After much research (spending a hour looking at a couple websites) I have some observations about the state of roadside attractions in Ontario
- we've got way more than I expected, and I can grab some new ones even on trips I've made dozens of times
- we (governments, private businesses and individuals) really like to build inukshuks. We probably shouldn't be doing that. I'm generally leaving them off my list.
- there are four giant coins, three are real currency, all are extremely accessible and I'm very excited
- there are so many giant Muskoka chairs, there must be a war on for who can get the largest (someone claims the largest in Northern Ontario to save themselves some trouble. If you can't sit in the chair, it's worthless as a photo
- there are many many many moose, bear and walleye
- there are more cows than you'd expect
- there are a lot of dinosaurs, usually at mini put
- St. Thomas has a Jumbo the elephant statue that I simply must visit
- Wawa apparently has three goose statues these days
I also found lists for other provinces, if I can ever make it more than 100km from Lake Huron
From the comments
Britta: I want to see the big coins
James Petrosky: Britta there's a nickel in Sudbury, a place I go and go through regularly, a loonie and a toonie along the routes to see other things (my brother in Ottawa, for the toonie, and the Wawa geese for the loonie). The last is a gold coin way up by the Quebec border in Northern Ontario, which is probably not going to happen.
James Petrosky: I've been to The Big Nickle maybe four or five times over my life, and until I realized there was a set I needed to complete I wasn't going to go back đ
James Petrosky: I can't find a photo I like (one with a human for scale) but the coin itself is 30ft tall (9.1m, it was built before metrification). I always forget how big it is
Monica: If one of the websites you looked at wasnât Atlas Obscura, I recommend taking a look. Lots of weird things to see and do
James Petrosky: Monica I've used it in the past, but it's Ontario coverage is sadly pretty poor. In Toronto and Ottawa it isn't bad, though
James Petrosky: Monica Bell I must have been searching badly because it's got way more junk than I remember now
James Petrosky: If anyone knows cool shit between Kitchener, Ottawa and Elliot Lake, I'm all ears. I already won't get to everything in my notebook (maybe even if I had ten years, BC is far, after all), and I'm finding the idea of possibilities really pleasant right now.
Geoffrey: I always thought this was interesting: top 100 unusual things to see in ontario - Google My Maps
James Petrosky: Geoffrey I've been to a small number of these. The Rideau Canal is pretty easy, Nicholson, Ontario (an hour drive and half hour boat ride outside of Chapleau) is quite another.
Anyways I'm saving this so because there's lots of neat stuff here
Did you know that I find carillons to be one of the coolest non synth instruments? Did you know there was one in the Peace Tower? I didn't! But parliament's centre block is under renovations and it isn't presently in use. So I need you all to leave out hardhats and reflective vests for the construction gods because I need to get to listen to it.
From the comments
James Petrosky: There are ten other carillons in Canada, all but two are in southern or eastern Ontario. So my goal is to get the nine easy ones. Montreal might be possible. Victoria is unlikely.
I genuinely thought that there were a handful in the states, largely in the original states, and that was it for North America. I didn't even think to look for more đŽ
There is no desernable improvement in my incision healing over the past few days, but I've learned that's the wrong time scale to measure it. Since it isn't infected, or seperating to an alarming rate (we have a home care nurse three times a week, monitoring it), it's best for me to really look at it once a week. You can see the improvement on that timescale.
Much more importantly and excitingly, the reintroduction of previously forbidden foods continues. Tomatoes and pickles are still out, but I enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger with the works, less those toppings, today. It was magnificent. Relish was the major addition, but onion was also forbidden until recently. Photos are from the lunch spot in Spanish, Ontario, at my favourite chip truck north of the French River (aka in Northern Ontario).
Today my mother and I visited one of my cousins (with his parents), which means that today officially kicks off me working through my activity list. He's got some ducks and chickens, two delightful dogs and four wonderful cats. Genuinely, the sort of life I'd have loved to have. I've got no pictures, and forgot all the names but one, because there was a mighty orange cat named Doug, and I spent most of my animal time with him. We'd all be lucky to have a cat as aggressively friendly as Doug.
Given my limitations and situation, which is going to be a caviet implicit in anything I say from here on out, today couldn't have gone better, or been more enjoyable. I saw people I wanted to see, ate one of my favourite sorts of food, pushed myself as hard as I have since the surgery, and pet lots of cats.
The appointment with my oncologist, like the sword of Damocles, hangs over all this. I'm starting to build anxiety about it. I tell myself that anything I learn doesn't suddenly become true by me learning it, and that whatever my fate is has been true since the evening of June 9th, after we all learned the surgery had been cancled, and realistically, also true on the second of August, last year, and perhaps further back, depending on how you feel about free will and cosmic determinism. August second is as far as I dare go.
I look forward to becoming more forward facing, hopefully the appointment will help for that.
From the comments
James Petrosky: If any of you ever find yourself traveling the north shore of Georgian Bay, in a little town called Spanish, right on King's Highway 17, is a chip truck called Lucky's. Extremely strong recommend from me.
They use chicken gravy for their poutine, which is unconventional and not to everyone's taste, but it's the best chicken gravy option I know.
Nancy: Doug
Coke Dreamworld Zero tastes like someone mixed regular Coke and Inca Kola, but with an unpleasant artificial sweetener taste. Here's hoping I can find regular to give it a go
From the comments
James Petrosky: I encourage everyone to try Inca Kola if they can find it, it's a touch too sweet but deliciously citrusy and refreshing
Lina: Yeah, love Inca cola. Reminds me of this soft drink we had in Venezuela called Frescolita, it was red and like 100% sugar lol
James Petrosky: Lina I need to find a South American grocer somewhere and hope they have these pops
Gillian: The Dreamworld Coke tasted like they just mixed the leftover flavors from their other drinks and tossed them into regular Coke.
James Petrosky: Gillian honestly that sounds like my jam
Carolyn: James Petrosky you should definitely visit the Coca Cola museum then!
James Petrosky: Carolyn where is that?
Carolyn: James Petrosky Atlanta, Georgia, USA- they have a âtasting roomâ with all the flavors from around the world and some are gnarly
James Petrosky: Carolyn it's on the remission list
Ryan: It tasted like mango and a hint of guava to me. I like Inca Kola, but I wish they had a less caloric version in my town.
Tu: I thought it tasted like peaches! And Iâve occasionally found Inka Cola in the âLatin foodsâ section of large grocery stores. I always thought it tasted like bubblegum!
James Petrosky: Tu the parts I'm from don't have good Latin sections, unfortunately
James Petrosky: Not going to lie, didn't particularly enjoy regular variety. But I did find some Coke Quebec Maple and that was very nice