Toronto Offers Plenty of Family Fun This Summer

Toronto is a major, world-class city perfect as a family destination.
Maxxim Vacations is offering three Ontario fly-drive packages which can be taken individually, or combined should a family have more time.

A 3-night Toronto "Fabulous Family Fun" package includes some of Toronto's top family attractions. Even non-hockey fans will enjoy The Hockey Hall of Fame, with over 57,000 square feet of interactive games and the finest collection of hockey artifacts from around the world.

Paramount Canada's Wonderland features more than 200 attractions, more than 60 thrill rides, North America's greatest variety of roller coasters and Splash Works, a 20-acre water park.
Optional family attractions include Casa Loma, Toronto's famous castle that looks as though it is straight out of a fairy tale, or perhaps the Royal Ontario Museum's dinosaur exhibit. Other carnivores - lions, tigers and bears for starters - await at the Toronto Zoo.

Family-friendly prices for this 3-night package are from US$2,149, based on two adults and two children sharing, including round-trip airfare from Chicago to Toronto via Air Canada. Also included: three nights' accommodations at a kid-friendly hotel and admissions to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic Spirit and Paramount Canada's Wonderland.

Departures from Atlanta, Boston or New York are priced at US$2,459, from Los Angeles at US$2,609 and from Miami at US$2,699. There are daily departures year round.

"Beaches, Boats & Bicycles" takes you on an old-fashioned type of vacation at Elmhirst's Resort, located just 90 minutes east of Toronto on the north shore of Rice Lake. This unique colony of lakeside cottages began as a humble fishing camp for American families and developed a European following as it creates outdoor adventure opportunities for free spirits.

Spread over 240 acres, the resort, still family owned and operated, caters to an international market year-round. The fields are grazed by Black Angus beef cattle, bred and raised for the dining room; free-range chicken produce eggs for the kitchen; vegetable and herb gardens provide the freshest produce; and the greenhouse features and array of flowering plants.

Activities include horseback riding, guided ATV and snowmobile safaris, sightseeing flights and exploring biking, hiking and ski trails. Also available are indoor and outdoor pools, tennis and waterfront sports including canoeing, kayaking and power boating.

Comfortable country-style cottages offer wood-burning fireplaces and private outdoor deck and dock. You can enjoy a barbecue on your deck-or dine in the Pub or Hearthside Room.

Family prices for this 4-night package are from US$2,869, based on two adults and two children sharing. Included are round-trip airfare from Chicago to Toronto via Air Canada, four nights' cottage rental at Elmhirst Resort, mid-size car rental with unlimited mileage and admission to local attractions.

Departures from Atlanta, Boston or New York are priced at US$3,179, from Los Angeles at US$3,329 and from Miami at US$3,419. There are daily departures year round.

"Magic and Mist" is a family getaway to Niagara Falls, less than a two-hour drive from Toronto, where nearly 800,000 gallons of water per second thunder over a 187-foot drop. Other popular attractions include a museum of daredevils who have challenged the mighty falls, world-famous gardens and a conservatory full of free-flying butterflies.

This 2-night package is priced from US$849 per person (based on double occupancy). It includes round-trip airfare from Chicago to Toronto via Air Canada, two nights' accommodations in a select downtown hotel and three-day mid-size car rental with unlimited mileage. Also included is a "Maid of the Mist" boat tour and admission to Marine Land.

Departures from Atlanta, Boston or New York are priced at US$929, from Los Angeles at US$969 and from Miami at US$989, all per person. Departures are daily, year round.

For reservations and additional information, call Maxxim Vacations, at (800) 567-6666, or visit www.maxximvacations.com.

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