I've been to bachelorette parties in spots from Hawaii to Las Vegas, but a Canadian city has been the best destination so far
The Canadian city had good food, luxe hotels, and exciting activities.
My favorite part was playing dress up (literally) and attending an opera.
I've been invited to more bachelorette parties than I can count.
They've all been a lot of fun and have given me an excuse to visit fabulous destinations around the world. I've been to Cabo, Napa, Puerto Rico, Palm Springs, India, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and more to celebrate dear friends who were getting married.
I'm typically excited whenever a new invitation comes in, but when I found out one of my friends was having her bachelorette in Toronto, I was a little disappointed.
I didn't think it would be an exciting destination for a girls' trip. However, to my pleasant surprise, I was wrong. The Canadian city completely blew me away.
We stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons in the city's historic Yorkville neighborhood.
To match the city's creative energy, local artists' works were displayed throughout the hotel. The lobby even had giant dandelion sculptures hanging from the ceilings.
The hotel was also located within walking distance of plenty of restaurants and cafés. I was blown away by the food offerings in Toronto.
Some of my favorite meals were the French fare at Café Boulud, al dente pasta and traditional Italian pizza at Spaccio West Terroni, Latin-inspired cuisine at Baro, and Michelin-starred dining at Alobar Yorkville.
Although lovely accommodations and great food are already pluses, the diverse activities available around Toronto really exceeded my expectations.
For daredevils, CN Tower's EdgeWalk is a must. There's nothing quite like walking around an outdoor platform that's 116 stories above the city.
It's an epic view, a great bonding experience, and a one-of-a-kind photo op.
If you're traveling with adventurous wine enthusiasts, I recommend the helicopter tour with Niagara Helicopters Limited, which flies over Niagara Falls and ends at a winery.
We also enjoyed a segway tour of the Distillery District, which was bustling with boutiques, cafés, breweries, and eateries.
For a more low-key afternoon, Toronto also has several noteworthy museums, but I can only speak to the unique experience at the Bata Shoe Museum.
It houses antique shoes from regions around the world, imaginative futuristic kicks, and unique artist exhibitions.
My absolute favorite part of the trip was renting dresses at The Fitzroy for a night at the opera.
The Fitzroy sectioned off an area of the store and provided us with bubbly and sweet treats during the dress fittings.
I'll fully admit that I was wrong about Toronto. It ended up being an incredible destination for a bachelorette party — and would probably be great for any old girls' trip, too.
I had experiences that would be considered out of the ordinary on any trip, like helicopter tours and a night at the opera. Plus, every meal was uniquely delicious.
The diverse activities, luxe accomodations, and memorable meals made Toronto my favorite bachelorette-party destination to date.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
22 minutes ago
Movie Review: Margaret Qualley shines in 'Honey Don't!' as Philip Marlowe in red lipstick
The skies are blue, the sun unrelenting and the body count escalating in the Bakersfield, California, of 'Honey Don't!,' where Margaret Qualley's private investigator tries to get a handle on the nefarious goings-on in her city with a small-town feel. It's the second film in Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's so-called 'lesbian B-movie trilogy,' and while this shaggy caper might not add up to anything significant — perhaps part of the 'B-movie' point — it is fun and immensely watchable. That's thanks in large part to Qualley's turn as the smoothly confident Honey O'Donahue, kind of a Philip Marlowe, or maybe Veronica Mars, in cherry-red lipstick, high heels and silks (inspired choices for the sweltering setting by costume designer Peggy Schnitzer). Honey is meant to be strikingly 'other' in this very downtrodden Bakersfield of eccentrics, dropouts and lost souls, where missing teeth seem to be more prevalent than pedicures. It's a carnival of very memorable, very Coen-esque misfits, like a grumpy bartender played by Don Swayze and Charlie Day's clueless police officer Marty Metakawitch. Marty is not the only man in town who has trouble accepting that Honey will never be interested in him. You could play a drinking game with how many times she has to tell hapless men, 'I like girls.' Not only is queer literacy low in this Bakersfield, but many in town seem to have come under the influence of a church leader played by Chris Evans, the Rev. Drew Devlin, whose high-wattage smile and proclivity for flirting have made him a local celebrity. Evans, who seems to be having fun in a weirder role, plays the Rev. Drew as a charismatic creep, an ego-driven and possibly sex-addicted influencer who is also peddling drugs and arranging hits around town. He too has a boss, or bosses, known only as 'the French,' which is amusingly underexplained. And he's often completely, or nearly, naked and involved in some cringey, experimental acts with his naive followers. Not unlike the new 'The Naked Gun,' this saga begins with a suspicious vehicular death. The deceased was an almost-client of Honey's, which sets her off poking around and looking for answers. Most of her cases are of the cheating spouse type, and this is just more interesting. Meanwhile, others start dropping dead too. Some of these deaths feel spiritually, comedically similar to the Mark Pellegrino sequence in 'Mullholland Drive' (not the only Lynchian nod). And all signs are pointing back to the church, though Honey gets a bit distracted with a new fling in Aubrey Plaza's lustful cop MG Falcone and some family drama with her wayward niece Corinne (Talia Ryder). 