Is your collar pulled high, hat tugged low? Get your mittens out of the chest. It's time for a winter walk. And according to the weather specialists, winter's almost here. Take a long deep breath of the cold, nose-prickling air and pack a thermos of warming hot chocolate. There are places rural and urban to walk on a winter's day. If you're out in the forest, pick a well-marked trail and maybe lay a virtual trail of bread-crumbs by marking your trail with coloured tape. My brother who is a hiker extraordinaire, decorates some of his winter walks with small ornaments or bells that he's bought at the dollar store. it's quite magical to see them there.
Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Toronto's Kipling and Lakeshore area is a wonderous place to visit in any season. Extending out into Lake Ontario, it's home to a marina, a bird sanctuary, and places for a brave dog to swim. Trails through a variety of trees and plants lead to a network of paths through Humber College. It's delightful to see what the college has done with the buildings of the old Ontario Asylum, once located on the grounds of what is now Sam Smith Park. It will soon be cold enough to take advantage of the Toronto's only ice skating trail located here. Skaters can lace up in the Power House Recreation Centre. This 19th-century red brick building once piped warmth to the adjacent asylum. It is now restored with its brick smokestack cathedral celings and three-storey windows intact.