March 30, 2017

Discovering Hidden Gems

reptilia zoo
In celebration of Canada's 150th birthday, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) is launching a fun contest to find the top 150 hidden travel gems in our country. IHG® sponsored this hotel stay and my participation in this campaign. All opinions and thoughts expressed our my own. 

While staying at Holiday Inn Express and Suites Vaughan-Southwest, we explored a few gems in the area that we think every family will enjoy visiting! These attractions are educational, exciting, and fun for everyone in the family. 
reptilia zoo
Visiting the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival is the best way to tap into Spring; it makes us anticipate the upcoming beautiful weather! Kortright Centre is a few minutes from Holiday Inn Express and Suites Vaughan-Southwest. 
It is fabulous to take a stroll and explore how maple syrup was discovered as sweetwater by the Aboriginal peoples, then how Pioneers made maple syrup, and a demonstration of how sap is turned into syrup by modern day farmers. 
kortright sugarbush maple syrup
This year the festival will be running until April 2nd. When we were at Kortright, we also got to participate and interact with the Reptilia exhibit, Live Birds of Prey interactions, live band, face painting, and wagon rides. There are lots of activities to do at Kortright Centre throughout the year.
reptilia zoo
Reptilia Zoo is a fantastic indoor attraction to visit anytime of the year, while staying at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Vaughan-Southwest. As we went into the 15,000 square foot exhibit, we were overcome with a variety of emotions from excitement, curiosity, admiration and even a little bit of fear. Reptilia Zoo is Canada's largest reptile zoo. We can check out the exhibits on our own or take a guided tour. Watch the below video to take a peek... 
They have live shows hosted by enthusiastic and knowledgeable zookeepers throughout the day where we get to learn about the amazing creatures, and get a chance to feel and touch them. We can watch the zookeepers at work as they prepare meals in the Creature Kitchen, and during four public feedings. It was a marvelous experience seeing the 1200 lbs. crocodile, 20 feet python, 14 feet king cobra, and more. Our experience at the Reptilia Zoo was an unforgettable one!
kortright sugarbush maple syrup
This IHG® hotel location is also close to Vaughan Mills Mall, Legoland Discover Center, lots of restaurants, and Canada's Wonderland
holiday inn express vaughan southwest
We enjoy our stays at IHG® hotels because of their courteous staff, proximity to different attractions, and clean rooms with amenities that make the stay feel at home. These hotels are ideal when travelling for business or pleasure. There are 177 hotels and 31 more coming under the IHG® brand that we can choose to stay at when exploring these destinations and making memories.
kortright sugarbush maple syrup
Contest:
Celebrate Canada by sharing your hidden gem and win IHG® Rewards Club points to use towards your ultimate Canadian getaway. 
  • Grand Prize: 1 million IHG® Rewards Club points on May 31st, 2017
  • 1st Runner Up: 50,000 IHG® Rewards Club points drawn on March 31st, 2017
  • 2nd Runner Up: 50,000 IHG® Rewards Club points drawn on April 30th, 2017
At the end of the contest, we will be able to see the top 150 destinations Canadians from coast to coast have shared that will inspire summer travel.

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27 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing these wonderful pics.
    Love

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  2. I loved seeing the maple syrup process both as a child and as an adult. Thanks for the info on the great looking hotel brand too.
    jan

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  3. what a great contest, and lovely pics!

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  4. So proud to be Canadian. So much for celebrations all across Canada! I would love to visit Canada's Wonderland!

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  5. Looks nice. We are going to TO this summer. I am excited to start our canadian getaway!

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  6. Beautiful stops to visit. Should be no problem finding gems in Canada.
    Florence Cochrane

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  7. The Reptilia Zoo looks really neat. I know my kids would be amazed by it.

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  8. amazing photos so proud that Canada has so many beautiful attractions

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  9. So many fun attractions, I would love to see the reptiles, they scare me but I still love them!!

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  10. Awesome! Lots of great hidden gems to discover :-)

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  11. What beautiful horses,,great pics and sounds wonderful!

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  12. We're looking forward to enjoying Canada's 150th birthday celebrations. There are so many wonderful attractions.

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  13. I didn't know about that place, and it's so close to where I live!

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  14. Oh I have a lot of childhood memories of Kortright! Fantastic post!

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  15. The pictures are wonderful!-Linda

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  16. It looks like such a lovely place to visit.

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  17. Beautiful Photo! How I miss Maple Syrup from back home! I'm so proud to be Canadian. Beautiful photo.

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  18. What a great looking place for a getaway! There is so much to see and do (and learn!!)

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  19. Looks like a lot of fun! Great photos!

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  20. Very cool. Those horses are gorgeous.
    jan

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  21. These all sound like fun places...well, maybe not the Reptilia one...

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  22. Thanks for sharing all this information and the beautiful photos

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  23. Canada has some wonderfully rich history! Thank you for sharing.

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  24. I would love to visit all those places, except for the reptile zoo... I love the IHG promotion - can't wait to see the final list of hidden gems!

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  25. There are so many wonderful things to see in Canada, and it's especially nice when they are near where you're staying, like the ones you describe here.

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  26. I would love to visit the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival, that would be marvellous. Canada certainly has a lot to offer not all of which are hidden gems. There is beauty all over in every single province.

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  27. I would love to see the completed list of the 150 hidden gems in Canada! My boys have been asking to go to LegoLand. We have to go.

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Thank you for commenting :)