'Honey Don't' might play more like a pilot episode of a television series than a contained film, but it is a step up from Coen and Cooke's previous effort, 'Drive Away Dolls,' which felt constructed of comedic parts whose shelf life expired 20 years ago. This script, written by Coen and Cooke, is probably just as vintage, technically speaking, but it feels more timeless. With a stable of memorable side characters, including Josh Pafchek as the reverend's assistant and Jacnier as a skittish new drug dealer named Hector, 'Honey Don't' is gory, unapologetically sexual, quippy and dark. It also clocks in at under 90 minutes — they knew just when to get out. As Ethan Coen finds his groove as a solo director, 'Honey Don't' might not be 'The Big Lebowski' or 'Raising Arizona,' but it is a swing in the right direction. At this rate, if we get the pleasure of seeing a third film, it might just be a classic. 'Honey Don't!' a Focus Features release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'some strong violence, language, graphic nudity, strong sexual content.' Running time: 88 minutes. Three stars out of four.
22 minutes ago
Las Vegas tourism is down. Some blame Trump's tariffs and immigration crackdown
LAS VEGAS -- Tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration's tariffs and immigration policies for the decline. The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and around-the-clock gambling welcomed just under 3.1 million tourists in June, an 11% drop compared to the same time in 2024. There were 13% fewer international travelers, and hotel occupancy fell by about 15%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Mayor Shelley Berkley said tourism from Canada — Nevada's largest international market — has dried up from a torrent 'to a drip.' Same with Mexico. 'We have a number of very high rollers that come in from Mexico that aren't so keen on coming in right now. And that seems to be the prevailing attitude internationally,' Berkley told reporters earlier this month. Ted Pappageorge, head of the powerful Culinary Workers Union, called it the 'Trump slump.' He said visits from Southern California, home to a large Latino population, were also drying up because people are afraid of the administration's immigration crackdown. 'If you if you tell the rest of the world they're not welcome, then they won't come,' Pappageorge said. Canadian airline data shows fewer passengers from north of the border are arriving at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Air Canada saw its passenger numbers fall by 33% in June compared to the same time a year ago, while WestJet had a 31% drop. The low-cost carrier Flair reported a whopping 62% decline. Travel agents in Canada said there's been a significant downturn in clients wanting to visit the U.S. overall, and Las Vegas in particular. Wendy Hart, who books trips from Windsor, Ontario, said the reason was 'politics, for sure.' She speculated that it was a point of 'national pride' that people were staying away from the U.S. after President Donald Trump said he wanted to make Canada the 51st state. 'The tariffs are a big thing too. They seem to be contributing to the rising cost of everything,' Hart said. At downtown's Circa Resort and Casino, international visits have dipped, especially from Canada and Japan, according to owner and CEO Derek Stevens. But the downturn comes after a post-COVID spike, Stevens said. And while hotel room bookings are slack, gaming numbers, especially for sports betting, are still strong, he said. 'It's not as if the sky is falling,' he said. Wealthier visitors are still coming, he said, and Circa has introduced cheaper package deals to lure those with less money to spend. 'There have been many stories written about how the 'end is near' in Vegas,' he said. 'But Vegas continues to reinvent itself as a destination worth visiting.' On AAA's annual top ten list of top Labor Day destinations, Las Vegas slipped this year to the last spot, from number six in 2024. Seattle and Orlando, Florida — home to Disneyworld — hold steady in the top two spots, with New York City moving up to third for 2025. Reports of declining tourism were news to Alison Ferry, who arrived from Donegal, Ireland, to find big crowds at casinos and the Vegas Strip. 