Funny Picture

Studs on the tires and craziness in the heart - get ready #Toronto for another round of racing bikes on ice. The Dufferin Grove Park skating rink becomes a slippery race track with singles and tandem bikes running where only people on skates are usually found. The fun starts with a meetup at 6:30 pm, then the racing goes from 7-10 pm. The 12th annual bike couriers race offers spills, chills and hopefully some great costumes - you can see more photos from the 2012 race on my post here.

If you like to beat the big city crowds, have I got the place for you, wait for it, wait for it; the Toronto Islands in the season I like to think of as 'damn, it's not summer!' You won't have to fight the crowds jamming into a ferry, in fact you won't even have to waste time deciding which ferry to catch as they really only go to Ward's Island on the east side of the island chain.
It is fun to wander the paths and boardwalks that run throughout the extensive parklands. On our recent weekend tour we brought our bicycles to make the exploration a little faster and it worked out well because of the lack of snow. We watched a large crowd of athletes playing winter league play of Frisbee golf on the official disc golf course (I love the disc golf pull cart/seats). You can also go on the clothing optional beach at Hanlan's Point with a high probability that you won't see anyone on the beach, let alone an unclothed person. In addition to Far Enough Farm you can look at the empty Centreville Amusement Park which will re-open again in the spring.
I found the large metal sculptures fascinating. The dragons were set in the ground and several others leaned against the tennis court fence near the Ward's Island ferry terminal. Upon closer examination the sculptures were fitted with gas piping which leads me to believe that fire is somehow involved in their use. To the Google: Occasional Toronto says they were made by island resident Bruce Smith, and were included in the Rogue Wave outdoor art and sculpture festival which begins in September - I am unsure if it is scheduled for 2013 (if someone knows please leave a message).

Centreville Amusement Park sleeps in the winter but the nearby animals at the #Toronto Islands zoo keep company with a multitude of ducks during the off season. The animal collection is open to visitors year round from 8 am to 4 pm. Remember that in the winter season the Island Ferries only go to Ward's Island so you have to walk or ride your bike from Ward's Island to get to Centre Island. Also most, if not all, of the public washrooms on the Islands are closed in winter so plan ahead.

My fave was the peacocks - see more of the colourful birds after the jump.

The first annual #Toronto Nude Beach Festival was a bust today as people flocked away from the Islands for some unknown reason. Held during the first Saturday in February, smack dab in the middle of winter, at Toronto's clothing optional beach at Hanlan's Point. Sadly, the entertainment and food tents came down without any sales to speak of.
I was alone on the sandy and frozen beach sand on February 2nd, sad, as I was the event organizer, yet still looking forward to next year's coed event. Reminder, bring some heaters, outdoor fireplaces and thermal socks.

#Toronto's little jewel on the lake sits lonely and blue waiting for the province to decide what to do with the property. The Government of Ontario announced in February of 2012 that the revitalization of the 155 acre site would require the closure most of the attractions like the waterpark, restaurants and the giant golf ball known as the Cinesphere. One of the first rumours was that a potential Toronto casino might fit right into the proposed attractions (it has also been suggested that the casino could go in nearby Exhibition Place).
"Ontario Place would like to thank our guests who have visited over the past 40 years. Thank you for your loyalty and we look forward to 2017 when we celebrate the new Ontario Place." The park was opened to visitors in 1971.