Sound Academy -Toronto Ontario

This past week we ventured into Toronto to see Ra Ra Riot and The Shins at Sound Academy. I have never been to this venue before, and I was pleasantly surprised. The Sound Academy is down at The Docks. It has a patio, a large main floor with a stage and bar, and a VIP upper viewing area. There was even a food stand selling pizza and poutine in true Canadian fashion.

The sound quality was good, in that the music was clean and crisp regardless of where you stood, and wasn't loud and ear piercing, even close to the stage. It was an all ages event, so we were branded with wristbands to announce our drinking age. The crowd was really mixed too. Some younger, lots of twenty and thirty something's, and then some quite a bit older, which was cool. Nice crowd. People weren't pushy or rude. There is a somewhat uniform pushing feeling at this venue, as people try to make their way closer to the stage. It's a little difficult to go refresh your beverage and try to get back to your spot without people thinking you're one of the douches pushing his way forward, but all in all, not too bad.

There are lots of hipsters out on foot and on bikes here. Lots of thick rimmed glasses and touques, high waisted denim shorts and busy floral prints. It's pretty entertaining. All in good fun. 

Merchandise is on sale, and up on a little platform at the back. People seemed to voluntarily form a single file line to view it and purchase it one at a time, which was neat and orderly, but a little slow and inconvenient. 

Ra Ra Riot opened, and put on a great show. Highly recommend purchasing their album The Orchard

The Shins came on around 10, and continued for a good hour, including a three song encore. They are 

fantastic live. What a great show! I loved hearing some of their old stuff too. I'm a sucker for 

"Caring Is Creepy" and "New Slang" and "Bait and Switch". 

By the end of the night, I was wishing we splurged the extra five or ten bucks for the VIP section. They had seats. I like to sit down at concerts. Am I alone with this? My favourite venue has been Massey Hall, because you pay for a seat and everyone stays seated. It's wonderful. At the Amphitheatre, you pay for a seat and then everyone stands and it gets very frustrating halfway through when you're all tired, and achey and you want to clap along and give your feet a break from the comfort of your own seat. For Iron and Wine in September, we will have seats!

I took this one for the evil bunny they had on their backdrop. Love the bunny Shins. 

Algonquin Couple's Resort -Whitney Ontario

The Algonquin Couple's Resort was introduced to me by my friend Jessica who raved about a romantic getaway in Algonquin. It did not disappoint! It is an adult's only resort that offers a spa, 5 course dinners, breakfast, outdoor activities, and various water therapies in your own luxury suite. After some hiking in Algonquin park, we wanted to get to the resort! Check in was not until 4, but the resort has canoes, kayaks, bikes, a heated pool and a games room that we had access to so we figured we would head in around 1. Check in was nice and easy, we were in a Junior Exotic Suite called Kenya, with an African theme. Beautiful. And the best part? It was ready for us at 1!                                               

The room was gigantic, and came complete with a king bed, 50" tv, steam shower, wood burning fire place, indoor jacuzzi, and private hot tub on the deck! There was even a birthday card waiting for Shay. 

Photosynth view of the room. A little shifty, but you get the idea.

Photosynth view of the bathroom

Needless to say, Shay went right for the hot tub as soon as we walked in! It was very rewarding after a day of hiking, a night of sleeping on a bad air mattress, and a body covered in black fly bites!

A room complete with wine glasses Is my kind of room!

We had a resident gopher, who would come and visit us while we soaked in the hot tub. 

After the first dip in the hot tub, we thought we should burn some calories from all the eating we planned to do later. So we went down to the sports center and got canoes. The resort is on Galeairy Lake, every room faces the lake. It is long, and not too rough. There weren't many bugs out unless we paddled close to shore, but even then, our room provided bug spray!

Some of the Inn rooms from the dock

Another view of the villas from the canoe

There are some beautiful homes on this lake that are all very private. We went as far as the bridge, and decided we should head back. Our dinner reservations weren't until 8:00 so we figured we could swim before dinner, or visit the hot tub again. The temperature outside was perfect, it wasn't hot, and it wasn't cold. The temperature in the pool was 91 degrees. Very nice for a cool overcast day! The only problem with the pool is they close it at 4:30. We pretty much got to jump in before it closed, then we headed back to the room for snacks and more hot tub!

A cool 91 degrees.

Dinner is formal, cocktail dresses, and a shirt and tie, though many of the men didn't have ties. The ones who did looked better, so I recommend the tie. The service is good. Derek, the maître'd was hilarious. Not in a funny ha ha way, more of an eccentric this is my first job and I take it very seriously kind of way. He sat us at a nice table then went through the script of specials and how the 5 courses worked. At first we politely watched, nodded and smiled as he recited his part. But as he looked from Shay to myself and out to the invisible script in front of him, it was getting harder to keep a straight face as the speech carried on. Shay kicking me under table and trying to get me to look at him didn't help either. We made it through without laughing and met our server, who was also named Derek who was very nice. The couple across from us were laughing along with us the next time we heard Derek seat a new couple. 

