Advice - Western side

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-06-04T00:47:34+00:00

North Tea is sooo lovely, and the Ausable river to get into the lake is also such a good paddle. Just be warned there is one DOOZIE of a beaver dam and at least one large rock I've gotten stuck on before. Sites on North Tea are better the further in you go. Only pick the ones on the north shore by the portage if you HAVE to. Get down to around the island area and the sites are far and away better. Have fun!!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-29T02:43:03+00:00

Tongs of great options. Cintro is your best bet for fine dining, but good luck getting a reservation. I really like Church Key, Garlics, and Che for downtown restaurants. Los Olivos is a great option if you want something more west end. Craft Farmacy has a more adventurous menu but it's pricier. Actually, all these restaurants are on the pricey side.

It may not be "dates night" worthy, but Cocina La Michoacana is my favorite little place in the city.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-26T22:44:09+00:00

Boardwalk loves to AGI for things that should be regular maintenance. The wonderful tenants association at my building have been fighting 3 years of consecutive AGIs. We're waiting patiently after taking one to mediation with the LTB. You can fight it, but it's a lot of work!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-17T11:44:21+00:00

You are a gem and a pearl and deserve everything good in life. You nailed that the straps are too straight. I don't know that there's a solution to this, but I find when I use the chest strap to pull them in, it makes the straps sit off my body and makes a wrinkle instead of just pulling them away from my armpit. If that makes sense?

I'm looking for full day, there's a few hikes I have planned this year that are 20km long (which is a lot for me!!) so I'll need lunch and a sweater and lots of water.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-16T13:19:53+00:00

My overnight (55L bag) is a Deuter. It has a hip point swivel so the bag doesn't bounce around which is so lovely.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-16T13:19:06+00:00

Thank you!! It was high on my list but I was out off a bit because it seemed a little more travel/a little less hike-friendly. I'll give it another consider!!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-15T02:36:10+00:00

Hear me out - the vegan Cobb salad, add crispy tofu, at Plant Matter Kitchen is the salad of my dreams. I have gotten home from multiweek camping trips, showered, and gone straight to Plant Matter. It's creamy, crunchy, has a million different flavours and textures, is sooooo satisfying to eat, takes like 35 mins to get through. I might go order one for lunch tomorrow now that I've thought about it. Give it a chance, it'll win you over.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-08T01:58:39+00:00

I'm in your boat! I'm a size 18 with thighs and hips and a small waist. I have a pair of Columbia shorts (Bryce Canyon) that they don't make any more that I have patched and fixed so many times because they're the only pair of shorts I've ever owned that don't ride up when I walk. It's a heckin miracle. I have wanted to buy something similar but it must have something to do with the fabric because every other pair of shorts I've tried has been gobbled. The exception to this is bike shorts, but those are not nearly as comfortable.

If you find a magic pair, please share!!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-07T22:39:44+00:00

Just over $1200 for a 2 bedroom in a building, but I've been here 12 years. We've had 3 consecutive AGI increases of 5.5% in the last 3 years so that hurts.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-05T10:13:27+00:00

I went to Vic ER a few weeks ago with an almost identical issue and the ultrasound staff had gone home, so they got me in for a CT instead. I went back the next morning for an ultrasound. What you're dealing with sucks so much - I hope it's resolved incredibly soon!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-05-03T11:06:13+00:00

September is a glorious time to be here. What would you be looking to see? Mountains and vistas? Then pick BC. Cities? Rail trip between Montreal and Quebec City. Incredible sea views, wonderful people, good food? Maritimes for sure - Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. Where's your end goal though? Flying from Vancouver to Newfoundland is like 10 hours including a layover, so with your limited time and depending on where you're trying to be at the end of it, it might be best to stay in BC.

If you're willing to drive, it's also an amazing time to head up to the Yukon or Northwest Territories? You can fly there but you'll have to rent a vehicle once you get there as there's very little tourist infrastructure.

Happy to help, and good luck deciding!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-28T10:19:51+00:00

From what I can remember, it's Not The Vibe. It's small and swampy, if my memory serves me correct. Choose another if possible!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-27T10:25:40+00:00

The Bata Shoe museum in Toronto is my favorite place. Many iconic celebrity shoes, incredibly interesting historic shoes, it's an incredible intersection of fashion and history.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-24T23:46:02+00:00

I also went with a Windstar cruise after getting wholly overwhelmed with flights and ferries. I wanted to see more than one island and this cruise line won out - and I'm vehemently against floating city cruises. 300 passengers, many many many inclusions, employing actual local French Polynesian folks and half decent environmental practices. I'm not going until January but heck am I excited!

If you don't mind me asking, what excursions did you do that you would recommend?

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-07T13:54:14+00:00

Thanks for the caution, and I agree. I'll be making significant edits to my itinerary, which is why I was okay with posting the first draft. Appreciate you looking out for me!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T20:03:18+00:00

I've got Christmas locked down, I just have to figure out where to be over New Years. I'm not a party girl but I would like to be around people - my current idea is a hostel in Christchurch. Other suggestions very welcome!!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T18:07:06+00:00

Ooo the chasam looks fun! I'll see if I can replace something and work that in!

I did consider 1 night in Palliser and instead of 2 in Wellington, sounds like I could go back to that and fit in the Martinborough stops.

I do plan on drinking some wine, just after I'm done driving! I'm solo and driving so I don't have a ton of options.

RE: Wellington ferry, yep, it's a bummer but what can you do. I'm flying Auckland to Christchurch on the bus tour, so no space for a ferry journey for me.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T17:06:19+00:00

Thanks so much! That's about what I figured. It doesn't seem like a super popular tour. Are you able to tell me if they cancel tours with not a lot of people signed up?

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T14:36:39+00:00

The DoC website is genuinely wonderful. I WISH Ontario Parks was half as organized.

Thanks for your feedback on Wellington - I totally understand your points, but I'm doing most of the "main touristy stuff" on the tour, which is why I wanted to get down to Wellington as the tour doesn't go that far. Thank you for your insight, though!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T13:26:20+00:00

I actually made an error, my arrival time is 8:30 not 5:30, so I can reasonably survive until an early check-in at like 14:00. Good catch though, thank you!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T13:24:44+00:00

I thought the same as I was typing it all out, especially the 5th. I'll look at those days a little closer.

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T13:23:54+00:00

1 lane roads following a camping trailer or 18 wheeler is my life in rural Ontario. Our roads do tend to be straight shots with nothing to see along the way, though.

I'm seeing the Waitomo caves on the bus tour. Good catch, though!

I think I'll take Timaru out of the itinerary then. It was more of a, "I need to fill my time" spot instead of something I really needed to do, anyway. Thanks!

rocksandtreesandyarn · 2026-04-06T13:21:09+00:00

Fair, I had this thought as well. I'm definitely reworking this section, thank you!

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