High Park

Toronto never seizes to surprise me. There are so many places to see but we often forget to play tourist in our own city.

I arrived here in 1985, and had never been to High Park until I visited with my daughter, earlier this summer.

On a sweltering hot July day, we loaded our bikes onto the car rack, and drove into Toronto.

I'm glad we had our bikes as we would not have lasted very long on foot.

This park is fantastic.  Beutiful gardens, lots of activities for families.  There's even a small zoo.

I'd love to make another visit in the fall, when the weather is cooler, and to take in the autumn colors.

Nothing like a day outdoors!

 Summer is for sailing, but I have to admit that I've missed my outings with my Hiking Buddies, so this weekend I was excited to join them on a hike at Niagara Glen Nature Reserve.

I've been to the Niagara Region numerous times over the past 25 years and had no clue that there is a beautiful scenic hiking trail in the area.  I love discovering something new and this was worth the drive.  Great Niagara Attraction for FREE!

 A metal staircase took us 30 meters down the side of a cliff, which is the steepest part of the gorge. The trails wind though a Carolian Forest scattered with huge bolders, left behind thousands of years ago when they fell from the cliffs above.

There are a number of different trails to follow, we chose the one that hugs the Niagara River. 

This is such a beautifully scenic hike that one can't help but get in a good mood.  We had lunch at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Whirlpool.  What a treat!

Hiking in this area involves an elevation change of over 200 ft, so we ended our hike climbing up a LONG staircase to reach the top again.. Pretty exhausting..

I'll be back here for sure...

Tranquility

I love the feeling of walking along a path and not knowing what's behind the bend.  

I love standing on the beach, watching and hearing the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

I enjoy the sound of birds chirping nearby and the smell of freshly cut grass.   

The clouds towering over the bay and laughter from the children in the sailboats is a beautiful sight.   

The young families enjoying the park brings back happy memories. 

I smile as I spend an hour exploring Frenchman's Bay area while waiting for my son to finish sailing.  

This is my Tranquility on a Tuesday evening.

Frenchman's Bay

Tranquillity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tranquillity (also spelt tranquility^[1]) is the quality or state of being tranquil; calmness; serenity n. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism, where the term passaddhi refers to tranquillity of the body, thoughts and consciousness on the path to enlightenment, to an assortment of policy and planning guidance documents, where interpretation of the word is typically linked to engagement with the natural environment.

Toronto Islands

Toronto Islands has got to be the best summer venue that Toronto has to offer its citizens and tourists.  When my kids were small we spent just about every weekend at the Island for years.  While friends got in their cars and headed north for a long commute to their cottages, we set sail for Toronto Islands where the kids would enjoy the petting zoo, rides, biking, swimming and just being kids in their "cottage country".   Beautiful memories were created here!

We spent the past two weekends at the Island and I never seem to tire of it.  There's always something new to discover.  Last weekend, we stayed at The Royal Canadian Yacht Club with some friends from our yacht club.

We had such a good time; we biked the Islands from end to end which is about 7km, one way.   Hubby played some tennis while I went for a kayak ride, and afterwards we enjoyed the complimentary pool at RCYC.

Toronto Skyline from the entrance to RCYC

CN TOWER

 
Watching the panoramic view of Toronto's magnificent skyline from the cockpit while drinking my morning coffee is such a treat and one cannot help but feel privileged.

This weekend we brought our son with us and stayed at Queen City Yacht Club.  I love all the quaint houses on Ward's and Algonquin Island , and a visit to the Island would not be complete unless I go for my mandatory walk up and down the narrow streets.  This is one of my simple pleasures!

Houses on Algonquin Island

House on Algonquin Island

The weekend was extremely hot so the beach at Ward's Island turned out to be a must!  With temperatures nearing +36C; bright sunny skies; a sandy beach and sailboats drifting by; this Toronto beach could just as well be a beach in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.

FANTASTIC sums up the past two weekends.

FUN FACTS:  In the early 1900's, permanent residents on Toronto Islands were in the thousands.  Here's a link to some history of the Toronto Island's Homes.   http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/to_stories_island1.htm

Youngstown - N.Y.

Small town USA has become one of my favorite sailing destinations on Lake Ontario.  Last weekend my husband and I sailed across the lake to the Village of Youngstown situated at the mouth of the Niagara River, which separates the international border of Canada and the United States.

We stayed at the public docks next to Youngstown Yacht Club (YYC).  From our boat we could see Niagara-on-the-Lake across the river, and where the river connects with Lake Ontario, one could make out the silhouette of Toronto in the far distance.  During this particular stay, YYC hosted a Regatta and by the end of the evening there were over 50 sailboats tied up to the docks.  It was a great sight! 

Stairs leading down to Docks at Youngstown

A climb up a fairly steep hill, or up the stairs, will lead you to the Village of Youngstown located at the edge of the riverbank.  This is such a quaint village; looks like it's been frozen in time.  

There is only one grocery store in town and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that it had received a makeover since last year.  I enjoy walking up and down the aisles looking for something different to bring home for the kids.  

I love biking through this quaint village where the streets are lined with houses reminiscent of yesteryear.  

While biking along Main Street, I passed a young family having supper at a small round table, covered in a white floor-length tablecloth, in a shady corner of their large Victorian front porch.  The lanterns were lit on their table, wine poured in their glasses, and a beautiful wisteria vine cascaded down the corner of the porch framing this perfect moment.   I wanted to stop and take a picture but felt that I would be invading their space.  

They have some very spectacular gardens in Youngstown; perhaps thanks to the garden club that's been active for more than 50 years.   
 

 

Fort Niagara State Park

I continued my ride to Fort Niagara State Park, which has so much to offer.  There's a winding walkway that follows the riverbank down to Old Fort Niagara which stands on a bluff above Lake Ontario.  I didn't visit the Fort this time as my son and I spent an afternoon there a few years back.

The fort situated at the mouth of the river overlooking Lake Ontario

Next to the Fort is a great swimming pool with slides overlooking Lake Ontario.  It's almost like an infinity pool.  

The weather was fantastic; nice and hot.  There were so many families out enjoying the picnic grounds, and playing sports in the fields.   It brings back so many happy memories from when my children were small.

Sunday was Father's day so before setting sail for Toronto, we went to the local Village Diner for a full breakfast.http://www.outdoorsniagara.com/villagediner.htm  The place was crazy busy with people.  Of course, everyone was out celebrating Father's Day.  The diner has a beautiful view of the Niagara River and the sailboats participating in the Regatta were leaving one after another.  

Though I have been to Youngstown numerous times, I always manage to catch a glimpse of something new and unexpected each time.

On a front porch in Youngstown