I had the option to be gluten free, but I could not turn down the phyllo wrapped brie with honey garlic drizzle. I think they actually referred to it as a honey garlic cuddle. How can you not go for a cuddle? It was devine. They brought out an amuse bouche, a small bread-oriented sampler, and then you chose two appetizers, a main and a dessert. It was very good. I would still say that the food at the Bonnie View resort in Haliburton was better, but this was decent. I like the fruit and cheese option for dessert, and that we could take it to go, as well as the tea and coffee. 

Breakfast was served in the dining room the next morning but you could also have it delivered to your room. It was tasty, nothing fancy, just your typical breakfast. The granola and yogurt option was nice. 

Checkout was at 11:00 but you were allowed to stay and hang out at the resort. We managed to squeeze in a little more hot tub and some deck lounging before having to pack up and head home. 

The drive was going to be long and we had to hit up that Walmart to return that horrible tent. We were making good time down HWY 60. I suggested we keep our eyes peeled in case we see my moose friend again. Shay made fun of me, as if we would see the moose again. 

I'm not kidding you, almost as soon as he said it, the moose sauntered out of the forest for another drink. I am pretty sure it was the same one too. He wasn't very big. 

As you can see I didn't get as close to him this time. I gave him some space. Other people began to stop and this made the moose run into the forest again. This is a big thing here, to slow down and stop when you see someone else stopped on the side of the road. 9 times out of ten they're taking a bathroom break. We thought it would be funny just to stop somewhere and see how many people would pull off beside us.

So in hind-site I'm thinking maybe it wasn't the same moose? The earlier moose was more of a show boater. This guy was much more timid. 

We were sad to leave, but will definitely be back. I recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic getaway, or even a girl/spa getaway, heck I would go here on my own!

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Let the camping begin!

I made plans to take Shay to the Algonquin Couple's Resort for his birthday, but seeing as Algonquin is 4 hours away, we decided to make a weekend out of it and go up early to camp for the night. We kept a close eye on the weather, because it can make or break your camping experience in Algonquin. The last time we came here was with a group of ten or so people. It rained the entire time. By the end of the weekend, there were only four of us left, and to top it all off we saw no moose!

Shay and I were hoping for better, and the ride into the park did not disappoint! I saw my first moose! There are about 3000 moose in the park, and around this time of year they are easy to see around HWY 60 as they sip up the salty ditch water to ease their sodium deficiency. This guy let me follow him around a little, much to Shay's dismay.

Doe de doe doe doe

He was a little guy, a teenager maybe. Made some great slurping noises as he soaked up some ditch water for a growing highway audience.

I'm handsome

Me and My Moose!

We were stoked!

I wanted to find a campground that wasn't too hard to get to, as we were only staying the night and needed to get out to the East Gate for Sunday. Many of the sites are either closed because they are too wet, or they are first come first serve, which is risky to wait for on a long weekend in Ontario. I ended up booking a site at Rock Lake, Campground B. I had the choice of campground A, B or Coon Lake. I didn't realize it at the time but Rock Lake had flush toilets, and was very popular (few sites left to book online). I naively thought that popular meant a good campground. I booked site 86. Well when we arrived, site 86, which on the map appears to have a lot of space on each side, was tiny, lodged in between two other sites, with a road on either side of it. It was terrible. There were some other sites right on the water here, but the privacy was terrible, and there were lots of families. We headed back to the Gate with some other potential sites. The ranger was really understanding and showed me which sites were available of the ones we chose. She said that those campgrounds are very busy, and maybe we should check out Coon Lake as it is usually a little quieter. 

We drove over to check it out, and noticed it was mostly empty. The difference, outhouses instead of flushies. Not a problem for us! We chose a quiet site adjacent to the lake and set up camp. There were some bugs that interfered just a little.

We got the tent set up, and then had to sit in the car, the bugs were so bad! BLACK FLIES! I have never experienced black flies before, they are intense! They are little, and they swarm, and they do not fly away when you swat or shake. They bite! They take a little chunk out of your skin and you bleed. Ouch!

Waiting out the bugs!

Our neighbours showed up as we took a breather at the lake. I hadn't noticed at the time, but they had brought a baby with them. They set up a tent and had put out a playpen, then had to sit in the car as they became overwhelmed with bugs. They left the tent and playpen and took off. We were hoping they would pack it in, as I wasn't up for crying black fly bitten baby all night, but they eventually returned with mosquito netting jackets. Oh well.