'It's very busy. It has been busy everywhere that we've gone. And really, really hot,' Ferry said. She added that she doesn't pay much attention to U.S. politics. Just off the strip, there's been no slowdown at the Pinball Museum, which showcases games from the 1930s through today. Manager Jim Arnold said the two-decade-old attraction is recession-proof because it's one of the few places to offer free parking and free admission. 'We've decided that our plan is just to ignore inflation and pretend it doesn't exist," Arnold said. 'So you still take a quarter out of your pocket and put it in a game, and you don't pay a resort fee or a cancelation fee or any of that jazz.' But Arnold said he's not surprised that overall tourism might be slowing because of skyrocketing prices at high-end restaurants and resorts, which 'squeezes out the low end tourist.' The mayor said the rising cost of food, hotel rooms and attractions also keeps visitors away. 'People are feeling that they're getting nickeled and dimed, and they're not getting value for their dollar,' Berkley said. She called on business owners to 'see if we can't make it more affordable' for tourists.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
MTV reveals first batch of VMAs 2025 performers: What to know about Video Music Awards
Star power may be a given at the VMAs, but music royalty is coming out in full force this year. As MTV's 2025 Video Music Awards quickly approach, the TV channel and music video pioneer is sharing new details from the jam-packed ceremony, which celebrates the top songs and music videos voted on by fans. This comes after VMA nominations were announced on Aug. 5. Pop icon Lady Gaga leads the nominations with 12 nods, including video of the year, artist of the year and best album, while her "Die with a Smile" collaborator, Bruno Mars, follows closely behind with 11 nominations. While it's unclear if Gaga, who is currently on the road with her Mayhem Ball tour, will make a special appearance at the show, MTV has begun unveiling its lineup of performances. Additionally, the ceremony's coveted awards, which include video of the year, artist of the year and song of the year, are being expanded with new career achievement prizes. Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 MTV VMAs. MTV VMAs snubs and shocks: See who was left out of nominations Who is performing at the 2025 MTV VMAs? On Monday, Aug. 18, MTV announced the first batch of performers for the 2025 VMAs. Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter, who performed at last year's ceremony and won her first moon person for song of the year, is slated to take the stage again. Other A-list acts filling the marquee alongside Carpenter include: Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin, hip-hop heavyweight Busta Rhymes, Latin pop star J Balvin with DJ Snake and alternative pop newcomers Alex Warren and Sombr. A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) Ricky Martin to receive inaugural Latin Icon Award Martin, who made his VMAs debut in 1999, will receive the first-ever Latin Icon Award during the ceremony, in celebration of the singer's historic contributions to the genre. The "Livin' la Vida Loca" singer, who rose to prominence as a member of the boy band Menudo, has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and is credited with spearheading the Latin pop explosion of the late '90s alongside Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Marc Anthony and Enrique Iglesias. At the 1999 MTV VMAs, Martin made history as the first male Latin artist to win the best pop video award. He was also the top winner of the ceremony with five awards. A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) Busta Rhymes to be honored with new Rock the Bells Visionary Award Busta Rhymes is set to get his flowers with the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, an honor that pays tribute to the hip-hop icon's decadeslong career and "boundary-breaking cultural impact." The acclaimed rapper, born Trevor George Smith Jr., got his musical start as a member of the rap group Leaders of the New School. Rhymes later launched his solo career with 1996's "The Coming" and became one of hip-hop's leading figures. He has sold 20 million albums worldwide to date. At the 2021 MTV VMAs, Rhymes delivered a medley of his greatest hits alongside fellow rapper Spliff Star. A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) When are the 2025 MTV VMAs? The 2025 MTV VMAs are set to take place on Sept. 7. Who is hosting the 2025 MTV VMAs? Actor and hip-hop icon LL Cool J has been tapped to host the 2025 MTV VMAs. The Grammy-winning rapper previously hosted the VMAs in 2022, cohosting with fellow emcees Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow. A post shared by Video Music Awards (@vmas) Where can I watch the 2025 MTV VMAs? The 2025 MTV VMAs will air live from New York's UBS Arena on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and MTV. The awards show will also be available to stream the same day on Paramount+ for U.S. viewers with a premium plan subscription. How to vote for 2025 MTV VMAs? Fans can vote in 19 gender-neutral categories by visiting through Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. ET. Voting for the best new artist category will remain active until the Sept. 7 ceremony. Nominations for social categories will be announced at a later date.
