and make plans (mark it on your calendar) to visit the show next year. When I’m sure they’ll come out even bigger and better than this year’s show.

For tickets see : http://deliciousfoodshow.com/tickets

It only took 21 years before my first visit to the Toronto Zoo and I’m still kicking myself for having waited this long for my first visit. A couple weeks ago we took the drive down to the Toronto Zoo and what an amazing time we had… but tiring. The last time Caron had been here was back when she was in primary school, so it was like a new experience for both of us. Indy and Kieana were once again too cool to travel with us and Tehya was halfway between San Diego and San Fransisco on her Diners Drive-ins and Dives road tour. So this meant we could hold hands while we explored all that the Toronto Zoo had to offer without any cheeky remarks by them.

After checking in with guest services at the main gates I was about to start taking pictures as I would normally do for the post, plus it seems every corner there was a new and exciting opportunity for a picture.. after 5 pics I had the dreaded “insert memory card”. Guess who forgot the memory card on the laptop where I was editing pics from our trip to Niagara Falls? I could tell that Caron was secretly chuckling away, thinking..”this time it’s not me… HA!” We tried the gift shops, but all they had were disposable film cameras (yea I too was surprised they still made those). So I must apologize for the lack of pics in this post, but you’ll find some neat videos below. Additionally you can check out the You Tube Channel where we’ve uploaded about 8 videos from our trip to the zoo… who knows maybe you’re in one of them?

The parking lot is huge so after going through the main entrance (don’t be alarmed when you don’t get a parking stub or don’t think parking is free either) you may find attendants guiding you to the current vacant area they’re trying to fill. As Caron mentions in the video clip below, do take note of which section you’re parked in and do remember to pay for parking as you enter the main gates (ticket booths). It’s $10 and you’ll be given a plastic swipe card which you’ll use on exit to get out. If you didn’t already reserve tickets online, here is also where you purchase tickets to actually enter the zoo. I think for a couple dollars more you can secure tickets for the Stingray Bay area (more on that shortly).

After using the bathroom (left side as you enter), we grabbed a map to get our bearings and to plan how we’d be spending the day. There’s a beautiful carousel (see in the video above) just before the main gift shop on the left side as you approach the area where one can get rides on a camel for a small fee.  The kids really seem to be enjoying the rides, but we didn’t stick around to give it  a try.

Rather than document everything we did, I’ll briefly touch on what stood out for us as well as some tips from making the most of your day at the Toronto Zoo. The management and staff are really big on environmental and conservation issues and this was quite clear by the recycling bins we saw everywhere, breeding and reintroduction efforts (saw a number of baby animals), extensive plant collection, The Ice Bear storage technology (stores energy at night, when demand on the grid is low), use of geothermal exhibits and a simple thing as a straw (for drinking) could not be found in any of the restaurants or food service areas. We were told that they don’t have straws, since they were dangerous to the animals.

As we worked our way through the Australasia exhibit not only were we captivated and mesmerized by the movement of the Moon Jellyfish, we had to laugh when we saw the pot bellied sea horses. Sea horses are already funny looking, so you can imagine how they stood out with their little pot bellies. Next up was Stingray Bay, where for a small fee (couple $$) you can go pet stingrays and and sharks. After a quick introduction by staff, you then wash your hands from the elbow down, before being allowed to put your hands into the huge tank. Though Caron chickened-out, I could not resist. That’s one check for my do-to list!

It was about 1 pm when we finally got to some of the bigger animals like the cats and with the heat of the midday sun directly above us, most of them were hidden in the shade keeping cool and napping. So my advice is to get there as early as you can to see the big cats in action. After catching the freaky Capybara in action, we caught the flamingos and their brilliant plumage, then it was on to the polar bears and Przewalski’s horses. These beautiful horses are some of the only remaining wild horses in existence. I came with the intention to see the elephants, penguins and rhinoceros and I got my full share of them. However the penguins were huddled in a corner and wasn’t as impressive as I hope they’d be. The effects of the day’s heat was apparent.  All Caron could talk about was seeing the giraffe which were not only majestic, but had a  sort had a sort of clumsy grace when they ran. Caron was also looking forward to the zebras and we were lucky enough to see them in full view even though it was hot and most of the other big animals were seeking the refuge of shade.

We then stopped for a cool drink and to cool off a bit as it was extremely hot, before heading  to the Gorilla rain forest exhibit. Early we took time off the animal watching to head back to the car where we had packed a lunch in a cooler. Leaving the cooler in the car was our choice as you are allowed to pack a picnic and enter the park with it, if you so desired. Though there are food station (restaurants) littered throughout the park if you’re traveling as a group, you may want to pack a lunch. As it can be a bit expensive.

The African rain forest is without a doubt our favorite area within the Toronto Zoo. From the wonderful assortment of fish, to the pygmy hippo and the way they mimic the rain forest with the temperature, greenery and overall feel.. you think you are indeed in the African rain forest during the time you’re in this indoor exhibit. I looked for Jane Goodall around every corner. This is also where Caron got pretty emotional. The Gorillas were not in the indoor area so we headed out to see them, plus Caron is not a fan of bugs and sakes and she wanted out.

The enclosed area where the gorillas were was like a giant jungle-gym… swings , ropes, ladders, platforms and though we really appreciated the efforts the zoo takes to make these animals not only very comfortable but available to us, as I mentioned Caron got a bit emotional. She stood there watching the gorillas in action and she mentioned that when one of them looked her directly in the eyes all she could see were human eyes. A sort of sudden sadness came over her she explained and she just could not leave this area. I too got caught up with the gorillas and I must say that though I have no love for monkeys, these massive creatures now rank among my favorite animals. The African Rain Forest exhibit alone, is well worth the price of admission to the Toronto Zoo.

