A trip to Kingston and beyond

So much of Canada is worth visiting, but you might need plenty of time to drive there, so sometimes you like to keep within a few hours of travel. If you take a mini-vacation of a couple of days you can go a little further than easy day trips - like going to Kingston, Ontario which is about a 3 hour trip. 

As a city along the St. Lawrence River the waterfront is a big draw with historical landmarks and a great trail along the waters edge. We stayed in a hotel that looked down on the pier that is used for boat tours, near the ferry that runs to Wolfe Island. You can see engine 1095 behind the Kingston sign in Confederation Park.

One of the 4 Martello Towers in Kingston

Royal Military College (RMC) Arch

Torpedo looking towards the city from the RMC grounds

Kingston Pumphouse Steam Museum

Looking toward the Brock St wharf from our room in the Confederation Place Hotel

Besides biking we enjoyed visiting the Kingston Pen, which was closed in 2013 and turned into a tourist destination, the Royal Military College, some museums and the historic downtown area with some great bars and restaurants. Fort Henry wasn't open when we dropped by so we will save that for another time.

Kingston Pen tour

Driving to your mini-vacation you can always stop along the way, like we did with Reid's Dairy (great ice cream), the Big Apple in Colborne and Primitive Designs in Port Hope.

The Big Apple

Later we drove to Belleville, about an hour away, to see Canada's first railway tunnel which has been converted into a sound and light show worth the visit.

Belleville tunnel

Toronto World Naked Bike Ride 2023

Warm and sunny with highs of 27 degrees is perfect for a little bare ass bike riding for WNBR2023. The streets of Toronto will be filled with cyclists on Saturday, June 10 supporting the environment by protesting vehicular pollution all the while promoting body positivity and joining a worldwide event taking place in over 70 cities and in 20 countries. The northern hemisphere rides in June and the southern hemisphere rides in March. Toronto rides annually on the second Saturday of June so you can prepare for next year. The official date is Saturday, June 8, 2024.

HTO Beach

Nathan Phillips Square at City Hall

Update: it is gorgeous weather and it's warming up. Gene was here at 9am, photo at top, and by 9:30am riders were just starting to show up.

The ride starts in Coronation Park, just south of the Princes' Gates in Exhibition Place, at the war memorial adjacent to the Canadian flag. Gene Dare, the Toronto ride organizer, will probably be there at nine am but most people show up starting around 10 where participants will socialize and apply body paint before starting the ride at 1pm.

Matti Charlton for Mayor

Some of the posters made for the ride

People lined the streets as the ride passes by

As the large crowd of riders, estimated at over 200 for this year, head out of the park for the approximate three hour tour the City starts hearing of the ride on social media and many line the streets and cheer on the naked bikers. The route takes the World Naked Bike Ride Toronto past some of the city's iconic landmarks and neighbourhoods including Queen's Park, Yonge-Dundas Square, Nathan Phillips Square at City Hall, the CN Tower and Sugar and HTO Beaches before returning to Coronation Park.

Dress code is as bare as you dare with plenty of sunscreen recommended. Costumes or fun accessories are also welcome.  You can join the ride, or leave the ride any time you want. Many head over to Hanlan's Point clot hing optional beach at the end of the ride.

Here are some of Gene's suggestions for the ride.

1.  Careful on the ttc tracks.

2. Take lots of pictures!

3. Top up the air in your tires. Oil all moving parts for a smoother easier ride.

4. No bike, then run, roller blade or scooter it. Cover the seats of your rental bikes please.

5. Water and suntan lotion is a necessity. Note: you can refill water at Allan Gardens and City Hall.

6. The co-organizer of the Montreal Naked Bike Ride will be bringing body paints to our ride.

7. Allan Gardens may have a tent encampment there. Give those people their space please.

8. After we get back to Coronation Park please get dressed. The protest is over.

9. Three police divisions have been notified of the protest and welcomed to participate.

10. Just have fun!

Come back often as I add more pictures of the 2023 WNBR.

You can explore past WNBR Toronto events through this link: https://www.torontograndprixtourist.com/search/label/WNBR

See more photos after the jump.

Booze to dust: the end of the old LCBO Headquarters

Toronto's changing face down along the waterfront area continues to evolve, especially with the continued work in the Cherry Beach area. The old LCBO property which held the headquarters, warehouse and retail outlet was sold to developers in 2016 for $260 million. They moved the retail operation into a new tower to the east. The view at top is from Queens Quay East.

Now the old buildings are being chipped away until only parts of the façade remain which are to be incorporated into the base of the new buildings proposed for the site. New towers will takeover the site with an estimated 3,000 condos being constructed.

The original buildings were built in 1950 and are covered in buff brick and were designated as heritage buildings.

The view from Cooper Street. 

From the Province's news release "Ontario is securing $260 million, subject to closing adjustments, from the sale of the LCBO head office lands, which is composed of over 11 acres of real estate in downtown Toronto near the waterfront, to Menkes Developments Ltd., on behalf of a partnership comprised of Menkes, Greystone Managed Investments and Triovest Realty Advisors.

The government is committed to dedicating the net proceeds generated from the sale to the Trillium Trust, which helps fund transit, transportation and other key infrastructure projects across the province.

Selling the LCBO lands is a key part of the government's plan to unlock the value of its real estate assets in order to help fund the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history - about $160 billion over 12 years. The planned investments are estimated to support 110,000 jobs, on average, each year across the province."

