Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Eastern Canada Trip 2013 Day 6 Tuesday September 17 Toronto including Toronto Islands

UPDATED: February 10, 2021

This is the sixth of a series of posts dealing with my third trip to Eastern Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”.

Wow, six days already!

During the night Evelyn the cat batted her ball around but didn't try to socialize with me the way Artemis did a couple years back. Judging from a note she might have snuck out when I left this morning. Luckily there's two doors.

[NOW: I was staying at my friends Dave and Jan’s place at this point. Evelyn didn’t actually sneak out.]

Walked along Bloor St to Yonge, passing another Evil Dead: The Musical banner, this one by a United Church.  Heading south along Yonge, I ate breakfast at the first McDonald's I came to.  I turned on to College and visited the Police Museum, which opens at 8. Back on Yonge, I resumed my travels south, grabbing food for later at a 7-11. I continued down Yonge to its southernmost point and then headed west slightly to Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

[NOW: The McDonald’s is probably the one at Yonge St and Charles St E.]

There I bought a return ticket to Centre Island Ferry Terminal, part of the Toronto Islands.  I visited the Centreville Amusement Park, not intending to do any rides this time.  Good thing too, as the rides weren't open today. It was fun if a bit eerie wandering an amusement park where almost no one was around and all the rides were in their dormant state. The photos I got will probably prove to me more interesting than if the rides were in full swing. In one stream I saw a type of duck or goose I didn't recognize. The Far Enough Farm, park of the amusement park was actually open and I got a bunch of photos of small horses and other usual petting zoo animals. I saw a young cat actually struggling to climb a fence. Leaving the farm I noticed that white geese were also exploring the dormant park.

[NOW: To clarify, once you’re at the Islands you can return for three from any of the three ferry terminals: Centre Island, Ward’s Island, Hanlan’s Point.]

I'm actually not sure what the island the Centre Island Ferry Terminal is called. I'm pretty sure it's north of the true Centre Island, the large island which is inexplicably called Ward's Island on the east end only.  I went north to the Chelsea Beach (on the spot it's called Chelsea Beach though a map calls it Manitou Beach). Then I went west then south to Algonquin Island. Someone pointed out some sort of international sailboat race. I watched a bit but finally got bored. Crossing the bridge back to the main island, a guy gave me the aforementioned map. I walked to Ward's Island Ferry Terminal then Ward's Island Beach. I ate one of the sandwiches I got from 7-11, a bit bland and dry; tiny flies kept bugging me (pun only partly intended). I went east back to Chelsea/Maintou Beach, then Gibraltar Point Beach, then the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, which I don't think you were allowed up.

[NOW: Confusingly, Centre Island Ferry Terminal and Centreville Amusement Park are actually on Middle Island, though it’s sometimes referred to as Centre Island. Given the much larger Centre Island, I prefer Middle Island myself to distinguish the two.]

I got curious that there was a clothing optional beach near an airport on the main island and while not brave enough to join in, I decided to check it out (Hanlan's Point Beach; hey, clothing optional implies that clothing is an option). A bit hidden from the airport though you can see the planes go by. I stopped taking photos upon arrival as per the rules, though I discretely took a few of areas where there were no people around,  Interestingly probably due to slightly windy weather, this was also the only place I saw swimsuited sunbathers today as well.  I returned to Chelsea (or Manitou) Beach and relaxed there for a bit, then returned to the Hanlan's Point area. There I just missed a ferry by 4 minutes so I wandered a bit and got photos of the airport. I finally got the Hanlan's Point Ferry back to Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

[NOW: The airport is Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.]

I wanted to do the short streetcar ride from Queen's Quay Station to Union Station, but the former was closed due to the construction. With all the construction at Union it's a miracle that isn't closed as well. I walked over to Union Construction Site, er, Union Station and took the Yonge-University-Spadina line to Dundas Station at Dundas Square. People were sitting in a large number of cots as part of some Lotto 649 promo. Across the street at Eaton Centre the preacher from Sunday was giving another speech. Walking north I visited Hairy Tarantula (comics; upstairs; sign not visible heading north), NDJ Books, One Million Comix (there you could see Not Just Condoms across the street; to repeat a joke I made last year, "But wait, there's more!"),  Eliot's Bookshop, ABC Book Store (bought DVDs), Sunrise Records (on Yonge just before Bloor).

[NOW: The Yonge-University-Spadina Line is now also called the 1 Line. NDJ Books was closing down when I visited this year. One Million Comix, Not Just Condoms, Eliot's Bookshop, and that Sunrise Records have closed.]

Turning west onto Bloor, I dipped briefly onto Bay for Bay St Video, Continuing west along Bloor, I visited Labyrinth (comics), BMV Books, Book City, Seekers Books, Queen Video (got DVDs), Sonic Book Records (Honest Ed's complex on Bathurst), The Beguiling, Suspect Video (the latter two also attached to Ed's on another side), Honest Ed's itself (tacky but fun Toronto icon celebrating its 65th anniversary by putting itself for sale; got DVDs).

[NOW: That Book City, Queen Video, Suspect Video, and Honest Ed's are now closed. Sonic Boom Records (merged with another branch) and The Beguiling have moved.]

I did the Tuesday deal at KFC next (not the best tasting KFC) and then visited Doug Miller Books. They have a cute rabbit there. I took the Bloor-Danforth subway train to Dundas West Station and got a couple DVDs at Movie Art Decor, then walked east to my friends' place. I dropped off my DVDs then walked east to see the hours of various laundromats which I'll be needing soon. I also went to Zoinks! (books and DVDs) but it was closed for the day. I did make it to Hi-Tech (games and some DVDs) just before they closed, I also checked out a discount store at some point during this last walk, though the name escapes me. I returned to my friends' place.

[NOW: I returned to the above KFC in 2014 and the chicken tasted better then. The above rabbit was Bumpkin, now deceased. The Bloor-Danforth line is now also called the 2 Line. The discount store was probably Super Pawn, now closed. Movie Art Decor and Hi-Tech Video Games have closed.]

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