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Tag: vacation

  • 10 Brilliant Ontario Staycation Ideas to Enjoy This Summer

    10 Brilliant Ontario Staycation Ideas to Enjoy This Summer

    Looking for Ontario staycation ideas? We have some of the best tips for local vacations in Ontario right here. From glamping to wine tours and more. Ontario is awesome! And with the summer coming into full swing and the Ontario Staycation tax credit, Ontario staycation ideas have never been more popular.

    The temporary Ontario Staycation Tax Credit for 2022 aims to encourage Ontario families to explore the province, while helping the tourism and hospitality sectors recover from the financial impacts of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Ontario residents can claim 20% of their eligible 2022 accommodation expenses, for example, for a stay at a hotel, cottage, or campground, when filing their personal Income Tax and Benefit Return for 2022. You can claim eligible expenses of up to $1,000 as an individual or $2,000 if you have a spouse, common-law partner, or eligible children, to get back up to $200 as an individual or $400 as a family.

    With social distancing and health-conscious travel in full-effect, Ontario staycations offer a way to relax, unwind, and get a taste of what this big, beautiful province has to offer. A staycation in Ontario offers a budget-friendly alternative to international vacations. And whether you’re looking for spectacular Ontario landscapes, charming small-town bed and breakfasts, or pampered romantic getaways, this list of Ontario staycation ideas will help you plan a vacation in your own backyard.

    Lap in Rustic Luxury at an Ontario Glamping Destination
    One of the best ways to combine social distancing with an Ontario staycation is by experiencing one of the provinces incredible glamping properties. What’s glamping you ask? Well, think of luxurious camping. Most Ontario glamping properties include a secluded tent or tepee. These are usually paired with a cozy bed, outdoor kitchen, outdoor shower, and enough privacy to feel like you have the whole property to yourselves.

    And for those looking for an Ontario staycation, you’ll be excited to know that there are some absolutely incredible glamping spots in Ontario. Spots like Bartlett Lodge in Algonquin Park and Fronterra Farm in Prince Edward County offer that perfect near-local getaway. If you’re looking for something cozy but without all the luxurious trimmings, you can also consider cabins in many of the Ontario provincial parks or the tent-like yurts on offer in the Ontario National Park system. In Norfolk County, you may also want to check out Long Point Eco-Adventures.

    Sip Your Way Through an Ontario Wine Tour
    Ontario is fast becoming a great escape for wine lovers from around the world. With 4 unique wine regions, Ontario wines offer some great variety. And the vineyards in the province can offer an experience for everyone from those new to tasting right up to the complete wine snob.

    For your best wine-fueled Ontario staycation, make a choice between Prince Edward County, Niagara, or Pelee Island in the south of the province. Prince Edward County offers a quaint assortment of small towns, and two of Ontario’s best beaches. The Niagara region is home to two of the provinces wine regions, the Niagara bench, and Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries. You’ll find some of the provinces most picturesque vineyards, historic hotels, and of course, the majestic Niagara Falls.

    If you’re looking to explore a little bit of Ontario’s deep south, a trip down to Windsor-Essex and Pelee Island is the Ontario staycation for you. This unique spot in Ontario has dozens of small to mid-sized wineries with fascinating regional-specific flavours. Norfolk County is also an up-and-coming wine region that you should keep on your radar. Here are some of the top wineries and breweries in Norfolk County.

    Add a Theme to Your Ontario Staycation with These Themed Hotels
    Whether you’re looking for silly or fun, there are plenty of themed hotels in Ontario to shake off the ordinary and give you a taste of adventure. From the classic kid-friendly camp rooms of Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls to the out of this world space-themes and Rolls Royces of the Fireside Inn in Kingston, you’ll feel like you’ve travelled to a parallel universe. For a taste of something a little more classic, consider the Drake Motor Inn in Wellington. This 50’s inspired motor-inn offers the perfect escape to combine with a tour of craft breweries in the county.

    Snorkel Among Shipwrecks in Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula
    A quick look out at the blue waters of Tobermory and you’ll know why this is one of Ontario’s best staycation ideas. With its sparkling surface, you might think you’ve gone to the Caribbean.

