Staycation day six: verdict awesome

Whew.  What a day.  I didn't manage to get a lot of things struck off my list of things to do, but here's a little bit of what I did do:

Little parkette at the Roundhouse Park has a little play train... cute!

I moseyed on down to the Roundhouse Park to plant my Steam Whistle letterbox and spent a lot of time searching and exploring.

It's almost cliched to say that you like letterboxing because it takes you to places you never would have been, but it's even true to say that when you're planting! I'd never been to this park - even though I have been to the brewery a number of times - but never explored the roundhouse. 

It's amazing, worth the visit, and I'm glad I was finally able to plant my box there (well, near there - that place doesn't really provide any options).

Delicious Steam Whistle - you get a free drink if you visit.  My friend's condo was nearby.  We visited.  A lot.

 Immediately across the street is the CN Tower and I went over to see if I could finally nab Big Blue Team's CN Tower letterbox that I was thwarted from last year.  Well, with the construction of the new Aquarium of Canada (I can't wait to visit when it's open, but what a stupid name), the whole area where the box was planted is gone. So, unless BBT has swooped in for an early rescue, this one may be a goner.  Oh, well.

I love aquariums, so exciting! The orange and yellow thing is the aquarium, seen from the miniature railyard in the Round House Park.

It used to say "Opening Spring 2013".  Then it said summer.  Now it just says 2013...

I headed up Spadina and nipped in to the Global Village Backpacker's Hostel and was finally able to get the box there. The bemused Aussie behind the desk almost instantly knew what I was talking about, but noted repeatedly that he didn't understand the game.  His loss ;)  Great letterbox - I was very happy to see such a nice box being left by a letterbox traveller...

Anyways, because I was already in the area, I continued north and stopped into Kensington Market for a quick visit (quick because I might be heading back in again this weekend).  Cute shops and grilled cheeses were had!

Hopped a streetcar and made my way west to the Monkey's Paw - the coolest used book store in the city.  Seriously.  I would love to know how this guy sources all his used books.  Very interesting stuff.  And this cool thing: the Bibliomat.  Then visited Trinity Bellwoods park to see if I could spot the elusive white squirrel(s) and then nipped into the Graven Feather which, based on their website and what I saw in store (gallery?), is almost like a high end letterbox making store.  They just don't know it. 

Back on the streetcar and stopped into the Hudson's Bay (they're not going by "the Bay" anymore, you know) and used a gift card I had to buy a really nice canvass Hudson's Bay tote.  I took a much needed break after this then headed out to my first culinary arts class - 12 weeks and I'm guaranteed to be able to cook something!  Then I came home and flopped into bed.  All in all, I walked over 11 kms today. 

Meanwhile, when I checked in just now to my blog to write this post, it looks like my blog was hard at work today as well! In the last day, I hit an all-time high visitor count of just shy of 150 visits.  Whaaaaat?  Usually, I get 10ish a day - higher on days I post, pretty darn high just after last year's Box ON, and my former highest just before Hallowe'en for my movie posts (lots of Google traffic). 

Not sure where all the traffic is coming from, although about 30 hits this week came from a forum on another site for my how-to post on creating a piano hinge book.  I've tried to look at the forum who has been checking out my blog so I can pipe up and say hello but I'm waiting on membership approval (really?).  If you've somehow come here from that site, let me happily say: howdy!

Anyways, I think I'm going out of town for some letterboxing tomorrow. Depends on how I feel in the morning.

Happy trails!