Some tips and observations…

- there are bathrooms and emergency phone throughout the park

- there are signs everywhere so it’s hard to get lost (plus you can gets maps on entry)

- it’s a huge area, so be prepared for lots of walking

- if you don’t want to walk you can always get the $7.50 pass which will get you on the zoomobile (bus which takes you around to the different exhibits)

- there are picnic areas if you choose to pack a lunch

- on a sunny day you will need a lot of water, hat  and sun block (there are vending machines throughout the park for drinks as well as water fountains)

- zoo staff is everywhere and always ready to answer your questions (don’t be shy)

Don’t be like us and take 20 years before your visit to the Toronto Zoo. It will be a fun-filled day where you’ll be able to get up and personal with animals (many endangered) from just about every corner of the globe.

Toronto Zoo Times:

Dates                               Hours                                               Last Admission
May 21 – Sep 5            9:00 am – 7:30 pm                      6:30 pm
Sep 6 – Oct 10             9:00 am – 6:00 pm                      5:00 pm
Oct 11 – Dec 31           9:30 am – 4:30 pm                       3:30 pm
Admission Prices:

General Admission (ages 13 – 64)     $23.00 ($20.35 + $2.65 HST)
Senior (ages 65+)     $17.00 ($15.04 + $1.96 HST)
Child (ages 4 – 12)     $13.00 ($11.50 + $1.5 HST)
Child (ages 3 & younger)     FREE

Your admission includes access to all pavilions, exhibits and daily shows excluding any separately ticketed events, rides and exhibits.

Full list of animals at the Toronto Zoo, go to:
http://www.torontozoo.com/ExploretheZoo/Animals.asp

Toronto Zoo
361A Old Finch Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M1B 5K7

Phone: 416-392-5929

Before you go we’d love for you to leave us your comments below, even if it’s just to say hello. And don’t forget to join us on FaceBook (for our latest updates, including discounts, coupons and more pictures from the Toronto Zoo) and do tune in to our videos (escapades) on the youtube channel we’ve created.

Good food, fast and cheap.. does it still exist? The answer turns out to be one of the best Vietnamese dining experience in Hamilton. Pho Dau Bo Restaurant‎ on Cannon street east in Hamilton serves up some of the most authentic Vietnamese (and what we think is Thai as well) food in the area and from all the awards we saw proudly displayed on the walls, it seems they’re being recognized for this.
A fairly simple restaurant on the inside, with basic table and chairs in a brightly lit room, with constant chatter from many diners who all seem to be in a satisfied state. We’ve been here for lunch, early dinner and this night we were here for a late dinner and we’re yet to find any faults (food, service or price). You’ve got to admire the work that goes into keeping things constant for customers, no matter how busy the restaurant itself gets. It was about 8.30 when we arrived and we were quite surprised to see a constant flow on customers, even when we were leaving about 90 minutes later.

You’re greeted by the lovey aroma of freshly brewed lemon grass tea as you make your way through the doors and as you take your seat a piping hot pot is brought to your table with little cups which could easily do double-duty as “shot” glasses in a bar. The pot of tea is complimentary and not only refreshing with it’ sort of earthy lemon flavor, but quite calming. After a long stressful day, this would certainly create the mood for a relaxing dinner with some exotic flair.

I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing or a result from the restaurant being somewhat busy, but I’ve also experienced the same sort of service in China Town in Toronto…  it’s one of those services where you know you have a waiter and they’re there, but not over bearing. The odd time you may have to search them out if you need something.

Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the menu as it’s HUGE, with well over 100 items to choose from. The good news is that with so many options there’s no way you can’t find something you won’t love. Plus it gives you good reason to keep visiting. The menu itself is in English and many of the popular dishes comes with pictures to really give you an idea of how the final dish will look.

Every time we dine at Pho Dau Bo it’s like a new experience for me, as I try different items on the menu. The rest in our group usually sticks to their favorites. This time I opted for the noodles, with crisp vegetables (Asian vegetables) stir fried with a wonderful, but spicy Asian sauce. Topped with plump shrimp and slices of chicken. I’m not a huge fan of noodles, as rice is usually my first choice, but I’m so glad I decided to give this a try. It will be very hard for me to choose another dish the next visit.

Caron and Tehya started off with an order of CHẢ GIÒ (2 pieces) Vietnamese Style Spring Rolls with Salad, which was $3.75 I believe. They then shared the main course of PAD THÁI TÔM VÀ GÀ “Pad Thai” Stir Fried Rice Noodle with Chicken & Shrimp which was $9.00. Yes, the platter type plates you get served on, comes heaping with food so it’s more than enough to share if you so desire. I believe that Toni also had the same order.

Marko opted for his normal order of Sauteed Beef & Rice (#477.) CÔM BÒ XÀO XÃ ỚT Which is basically steamed rice with sauteed beef and lemongrass, which  goes for $8.00

Caron and Tehya were really not into the lemon grass tea, so they both ordered a coke, which by the way does not come with free refills.

[View with PicLens]

Overall the food is very attractive looking, fresh and full of flavors that’s not overwhelming. Caron is only just coming out of her “shell” as far as dining and trying different foods and she’s quite captivated by the offerings at Pho Dau Bo Restaurant‎. If you’re looking for good, cheap food that’s not only very filling but very tasty, you definitely have to give Pho Dau Bo Restaurant‎ a try. There’s free parking at the front of the building, which is well lit and as I mentioned earlier, it’s open somewhat late.

Pho Dau Bo Restaurant‎

15 Cannon Street East
Hamilton, ON
(905) 525-0100

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