Heart Lake Conservation Area: What a wonderful way to spend one of the hottest and sunniest days of our cool and rainy summer! Heart Lake is a fabulous gem in our beautiful city. We invited our good friends to come along for a fun day of splashing in the pool, jumping in the splash pad, picnicking under a tree, and walking along the lake. All in all, a perfect summer day in the "heart" of Brampton. There is so much for the kids to do at Heart Lake. The kids enjoyed the fun splash pad and jumping in the pool. We were so excited when we visited Heart Lake a couple of years ago and saw that there was construction underway. The pool and splash area opened up last year. The pool and splash pad are not included in the park admission, so be sure to ask for a pass at the entrance gate, or you can pay at the splash pad entrance. The nominal fee includes use of both activities, and adults supervising children under 9 are free! My favorite memory of Heart Lake is of my husband and his best friend going fishing, and dragging me along for a looooong afternoon of fishing! What did I do to pass the time while sitting in the middle of their canoe? I caught up on all the celebrity gossip by reading magazines for what felt like hours. I have to confess that I faked having to go to the washroom just to end the endless fishing! I get reminded of my infamous canoe ride every time we see a canoe, go to Heart Lake, or talk about fishing! If YOU like fishing, I'm told Heart Lake is a great place to go fishing. Several people were out fishing along the lake with their friends and family. You can even rent a boat if you'd like to go out on the lake. Do you like adventure? Heart Lake offers lots of outdoor adventures! The zip lining looks like so much fun! The zip lines are all over the lake and forested area. The humming of zip lines made it obvious that this activity is a favorite among the Heart Lake visitors. We're planning on leaving the small children with their grandparents so we can make use of the zip lines... it just looked like so much fun! The park also offers Tree Top Trekking. The series of tree top "trails" also looked like so much fun! This is another activity we're planning to participate in minus the toddlers and babies! Both activities are available at an additional cost. If you live in the GTA, Heart Lake is a must-visit location. We had a great day, and know that you would too. The lake is beautiful. You can walk the path around the lake, or take a jog/run around the lake. If hiking isn't your thing, you can enjoy the shade of one of the many trees in this beautiful conservation area. Heart Lake is one of the most beautiful areas in Brampton, and is definitely worth the drive if you're coming from out of town. Need something to do this Long Weekend? Why not try Heart Lake?
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I have to admit that Chinguacousy Park is one of my favorite places to go in Brampton. I have so many fond memories of this park. I used to come to the park with my brother and sisters as a child. As a teen, I would bring my nephews and nieces here. Now I have my own children, and I try to visit the park as often as possible; so the family tradition continues. However, if you haven't been here in a while, it's not the same old park... it's a brand new AMAZING park! The park is so amazing, this will be a two-part post. This week's post will focus on the Spring/Summer activities. Later on, a winter post will highlight all the great winter sports available at the park. Who doesn't love a splash pad? My son! Let me correct that, he loves splash pads, he just doesn't love the cold water at the splash pads! The small wading pool has been replaced with this fun and refreshing splash pad. This is a great improvement on the park amenities, since I remember the pool always been shut down because someone always had "an accident" in the water, and it would have to be drained! My own nephew was responsible for one of these "accidents" once! Ahh, the joys of bringing children to public pools!
Chinguacousy Park has so much to offer, and this post has only highlighted the aspects of the park that I tend to make use of. If my husband was writing this blog, he would have told you about the Beach Volleyball courts and the league that plays there, the Skate Park, Mount Chinguacousy (that'll come this winter, I'll blog about it, I swear!), the sports fields, the tennis courts, etc... If my son was writing this blog, he'd tell you all about the choo choo train that takes you around the park, the kids play area, and the miniputt. You just have to come to Chinguacousy Park, there's something for everyone! We asked ourselves, "what can we do on such a dull & dreary day?", and the answer was simple, "lets visit Gage Park!" We hadn't been to the park in years, and were pleasantly surprised with all the changes and improvements at the park. You can't visit a Brampton "tourist attraction" without being surrounded by beautiful gardens, and Gage Park is no exception to this rule. The flower beds are spectacular. I feel like the gardens around the city seem to be getting bigger and more beautiful each year. I was surprised to learn that the Cherry trees in the park were given to Brampton as a gift by Japan as a symbol of friendship... pretty cool, I think! The beautiful gazebo in the centre of the park is a hot spot on Thursday nights during the Thursday Night Concert Series. It's also a favorite wedding photo location for couples who get married at the local churches or at City Hall. One of my favorite wedding photos from my sister's wedding was taken in the gazebo twenty years ago! I'll also confess, my friends and I have sung a rousing rendition of "I am 16 Going on 17" while dancing around the gazebo! LOL, we all had a Sound of Music phase right??? The park is home to many special functions and festivals throughout the summer. Visit www.brampton.ca for more info and a schedule of events. Gage Park offers a little something for everyone! The jungle gym was a hit for my son, who met some new friends at the park. It was clean, and well designed. The park is great improvement from the old playground equipment that used to be there. The splash pool is also a great improvement. I remember playing in the wading pool as a child and having a lot of fun there. Although the water was freezing cold, my son had a great time running through the water and under the water feature. The quiet park is a nice change from the busy playground near our home. I guess the fact that Gage Park is located in the heart of downtown Brampton, means there are not a lot of young children living nearby. There were several people sitting around the park on the benches, and picnic tables enjoying their lunch hour break from the many businesses in the area, and of course City Hall. |