A brief still moment in front of the tent we bought on the way up from Walmart. I don't know why we go into Walmart, it always makes me angry. We bought this tent because our old car camping tent is on it's last legs, and we could use a replacement. This one, a Ventura, was only $50!! Well you certainly get what you pay for. The zippers were weak, the velcro was sewn on with a single stitch, and the poles were so skinny, a light breeze could have blown it over. We would not be keeping it!

Shay got a fire going, and the smoke did help alleviate some of the bugs. We walked over to the lake and ran in. It was cold! But there was no way we were camping without swimming in the lake. Coon Lake is a nice shallow lake. I imagine in August it is quite warm. In May it is refreshing to say the least.

We cooked our dinner over the fire, and headed over to the lake to take some pictures of the sun setting over the lake.

We relaxed a little after chatting with our neighbours. She a teacher, and he doing something at Hydro One. This would be baby's first night in a tent. Oh joy. Despite some early crying, she did manage to get to sleep, and slept through the night which was impressive. We on the other hand, had a little more trouble. Shay didn't want to wear the hat I packed for him and woke up freezing. Our mattress had a leak as we slowly sunk closer to the ground, and our cheap tent was difficult to get in and out of for any mid-night washroom breaks. Car camping is fine, it's easy, you can pack a lot, sleep on a mattress, and eat and drink to your heart's content, but some of the people it attracts, makes it less enjoyable for the avid camper. We pretty much decided that we won't be planning anymore solo car camping trips for awhile. It's just not relaxing.

The rain began in the morning. The forecast had said no rain until Monday. It was wrong. It also said no bugs. But the bugs were buzzing. Apparently the ranger said they had just started that day. Sunday morning was wet, but it wasn't going to dampen our spirits. We made a delicious birthday breakfast for Shay, gluten free BLT's, egg/bacon/cheese English muffins, and Udi blueberry muffins, complete with candle! (picture coming soon). We had to eat in the car as we waited out the rain, but it was still fun.

Morning Birthday breakfast

The rain let up, and we packed up. We had big plans for the day. We cleaned up in record time, and headed out to do some hiking. The rain wasn't heavy, little droplets here and there, so we made our way to Lookout trail.

Map of the park and trails.

In the guide, it says that Lookout Trail is 2.1km, a 3* of difficulty, and should take about an hour to complete. It is very hilly, and a little steep at times, but we still did it in about 28 minutes. We stopped to take pictures too.

The Lookout

The second trail we did was right across from the Rock Lake turnout. Big Pines is about 2.9km, and is rated as 2* of difficulty. There are warnings at this trail stating that it could take as long as 2 hours to complete. It's features are an 1800's abandoned logging camp and old tall pines. We finished it in about 45 minutes. We actually found this trail to be a little more challenging than The Lookout as it has a lot of roots, and rocks littering the foot path. You can't walk without looking down to check your footing. A good little hike!

.  

We stopped at Spruce Bog so that Shay could get some footage for an accessibility video he's working on. This trail is on a boardwalk, and is somewhat accessible for those with strollers or wheelchairs. There are toilets at this hike.

No trip to Algonquin is complete without a visit to the Visitor's Centre. Ahh dioramas! I am interested to come back in August for the Wolf Howls.

Many Meese, Moosen

Despite the bugs and rain we had a great time. We were very excited to have seen a moose, and the rough night and rain were only going to make the couple's resort all the more enjoyable!

Niagara On The Lake, Ontario

What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than a jet boat ride down the Niagara River? That's what I was thinking. We planned a secret adventure day for our mom's, and told them nothing about it. They needed to dress comfortably, and not eat too much right before we picked them up. Some mom's like surprises. My mom Linda, says she does. Shay's mom Linda sometimes doesn't, but I think deep down she does! They were in for a treat!

We picked up the Linda's at their respective homes and headed towards the lake. First stop, Picard's Peanuts. This was a surprise enjoyed by all. If you aren't familiar with the Niagara area then you might not know about a particular snack shop called Picard's. Here you will find ice cream, fudge, chips, a variety of chocolate and chocolate covered snacks, and the delectable chip nut. This is a delicious peanut, covered in a delicious chip coating, covered in a delicious chip flavour. They have every flavour imaginable and free samples to boot. Once you have sampled the chip nut there is no going back, so stock up!     

Can you spot the photo bomber?

After many samples, loon calls, and photo ops, we were off to our next destination. Shay's Linda, knew the area, so as we continued heading toward the water, she knew we were headed for Niagara on the Lake. She kept guessing as to what the surprise might be, but we kept telling her no! Then as we approached the water, and signs for Whirlpool Jetboating Tours, she made the comment, "It's not Jet boating! You will not get me on a jet boat!" Little did she know...

Two very apprehensive Linda's await the boat...

So you may be wondering, why the pictures of Jackets and Hoodies? It was an hommage to Shay's sister Jordin and her husband Brad. We couldn't resist.

