Picture this: You're sitting on the sofa, munching on a bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar chips, when it hits you like a tonne of potatoes. You have this vision of a street sign pointing you towards great fun and great savings. Yeah, yeah, it's just the creative packaging of the chip bag, but you get the idea. Summer is the perfect time to load the kids in the car and explore all the wonderful sights and attractions Canada has to offer. And if you love chips as much as I do, you'll soon realize how easy it is to enjoy some fabulous discounts while devouring delicious chips made from 100% Canadian potatoes. It's as easy as 1-2-3 thanks to Lays Chip Trips. Here's all that you need to do:



So now that you've signed up, enjoyed some great tasting chips and you have some points in your account, you can take advantage of some great offers for as little as 5 points. That's what I did. Five points got me a 30% savings at Casa Loma right here in Toronto. That beats the discount I would receive as an Ontario-certified teacher. Score! And let me tell you, I am so glad I went.



With my 2 year old son and my 5 year old daughter, we drove downtown yesterday morning to make it there just after opening (9:30am). And yes, Toronto has an amazingly large historic castle right near the downtown area. I have always had a fascination over castles since I was a kid but never had the opportunity to visit one. Thus, the three of us thoroughly enjoyed our first castle experience. We started off our day in the breathtaking gardens before the heat of the midday sun. It was almost like we had the entire gardens to ourselves since the tour buses had yet to arrive. We then ventured a trek indoors where we discovered a secret passageway to the wine cellar which led us to the cafeteria. This place had what looked like a brand new seating area with comfortable benches, tables and chairs, and a t.v. perfect for entertaining the kids while we waited for our grilled panini.



After munching on a small bag of Lays chips, we burned the calories with a long walk up to the very top of one of the towers. This was the highlight for me. From this vantage point, you get a 360 degree panoramic view of Toronto and area. Just when I finally caught my breath from carrying my son up three flights of stairs, the spectacular view takes it away again. This is definitely a must-see for visitors to Casa Loma. The one thing I love about this place is that you feel like you're discovering how to get to these neat parts of the castle on your own. There aren't huge signs telling you where to go at every turn. It sort of felt like an adventure of the Indiana Jones variety. Except without the ginormous rolling ball of stone hot on your tail.

• Arrive early if you want to enjoy the castle sans crowds. The majority of visitors seemed to arrive between 11 am and 12 pm. 
• Explore the gardens first so you can take in an enjoyable walk in the fresh morning air.
• Strollers would be more of a hindrance. Since the elevator is reserved for the elderly or disabled, I would recommend a carrier or wrap if you have a wee one.
• Parking is available on site for $3 per hour and you need to pay cash. They do have a debit machine at the main entrance if you need to withdraw funds. I ended up paying $9.
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. It can get a little hot and stuffy in some parts of the castle.
• Don't forget to use your 15% discount at the Gift Shop that comes with your online ticket purchase. This is in addition to the 30% you save on admission with your Chip Trips discount.
• No outdoor food or drink is allowed on the premises but they do have a nice spread in the cafeteria. We had a ham and cheese grilled panino with some fresh seasonal fruit. (And we brought our own water but don't tell anyone.)