Toronto Biking Weekend 2004 . . . . . . . Return to "Biking Events"

July 16-18, 2004

The weekend was fabulous! It rained on Friday on the Ferry over but the sun was shining by 1 pm, the time of our first ride. The Ferry trip was great! The only downside was getting through Customs, especially on the American side, which took well over an hour. You also have to be there 45 minutes to an hour before the Ferry leaves, making the total time for the trip quite long. Per Barb W., the "2-1/4 hour ride flew by".

On Friday, we took our bikes on the small ferry to the Toronto Islands and spent most of the afternoon riding there. We saw the unique cottages on Wards Island, toured around Center Island and had an ice cream stop. As we were cycling to Hanlan's Point we passed a sign for a clothes-optional beach so a few of us investigated and found that in fact it was clothes-optional. We arrived on Wards Island and returned to the mainland from Hanlan's Point. We did 20 miles on Friday.

Friday evening we had dinner at the "Marché Movenpick Restaurant". It was a very unique and fun experience. You are given a card when seated and then you go to the various stations to pick out what you want. They stamp your card and then you pay on the way out. There were at least 10 stations with seafood, meat, vegetables, pastas, desserts, coffee and tea, a bar for drinks, an oyster bar, etc. The food was good and it was a nice place for a large group of people, although noisy.

It was beautiful day on Saturday and we did our planned ride of 40 miles. We rode along the lakeshore past Ontario Place then went to High Park. We continued on to Humber Park, past Lambton Golf Course, and up to Raymore Park where we stopped for the lunch that we each carried with us. We saw many beautiful gardens on this ride, stopped for an ice cream on the way back, then went to the Music Fest in the Distillery section.

On Saturday evening a group of us went to dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Yorkville with violin players who serenaded us while we ate. On Sunday morning it was raining, so a small group walked to Kensington market, through Chinatown, then went to the Art Gallery of Ontario and saw the special exhibit on Turner, Whistler and Monet. We were going all the time, and I arrived home exhausted around 11pm, but I had a great time and many great memories.

Further reporting according to other members of the group. Huggers were welcomed by three city-employed bicyclists who provided an escort to the hotel. Although Toronto lacks a Ferry terminal, this service was appreciated. The "Music Fest" was an outdoor jazz fest with dancing girls in Mardi Gras attire (not much on if you’ve seen some of the guy’s pictures). While waiting to depart, the group saw a number of antique cars unloading upon return from a Syracuse car show. On the return trip, a few posed for "windy" pictures on deck while the Ferry was at full speed. Also, regrets to Jim W. who had his bike stolen, despite the lock, while at the music fest.
- Ann S.

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Last modified: August 26, 2004