Updated photos from May 21, 2024.

The site is clean and the remaining outside walls are held up in place

Primitive Designs now with more sculptures

We have been to Primitive Designs in Port Hope a few times now and they continue to add metal sculptures outside and new curiosities inside. This time was no different and you can see a pirate ship, shark and pterodactyl now.

They join the giant dinosaur sculptures

Primitive Designs is located about an hour east of Toronto along Highway 401

Three headed dragon, a regular dragon and Bumble Bee the Transformer

Roger Roger Star Wars robot

Some big spiders

Toronto Graffiti Alley - murals aplenty

Toronto is full of art and a lot of public art is graffiti. In most locations the City of Toronto wants the graffiti removed within 72 hours, 24 hours if it involves hate. But you can always argue that the graffiti is art and deserves to remain. Toronto's most famous graffiti gazing locations is along Graffiti Alley - both north and south of Queen Street West. The graffiti changes often as others tag the art, or paint over a mural. Very little seems permanent.  The Simpson's Moe the bartender cleans a glass in the mural at top.

I think a terminator is grabbing the graffiti art phone

A metal face shines down on the alley

The green lion's head has lasted awhile

Honda Indy Toronto 2023 coming July 14-16

With 42 days to go till Race weekend, organizers Green Savoree Toronto opened up single ticket sales on May 31, 2023. The 35th annual Honda Indy Toronto takes place Friday to Sunday, July 14 to 16, in and around Exhibition Place at a blistering pace with the top tier, open wheeled NTT IndyCar Series supported by a number of other race series including Canada's own NASCAR PINTYS Series. 

Exhibition Place and of course Lake Shore Boulevard are transformed from the home of the CNE into a temporary 11-turn street course over the course of about a month. The world-class motorsport festival begins with Honda Fan Friday on July 14 with free general admission from the Ontario Honda Dealers Association and a voluntary contribution to Make-A-Wish Canada. The fast weekend continues with more practices and qualifying events including Saturday's IndyCar qualifying along with several races from the supporting series. Race weekend ends with the headlining NTT IndyCar Series on Sunday with the top three drivers making their way to winner's circle for trophy presentation, hat rotation and the always fun champagne soaking.

In addition to the action on the almost 3km track you will be able to find a food and drink festival, vendors and entertainment along Thunder Alley and several series paddocks to visit (paddock passes required for IndyCar). You can also buy a Pit pass if you want to see the cars and race equipment up close (except for the actual IndyCar race).

"The Honda Indy is a can't-miss event on Toronto's 2023 summer festival calendar. We are excited to continue the tradition for the 35th year," said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Honda Indy Toronto. "The weekend will provide festival goers a unique experience full of sights and sounds both on and off the track. Single-day and weekend ticket options at different price points help make the event enjoyable for everyone."

The top three drivers of the 2022 Honda Indy Toronto in a confetti explosion

Colton Herta (2nd), Felix Rosenqvist (3rd) and Scott Dixon (1st)

The 2022 Honda Indy Toronto NTT IndyCar Series was won by Scott Dixon, his 4th time in Toronto! However a number of current drivers also have multiple wins on the Streets of Toronto like Will Power and Josef Newgarden that will give Scott a run for his money. IndyCar notes that "Josef Newgarden is a two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and the winningest current American driver in the series", although he is only 4th place in the standings - that is a tough series!

Flower Rings in College Park Toronto

I think that the futuristic portals installed in College Park have been moved and a covering of flowers have been put around the rings. They do look beautiful in the sun.

Have fun in Storm Crow Manor

I had a chance to check out Toronto's Storm Crow Manor which is a crazy good bar and restaurant in the heart of the Gay Village and I loved the atmosphere, drinks and food! Described as "Toronto's geekiest bar" which opened in 2018 in a mansion at 580 Church Street and featuring a sanity-shattering array of theme rooms, secret doors, catacombs, cyberpunk bars, glowing, bubbling cocktails, randomly-generated burgers and, oh yeah, tentacles."

The gorgeous mansion

The walls of the stairs leading to the bathrooms

Some drinks come with LED ice cubes and dry ice to make them glow and smoke

I loved the cocktail menu with their brilliant names like 'Beetle Juice', She-Hulk's Gamma Juice and the new 'Vader Tiki'. Once I saw the glowing drink make it's way from the bar I was sold on the LED ice cubes and ordered some for my own parties. Plus I started out with a random shot, chosen by a roll of a 20-sided die (if you roll a 20 you get to keep the shot glass), where I desperately hoped that I wouldn't get number 15 - the Xenomorph Brain Fluid "“Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility." Creme de Cacao, Blue Curacao, Grenadine, Baileys **Contains dairy", which would probably looks all brain-like.

Muddy the big catfish

The Dunnville Mudcat sits proud in a park, proud as a giant sculpture of a fish could be, waiting for that giant hook and worm that finally lands the monster. We love to drive across Ontario, and soon Canada, and look forward to discovering the unusual and beautiful sights. Sometimes the attractions are shown on blue signs along the highways, sometimes it is just an internet site that prompts curiosity.

This, the world's largest Mudcat Sculpture, just shouts "take time and come visit me!" And the fish is obliging at 50 feet long and 27 feet high it is ready to eat man-sized bait. It was completed in 2009 and located in Dunnville's Centennial Park near the Grand River and just north of the shores of Lake Erie.