    Just beneath the surface of Lake Huron lurks a magical wonderland of historic ships that have been scuttled or lost on the rocky bottoms of this beautiful great lake. Hundreds of shipwrecks lie on the bottom of Lake Huron. Some of them are visible from the town shores in Little Tub and Big Tub harbour. So head over to Divers Den, the local Tobermory dive shop to rent some snorkel gear. Soon you’ll be floating just a few meters above some of Ontario’s coolest shipwrecks.

    Combine your visit with a glass-bottom boat tour to Flowerpot Island. Or skip over on the Chi Cheemaun Ferry to Manitoulin Island for some of the best stargazing in Ontario at Gordon’s Park.

    Chase Waterfalls in Hamilton
    This province is blessed with some absolutely stunning waterfalls. And if you’re looking for waterfalls in Ontario, the area around Hamilton will give you the best bang for your buck. In fact, there are over a hundred waterfalls sprinkled throughout the escarpment in Hamilton. Some are big and bold such as the Devil’s Punchbowl and Webster Falls. While others are tall and elegant such as Tiffany Falls.

    You can easily make a weekend out of waterfall watching in Hamilton. And spread out the fun by taking in some of the cities great locally-run restaurants like Merit Brewing Company or Mezcal Tacos & Tequila Bar. The fun doesn’t have to end after the sun goes down either. Head over to the local Starlite drive-in and catch a double-feature. You can find this and other great drive-ins in Ontario here.

    Rent a Houseboat & Cruise the Trent Severn Waterway
    Ontario has loads of magnificent boating destinations. You can pick the Rideau Canal, the Muskoka Lakes, or even boat along the shores of one of the provinces Great Lakes. But one of the most classic Ontario staycation ideas is renting a boat and cruising the Trent Severn Waterway through some of Ontario’s best small towns.

    There’s something absolutely magical about exploring the amazing lock system in towns such as Peterborough and Fenelon Falls. Life on the water rolls at a different pace than it does on land. Getting on the water is super easy too. You just need to apply for a boater’s license (which is a lifetime license) and connect with one of the countless marina’s throughout the province to find that boat that’s perfect for your outing.

    Join One of the Amazing Food Tours in Toronto
    There’s no getting around it. Toronto is home to some of the best food in the world. Toronto is of the most culturally diverse cities on the planet. And all of these cultures have blended, harmonised, and given birth to some of the most brilliant flavours imaginable.

    Year after year new and exciting restaurants explode onto the Toronto food scene. You’ll find everything from Greek, Somali, Nepalese, and even incredible Indigenous-themed restaurants in Toronto. For one of the best Ontario staycation ideas, join one of the local food tours through local guides such as Tasty Tours, Culinary Adventure Co., and Travel Mammal to experience both the flavours and the history of the Toronto food scene.

    Live Life to its Cheesy Best at Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls
    Sometimes the best staycations in Ontario mean getting a little crazy and feeling like a kid again. And there is no place where you let your maturity slide more than on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. Along Clifton Hill you’ll find every possible form of entertainment imaginable. Wax museums, haunted houses, mirror mazes, arcades, and more. You can spend hours visiting the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum and enjoying a game of Jurassic Park mini-golf. Or take in the views of the falls from the Niagara Sky Wheel.

    If you want to make a wild weekend out of it, include dinner at the Table Rock restaurant overlooking the Falls before taking on a sunset zipline. In the morning, head down towards the Whirlpool Golf Course and brave the Niagara Adventure Course. It’s sure to get your adrenaline pumping.

    Even if cheesy fun isn’t your style, there are loads of things to do in Niagara Falls for all ages. Enjoy hiking the escarpment, picnic among the Dufferin Islands, or, you know, you can look at that little waterfall they have there too.

    Pamper Yourself at One of Ontario’s Incredible Resorts
    Sometimes, the best Ontario staycations mean getting away from it all. Tucking yourself away in a spa or resort and living in luxury for a few days. There’s no better way to tune out the world than at some of Ontario’s best resorts.

    There are a number of very popular resorts. Langdon Hall in Cambridge is a place for pampering and special occasions. Surrounded by 75-acres of forest, and with rooms that include a wood-burning fireplace, you may not want to leave. Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville offers the perfect combination for those who love to stay active, but also want a little pampering. Enjoy the great outdoors with boating, kayaking, or hiking, and follow it up with a complete spa treatment onsite.

