First letterboxing day of the long weekend: Toronto

Today, I got up way too early for a long weekend to make it downtown for an appointment to get my hair done.  Once I got that out of the way, it was time for some letterboxing! (Finally!)

The beautiful Music Garden in Toronto

First off, I drove to the bottom of Spadina, parked, and went in search of Music Garden by tapeheads.  The clue took me to a place I'd never been before: the Toronto Music Gardens.  It was beautiful and fantastic!  The clue was spot on, the gardens were beautiful, and despite being in a busy part of the city, tapeheads found a wonderful secluded spot to plant this box.  Bravo!

Next, I swam (swam because it was so bloody hot out - 40 C with the humidex and smog alerts galore) up Spadina and over to the Skydome to find another of tapehead's boxes, Chinese Railroad Memorial.  To be honest, I used to see this monument on a regular basis but I never knew what the monument was for.  Thanks to letterboxing, now I do.

I then crawled (okay, it was really hot and I was slowly disintegrating here) along Bremner to the CN Tower to give a try at Big Blue Team's CN Tower letterbox. I had been really worried about finding the right spot, but I found it really quickly.  However, there was  sentry guarding its location.  I tried to wait her out, but the time was ticking on my parking pass and I needed to get back.  After half an hour, I gave up.  I will return...

He's just sad he has no head.

After slithering back to my car, and letting it run with the AC on full blast for a little while, I drove on over to the Distillery District to find a new box from an out of town letterboxer, The Mayor.  The box in question was Toronto: Hogtown and it was waiting for me right where the clue said it would be.  Three cheers from out of town letterboxers!

Back in my car, I headed one more time down to the bottom of Cherry Street again to try again at the third box of the Shot in Toronto series - I found the first two over a year ago.  I was assured that the box was there and there have been subsequent finds on it, so I was eager to get rid of that red check mark on the box and get the remaining stamp for my logbook.  No good: I did not find the box, but I did find an angry nest of European Fire Ants.  And got bitten.  Four times.  Man they hurt.  Next time I try this box, it will be in the winter, I assure you.  [Apparently these things are getting worse here, more info here.]

Also, on my way home, I stopped into Currie's and found some delightful letterboxing supplies...

Tomorrow, Port Hope and beyond!  Happy trails!