So we wanted to plan an adventure for our moms. We like doing fun things, and we like hanging out with our moms, so what better than planning something fun to do with our moms?? They have a wet jet boat and a dry jet boat. It was only 9 degrees and somewhat stormy, and even if it was 30 degrees and clear skies, there would be no way our moms would want the wet boat. After experiencing the "dry" boat, I don't think I could handle the wet either.

So the dry boat promises a fun, safe, dry race through the rapids of the Niagara river, with some 360 degree turns, level 5 rapids, and historical sites. 

Not our boat...

Linda's in front of the Dry Dome boat

 The tour guides hand you jackets, gear you up, and get you onto the boat. They take your picture, and sell it to you for 20 dollars. Or you can pass your camera to the people in line behind you, and have them take your picture for free!

They putter around the harbour, windows open, explaining some of the forts and sites as you slowly pass through. Then they close the windows...to the best of their ability, and do some racing and spinning.

We were concerned when the windows weren't closing properly at the beginning. The 'window girl' was new, and didn't quite have the hang of it. After the first spin, the windows were opened again which was ok, because after the spin, a little fresh air was a relief. Then they would close them and we would drive towards the rapids. Going through the rapids in a dome covered jet boat is different. When you hit the rapids, you cannot see as the water pours over top of the boat. It can be disorienting. And the so-called 'dry' boat, leaked through the roof, just a little. There was a steady drizzle above my head after each plunge. But it was tolerable.

Get ready for liftoff!

So, the rapid racing, and spinning were fun. The guide was young, and enjoyed commentating the event, and refrencing various Will Ferrel movies. The windows would open after each jaunt through the rapids, so the guide could re-tell everything that just happened. Well, apparently the water was wilder that day, but as our guide was mid-story, the boat hit a wave sideways, while the windows were up, and water surged through, knocking the guide over, and soaking the right side of the boat. The floor was now covered in water, and it was necessary to keep your feet up to keep from soaking your shoes.

Shay and the Linda's were amazing sports. The guide laughed it off and and the kids on the boat thought it was great. We went through a few more rapids, and the front left side of the boat got a face full of water through one of the windows that hadn't closed properly.

Close the windows!!!

In their defence, it was an extremely rough day, it was stormy, and I assume the girl on the windows was new, at least he kept telling us that (which did not bode well for our confidence in him).

We eventually made it back safely, our feet a little wetter, and got off the boat. It was here that we saw how wet some of us actually got. My Linda and I weren't too worse for wear. Shay's Linda was a little wet in the seat, and Shay took the brunt of it, and was soaked in the rear. The four older people in the seats behind us were completely soaked. We wouldn't have cared so much, if they had told us to bring a change of clothes or be prepared to get wet, but this was the dry tour, and we had plans for the rest of the very cold day, and no dry clothes. 

We didn't want to be complainers, because it was an adventure (even though I was the woosiest after reaching dry land), but the Whirlpool company was great. They were extremely apologetic and refunded the tickets for everyone who got wet!

So onwards to the rest of the day.

Outside the Irish Tea Room

We dried off with some hand dryers in the bathroom, drank the complimentary hot chocolate and headed out to the shops. Niagara On The Lake is known for Chocolatiers -mainly fudge, and little artisan shops. We visited Greaves Jams and Marmalades, a favourite of the Linda's, a few other trinket shops, and The Irish Tea Room, which is a store of souvenirs from Ireland, that has a cafe at the back. It is definitely worth waiting for. This cafe has delicious teas and ciders, and a bountiful array of gluten free desserts and lunches. My mom and I split a chicken curry potato Boxty (a potato crepe with chicken curry inside) and bought gluten free lemon cheesecake to go, which was unbelievable and barely made it home.

After a run through the rain, and hail, we made it to Zee's Grill at the Shaw Spa and Hotel for dinner, directly across from the Shaw Theatre. We were a little worried given the fact that we made a patio reservation several weeks earlier when the weather was more cooperative, but the veranda was pleasantly cheerful, completely covered, with heaters at table intervals so we were comfortable.

The menu was very tasty. We sampled the cheese and chacuterie to start. A variety of meats and cheeses with some delicious housemade mustards, and maple and fig preserves. We shared the mussels and a couple salads -the compressed watermelon and strawberry salad and the garden vegetable. All very good. I believe most foods, especially the meats, cheeses and vegetables arelocally  sourced. For mains, the ladies all went for Lobster Poutine. If there is a poutine main on the menu I have to try it. This one did not disappoint. It was right up there with the Gnocchi poutine at Mildred's Temple Kitchen in Toronto. Shay had the halibut, and said it was decent, not as good as the mussels, but decent.

We sampled the chocolate truffels and dipped strawberries, and could not eat another ounce of food. We carried ourselves back to the car, and returned the Linda's safely. A very fun adventure indeed!