52 Weekend Activities for the Toronto Adventurer

Marina Masiero is a Toronto-based free-lance writer.

This well-written book entices you to try several, if not all, of the
adventures described. Lebrecht passionately and humorously describes her
experiences in the second person, to make the reader feel involved in
the activity. There is something for everyone, whether rich or poor,
meek or bold. And most suggestions are within a two-hour drive of
Toronto.

The adventures are organized seasonally. Several useful appendices
cross-reference them into categories such as “Rating:
Mellow/Neat/Wild,” “Free/Under $50,” “Within Toronto,” or “
. . . Air/ . . . Water/ . . . Animals.” Activities run the gamut from
common (mountain biking, skiing, picnicking) to a little different
(winter camping, ultralight flying, houseboating) to completely offbeat
(suitcase parties, llama trekking, nudist resorts).

In her informative write-ups of each activity, Lebrecht uses emotional
and physical descriptions, anecdotes, and interesting trivia to pique
our interest. She shares her pleasures and disasters freely, putting us
at ease knowing that the worst that can happen is often hilarious in
retrospect. She stresses the exhilaration that comes from doing
something you truly love, or from trying something you fear.

Lebrecht covers all stages of activities, including preparation,
possible outcomes, and “aprиs” activities. Information boxes follow
each write-up, summarizing contacts, prices, directions, lead time,
equipment, and so on. Lebrecht skillfully and enthusiastically makes
every activity mild or wild, sound appealing. She provides comforting
information for beginners and extra info for those who may want to
pursue an activity more seriously.

My only criticism is that the book should be expanded to include more
activities, as well as special places and events (such as murder
mysteries, annual fairs, and farms). Almost all the suggestions are
physical sports. Still, even within the category of sports, why limit
the number of activities to 52 if that means excluding other
possibilities (such as golf, toboganning, and swimming)?

Nit-picking aside, this book is a fabulous guide that everybody,
whether active or need-a-kick lazy, should have nearby. It can salvage a
potentially boring day or help plan an extra-special weekend.