Mama’s Day Al Fresco

Picnic: a pleasure excursion at which a meal is often eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful spot such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view.
And what better way to spend Mother’s Day than on a pleasure excursion (weather permitting, fingers crossed) with beautiful surroundings—the most beautiful, of course, being your beloved family?

We asked Nathalie Prézeau, author of Toronto Fun Places and Toronto park expert, to help us choose the top five destinations for a Mother’s Day treat. She recommends asking another family to join you for a picnic so that the kids can play together, the dads can watch the kids (ahem, it’s Mother’s Day) and moms can chat as they enjoy the view, while nibbling and sipping on refreshments.

HtO Park
For an urban picnic, this small beach is über cool with its yellow umbrellas and the huge CN Tower in the background. Kids won’t be able to swim in this section of the lake, but they can certainly get their feet wet. The Toronto Music Garden, located just west of it, is worth exploring also.
Park It: Consider nearby Marina Quay West’s parking lot, usually around $10 for the day.

Woodbine Beach
Try to do a late picnic at Woodbine Beach to catch the gorgeous light as the sun sets. This is the section of The Beaches waterfront where the beach widens and the sand becomes finer (past the volleyball nets). The best spot is by the water near the large rocks. The whole section beyond these rocks is lots of fun for the kids to explore (preferably with dad), while mom relaxes.
Park It: If the parking lot at Ashbridges Bay Park is full, you can always drop off the gang at the parking lot and try The Beach Cinemas’ lot off Eastern, just east of Woodbine.