Happy birthday to me!
Things got off to a bit of a slow start, as I started to wake up around 4 or 5, for reasons I don’t understand. I was tired and awake at the same time. It was rough. I managed to eke a bit more sleep until just before 7 when I finally peeled myself out of bed and went for the coffee I heard Cathy putting on.
The adventure of the day was set last night: Elora. It’s a town I’ve only ever heard of, which appears to be really nice and quaint. Along the way, we’d stop in Fergus (10 minutes to the east along the Grand River) and the Halton Radial Railway Museum (also known as the Streetcar Museum).
Cathy again drove us. Off we went up Sixth Line, jogging east on Derry to Trafalgar, then to the 401 and west.
I know I’ve said this a lot, but holy cow this area has changed in the years I’ve been gone. The 401 has collector lanes in Milton. MILTON! The collectors didn’t used to go much past the airport when I was younger, now they’re a full 50 kilometers further west. It’s insanity…
Right, Collector Lanes. You might not understand this if you’re not in the Greater Toronto Area, or don’t have a particularly large highway/freeway/motorway in your area. I don’t think they’re unique to Toronto, but I’ve not seen these elsewhere. Highway 401 (also known as the Macdonald Cartier Highway) is a big highway. To aid the flow of traffic, it’s broken into two parts throughout the GTA: Express lanes in the middle to encourage flow, and Collector lanes at the sides to help with exiting and entering 401 from on ramps and off ramps, and entering and exiting the Express lanes at various points. The two areas are separated with concrete dividers.
This has the effect of making the 401 quite wide. Where we got on today, it’s 14 lanes – three collectors on each side, and four express lanes each for east- and westbound traffic. In the widest part, across what was once the “top” of Toronto, the 401 can be 20 lanes or more. And during rush hour, that’s usually at a dead stop in all lanes.
Milton’s changed, too. I barely recognized anything along the highway as we jostled for position with a traffic load far higher than anything I’ve ever seen. I only recognized the James Snow Parkway by its name, it’s now so much larger than it was when I used to pass under it on my way to Waterloo back in the 90s.
We headed north on Guelph Line, aiming for the museum. Along the way, we spied multiple old barns, beautiful old brick and stone farm houses, and plenty of newer homes built by people with too much money and not enough care for the aesthetic.
The museum, however, was closed due to the smoke pollution. I was disappointed, but I could understand – most of these sorts of things are operated by retirees, and the bad air would affect them far more. I’m sure my family were relieved I wasn’t going to subject them to trains today.
We continued north until we hit the Grand River, then jogged west and into Fergus.
Fergus, very much a Scottish-founded town that embraces its heritage, is a quaint place populated with old stone buildings from the latter quarter of the 1880s. The main strip – St. Andrews – features several stunning examples of buildings not only preserved from then, but extremely well-maintained, as well. It as nigh-devoid of tourists, so we had the place nearly to ourselves as we waltzed about.
One stop was a chocolate shop – largely to get the taste of the not-really-a-chocolate-factory we visited yesterday out of our mouths – which still had the original tin ceiling. The woman who owned the store gave us the history, along with a strong recommendation for lunch.
The original idea had been to go to Elora for lunch. I’d spotted a couple of places on the map that looked reasonable. However, when a local is quite adamant that you eat at a nearby place (and it happens to be approaching noon), you take their recommendation. And I’m really glad we did.
If the Goofy Newfie isn’t owned and operated by East Coasters, I’ll be shocked. The massive menu screams Maritimes and does not disappoint. (It’s now 10:30pm and I’m still full from lunch.) Being on a patio next to the weirs and rapids in the Grand was quite a nice touch, too.
After lunch we headed the extra 10 minutes west to Elora. It was settled around the same time as Fergus. Many stone buildings remain in Elora as well, which continue to this day. It’s at the head of the Elora Gorge, a deep cut in the limestone rock as the Grand River weaves its way along the west side of the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Erie.
The Gorge is likely why the Elora sawmill was founded, as it partially dammed the river for power. The Mill itself was saved after it closed, later turned into a hotel, which after it was featured by a TikTok’er, the rates shot up to start at $700/night. That said, looking online, the place is gorgeous.
Finding a parking spot not far from the main strip, we went off for a slow saunter. I say “slow” because we were still packed from lunch. We found the Elora Distillery, which was genuinely fantastic, but I couldn’t stomach much (again, lunch). Down to the river, Alex and Cathy spotted a lavender store. I went to the river to look.
The Sweet Delights had a large selection of Kawartha ice cream, including the just-released Tragically Chip: maple whiskey, chocolate, and cherry. I’m not one for cherry in ice cream, but that was darn delicious.
After scoring Alex some gin from the distillery, we headed to what’s called Lover’s Leap, a lookout over the Gorge, before we all packed it in. The drive home was quiet – yes, lunch – and Apple Maps decided the best way was to put us on the edge of Guelph. Traffic heading east wasn’t too bad; heading west was a parking lot. Cathy very correctly said: “You couldn’t handle it here, anymore.”
And she’s right. I don’t think I could. I’ve been spoiled with lack of traffic in the west. Yes, Calgary has traffic, but no-one in Calgary who hasn’t experienced traffic around Toronto has a clue how bad it can get. And it’s gotten really bad in the 28 years since I left.
We didn’t eat dinner. We didn’t need to. Alex made me a Guinness birthday cake, which I love. Choo Choo got me a Cookie Monster pin. Cathy found a set of the Far Side Collection, a double-edition hardcover of every Far Side comic. It’s gorgeous. It’s nearly 9 kgs. There’s no way my bag is going to be underweight.
It was, all said, a great day. It might not have gone entirely to plan, but it was loads of fun, and spending more time with my family is always good.
Tomorrow: Toronto.
