The World's Largest Collection of Lilacs is at Ontario's Royal Botanical Gardens
Burlington / Hamilton, Ontario - Head west from Toronto on the Queen Elizabeth Hwy and if it's late spring, in about an hour you can enjoy strolling through the world's largest collection of lilacs. The Royal Botanical Gardens features more than 800 varieties of this fabulously fragant flower. The best time to plan to visit this National Historic Site for the lilacs is late May, during the Lilac Festival, when the scent and color of the lilacs are peaking and you can enjoy special tours and demonstrations. Most lilacs are shrubs, except Japanese tree lilacs and Peking lilacs, which can grow as high as 18.5 metres/60 feet. Here, in the Lilac Dell and along the RBG's introductory Lilac Walk, the bushes are kept to 1.8-2.8 (6-9 feet), so they can be fully enjoyed when you wander among them. In late June and early July the Gardens' two acres of roses will be in bloom. Photo courtesy RBG
Where: The gardens are located at 680 Plains Road West on the border between Burlington and Hamilton, halfway between Toronto and Niagara Falls. The RBG Centre (open year round with a restaurant and gift shop) is the hub. While in the area you can enjoy the waterfront in downtown Burlington, and also consider also including a visit to the Art Gallery of Hamilton, which has one of the finest collections in Canada. In the region you'll also find Dundurn Castle - a National Historic Site that was once owned by ancestors of Camilla Parker Bowels, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. At the Hamilton International Airport you can find the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, which has the only operational Lancaster in North America.
In the News: Peak lilac viewing is expected to be on the last two weekends in May and the first one in June. Special tours, demonstrations and live music is planned during the 'Lilac Festival'. The RBG has five gardens areas, four nature sanctuaries and 30 km of walking trails. The Lilac Dell is at the Arboretum which is services by free double-decker shuttle bus on the grounds.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
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