    Take an Historic Steamship Cruise Through the Muskoka’s
    The Muskoka lakes are world-renowned for their beauty. But there’s loads of history in this part of Ontario to experience as well. By heading up to Gravenhurst, you can combine a little bit of both with a Lake Muskoka steamship cruise. Lake Muskoka Steamships has a fleet of 2 lake cruisers. One of them is the RMS Segwun, a 130-year-old steamship that’s been around almost as long as Canada has.

    You can also spend some time enjoying the beautiful Gravenhurst shorelines. Lake Muskoka Steamships also runs the Muskoka Discovery Centre which houses a fantastic museum and a flotilla of classic boats. It’s the perfect escape for the naval junkie.

  • Budget Your Way to Your Financial Goals

    Budget Your Way to Your Financial Goals

    Budgeting really isn’t that bad. Here are six easy steps to achieving your financial dreams. With a new year just over the horizon, it’s time to make a few resolutions. If you haven’t yet crafted a budget, now is the time to do so for 2018.

    Regardless of whether you want to take a trip to Hawaii, buy a fancy new set of wheels or simply save more and spend less, a budget can get you there. Following are six steps to budgeting to your financial goals.

    Step 1: Set Your Goal

    What do you want to save your money for?

    • Go on a vacation
    • Buy a house
    • Have a security blanket in the bank
    • Merely pay the bills each month, with a little left over

    Budgeting can help with every one of these goals. In addition, having a concrete goal increases your chances of sticking to the budget. Some people even look for motivation by creating dream or vision boards with photos representing their goal.

    Step 2: Track Your Expenses

    Getting a handle on where you spend money is important for two reasons:

    • It can help identify leaks in your budget. These might include the $100 a month gobbled up by daily fast-food breakfasts.
    • It can help you make a realistic budget. If you are currently spending $800 a month on groceries, budgeting for $500 is probably setting yourself up for failure.

    The old-fashioned way to track expenses is to collect receipts and keep a log of every penny you spend for the next month. However, you can make the process simpler by signing up for a free account with Mint.com. This service tracks expenses automatically and neatly categorizes them for you. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime.

    Step 3: Write it Down

    Now that you’ve tracked expenses, use those amounts as a guide to create a written budget. Whether you use an online tool, an Excel spreadsheet or a notebook and pen is up to you. But you want to have the budget recorded in a location where it can be easily accessed and changed as needed.

    It’s a good idea to always estimate your income low and expenses high. It’s better to reach the end of the month and find you have extra money in the bank than to come up short. In addition, make sure to put a name to every dollar. Maybe you finish with the monthly bills and have $200 left over. Don’t leave that as a catch-all slush fund; decide what you’re going to do with it. Maybe $100 will go into an online savings account, $50 will be an extra debt payment and $50 will be mad money.

    Step 4: Monitor Your Progress

    Once you have it written down, don’t ignore your budget. Make a point of comparing your actual expenses with your budget on a regular basis, such as each payday.

    If you’re using Mint.com, it’ll be easy to quickly see how much you’ve spent so far in each category for the month. Then, you can make adjustments as necessary. For example, if you’re budgeting $50 for clothing and have spent $75, you’ll need not only to stop buying clothes, but also to make an adjustment elsewhere in your budget to make up for the extra $25.

    On the flip side, maybe it’s the last week of the month, and you haven’t spent a dime of your entertainment budget. In that case, it’s time to make a date and have some fun!

    Step 5: Get a Coach

    Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed. A budgeting coach can help. Make sure to do your homework and find a reputable company to work with and ask about any fees. You should be able to get budgeting help for free.

    As an alternative, you can ask a money-savvy friend for help. In either case, having someone walk with you step-by-step through the budgeting process can help you make more sense of how to create a realistic spending plan for your money.

    Step 6: Stay Flexible

    Finally, your budget is a living document. Unlike your slow cooker, you shouldn’t set it and forget it. Instead, regularly evaluate it and make changes as necessary. Always blowing through the food budget? You may need to increase it and consider where else you can cut back. In addition, as your income, expenses or goals change, your budget should be adjusted to reflect your new circumstances.

    Ultimately, your budget is not about restricting money, it’s about empowering it. A good budget finally puts you in control of your dollars and allows you to dictate where money is going instead of letting silly, incidental purchases drain your bank account.