$600 Per Night Luxury Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

Luxury Hotel Review | Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel by Marriott

I always wanted to spend a night at the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel, which is known for its stunning views. An opportunity was presented when I got a deal from Marriott – so I didn’t have to pay the full prices. 

When I checked in on Friday, my penthouse room on the 35th floor was going for $600 or more. Once I was inside the room, I came to the conclusion that it was worth paying for just for the view.

In the lobby or other areas of the hotel, it looks like just another Marriott hotel for $200 per night. However, when you get in the room and see the view, that makes the stay worthwhile.

I had a full lake view overlooking the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Airport, the pristine blue waters of Lake Ontario, and you even have far-off, shimmering views of Niagara Falls and the US border. On my right side I also had a partial downtown Toronto city view, including the CN Tower. It was like the best views of all sides.

The fun part was watching planes landing and taking off and seeing cruise boats and other boats crossing the waters. I did several timelapses and videos for my YouTube Channel. 

The sunrise and sunset added an extra charm to the views and they were awe-inspiring. At night, the views totally changed. The Islands had some lights in the evening, but later on only a few lights remained. The airport runway looked amazing with all the different colored lights.

I was content having lots of photo and video opportunities in such a short time. I hope to return to the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto Hotel again in the future when an opportunity presents itself. 

Cottage Country Canada Trip | Huntsville and Orillia, Muskoka, Ontario

Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario Trip | Cottage Country Travel, Canada

I am back from my cottage country trip to Huntsville and Orillia. It was a 3-day trip full of activities and excitement.

I was busy the whole time documenting my travel experience, which is available under the below YouTube Travel Playlist I created for this trip. This playlist will feature travel videos from Canada's popular cottage country locations in Huntsville (Muskoka) and Orillia (Simcoe County).

Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge

I visited Huntsville and Orillia, popular cottage country destinations in Ontario, Canada.

Huntsville – Located in the famed cottage country district of Muskoka, Huntsville is the largest by population and land area.

Huntsville is a vibrant small town nestled amongst many lakes and the iconic Algonquin Provincial Park. Huntsville is located 215 km or 134 miles north of Toronto.

I visited Lions Lookout, the Muskoka Heritage Place Train Ride, Stubb’s Falls in Arrowhead Park, and the Town Dock waterfront in downtown Huntsville.

Orillia – The birthplace of famous Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, Orillia is located in central Ontario – just 1.5 hours from Toronto.

Known as the sunshine city, Orillia is nestled between two lakes and is a popular tourist destination. A large waterfront and Casino Rama are some of the many attractions in Orillia.

I visited Couchiching Beach Park, the Port of Orillia, Mariposa Market, and the Orillia Peter Street Arts District in Orillia.

This 3-day trip was like a warm-up trip, as I have a bigger 1-month trip to Asia coming up shortly. You can follow all these trips on my YouTube Channel right here: www.YouTube.com/ADawn

Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario Trip | Cottage Country Travel

Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge

My trip to the cottage country in Ontario, Canada will begin in a day. This will be my first trip within Canada this year (2022).

I have created a YouTube Travel Playlist for this trip, which will feature travel videos from Canada's popular cottage country locations in Huntsville (Muskoka) and Orillia (Simcoe County).

I am trying different formats and styles of videos in this playlist. There will be short-length videos, some long videos, and lots of YouTube Shorts.

The Trip Challenge is to post as many updates as possible throughout the trip. For this reason, I am taking my laptop. My goal is to stop over here and there to post fresh videos. However, due to circumstances and network availability, I may not be able to update anything.

The reason for this Cottage Country Canada Trip Challenge is to take lessons and design my upcoming trip to Asia next month, which is an even bigger and longer trip.

I will have to drive about 3 hours to reach my first destination and I am hoping to stop over somewhere in the middle and publish a quick post.

As of now, it looks like I got some favourable weather and it is expected to be sunny and warm, hovering around 25° C (77° F). Although this is hot, but it’s nowhere near the weather in Dhaka, which has a hot and humid tropical climate.

January is the coolest month in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with temperatures averaging near 26 C (78 F), which is their winter but the same temperature as summer in Canada.

