Copyright 2006 Jason Seib
Remember The Sound of Music?
We'd be lying if we said you could catch a glimpse of Austria in Burlington, Ontario but this Canadian city has its own version of the sound of music. The festival is held in the summer and we don't think you'd hear the strains of Edelweiss in the air, but how about popular rock bands like The Trews, Sloan, Out of Options, and David Usher? Your teenager would probably love to go to Burlington just for this festival.
Beautiful Burlington is just an hour's drive from Toronto and Niagara Falls, and it's waiting for you and the rest of the clan, because like most sophisticated cities that don't really want to blow their own horn, it is delightfully cosmopolitan if that's your cup of tea, and it is also country'ish and serene, the way others like it.
Or it can be flowery and shrubbery - for botanical lovers. Burlington is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens, admittedly one of North America's largest. And if the wild beckons your soul, the Bronte Creek Provincial Park should offer a breath of fresh air. If you're a confirmed hiker, Burlington has hiking paths and nature trails.
If you have time to spare on the weekend, drop by Village Square and amber along Artists Walk where about 40 artisans will be displaying their craft from Friday to Sunday all summer. To cool off, the Waterfront in the downtown core will welcome you with its water jet fountain, playground, waterside restaurant and observatory.
Jazz and blues are available, and so are ribs. Just ask for the Rotary Ribfest. If you've come for a culture treat, the Museums of Burlington would hardly disappoint even the most critical of art critics. If you tend to focus on things historical, visit the Joseph Brant museum for bits and pieces of Burlington history and stimulate all five senses with Canadiana costumes and accessories.
Want to know the latest in broadcasting techniques and equipment? The Crossroads Centre is the place to go. It is supposed to house the most refined TV production centres in the world.
A visit to Burlington won't be complete without the usual scenic drive. There are several ways to do it. You can start from East Lakeshore and zig zag your way until Oakville, or start at Beach Drive where ice cream at The Beachway and a lift bridge await you. Another way is to take the "rightly rural" itinerary: watch farmland roll by with occasional glimpses of beautiful golf terrain and then picnic at Lowville to end your day.
The city of Burlington had a population of over 150,000 five years ago, and is a sister city of Itabashi in Japan with whom it has had exchange programs for many years.
There's one Burlington secret not many people know about. It has two of Canada's naturally occurring magnetic hills just north of Bayview Park. This one must make it to your list.
For accommodations and conference facilities, go to the cities offical site
www.tourismburlington.com, and as the home page so tauntingly puts it, "elevate your experience…visit Burlington."
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Jason Seib lives five minutes away from Burlington Ontario and visits frequently for business and pleasure, on the side he also runs a local community information and free classified's site.
http://www.myburlington.net