You can follow all these trips on my YouTube Channel right here: www.YouTube.com/ADawn

What Are the Best places to Visit in Toronto For Free?

Top 3 Free Things to Do in Toronto

My top three best things to do in Toronto list is different than what you may come across on most other top tourist spots in Toronto recommendations. Notably, I eliminated crowded tourist landmarks such as CN Tower, museums, and many other tourist hot spots.

Rather, my top picks are where no one usually goes, compared to other top visited attractions, and you will find hidden gems in these top three picks. All these top picks are kid friendly and virtually free. Let’s begin.

Toronto Islands

The Toronto Islands, also known as the Island, or Toronto Island Park, are a chain of 15 small islands located in Lake Ontario, a short 13-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto. The 3 most popular islands are Centre Island, Ward Island, and Hanlan’s Point.

On the Islands, you’ll find sandy swimming beaches (including a Clothing Optional Beach on Hanlan's Point), bike, canoe and kayak rentals, a marina, sports & park facilities, big grass fields for picnics, a theatre, nature trails, a fire station, and some residents. 

Visit my detailed How to Go to The Toronto Islands for more on this.

The Tall Ship Kajama

One of the best Toronto boat cruises is on a 165-foot-tall ship Schooner leaving from Toronto’s downtown Harbourfront.

I find the price of $35 to be a great value for sailing on Toronto Harbour and Lake Ontario. They even go close to the Islands, fire a canon, and sing. There is a mini bar offering drinks, snacks, and food. Washrooms are clean.

Overall, I recommend this tour. Employees are very friendly as well. Visit Kajama Tall Ship - Toronto Boat Cruise for more on this.

Trillium Park

Trillium Park is located next to Ontario Place in Toronto. It is a stunning urban waterfront park.

It has the best views for both sunrises and sunsets and offers an unobstructed view of the CN Tower and Toronto skyline. Regrettably, many Torontonians have never heard of Trillium Park.

Visit Trillium Park Toronto for more on this.

Do You Need a License to Drive a Boat in Canada? | How to Get A Boating License (PCOC)

What is Required to Operate a Boat in Canada | Who Can Drive A Boat?

What Is A Boating License (PCOC)?

In Canada, the term boating license, boat operator card, or card refer to PCOC, which stands for Pleasure Craft Operator Card.

PCOC looks like a driver's license or a credit card and has the same thickness and made of the same material as a credit card, except it doesn't have an expiration date.

Who Is Required to Carry a PCOC?

Any person operating a powered watercraft on any Canadian waters is required to carry a PCOC. The term “powered watercraft” means any watercraft that has any kind of motor, so as long as your watercraft has an electric motor or any type of motor you have to carry a PCOC. This is the law in all Canadian provinces.

How to Get My PCOC

There are two aspects of it. You have to finish an online course provided by Transport Canada-accredited course providers and once you finish this course, you have to take the PCOC exam provided by Transport Canada.

You will get a link to the PCOC exam from your course provider and usually it's under one package, both the course and the actual exam.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a PCOC?

If you search online by PCOC, you will come up with many results. There are many course providers who can give you the PCOC and they're all accredited by Transport Canada. The prices range from $20 to $50 and some of them give you just one attempt on the exam and some of them give you as many attempts as you need.

So when you're purchasing the course, just make sure that it meets your needs and you are getting the best value because at the end it's the same PCOC.

PCOC Pro Tips

You can get a PCOC just by studying online and taking the exam, even without putting a foot on a boat. But what I recommend is that to finish the intro to boating or intro to power boarding course, because this course teaches you how to operate a boat and the basics of the boat, which you definitely require.

Taking the PCOC doesn't really mean anything because it doesn't teach you how to drive a boat; it only teaches you the rules and regulations you need to follow on the water and the basic elements of a boat.

My recommendation before renting any boat is that you take the intro to powerboating or intro to boating course where they offer this type of course and it's not too expensive. This course will teach you how to operate a boat, how to turn, how to stop, how to park your boat, how to reverse a boat and all the basics you need to know before you actually rent or buy a boat and start exploring.