Local Secrets, Big Finds - OntarioLocal Secrets, Big Finds - Ontario

Local Secrets, Big Finds - Ontario

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View 2007 Local Secrets, Big Finds
Get in on the Secret
A few stunts that the qualified staff might teach you include: swinging trapeze, stationary trapeze, flying trapeze, trampoline, tight wire, aerial skills, juggling, and bungee acrobatics. Read more.

Henry's Fish Restaurant
Parry Sound

705.746.9040
Head to Henry's Fish Restaurant on Frying Pan Island, from "Victoria Day to Labor Day," for some of the best seafood and fries. Because it is located on an island, "it is only accessible by water." Visit in the "warm summer months" when the "journey by boat is most enjoyable." Fresh fish, fries, baked beans, and hearty desserts--served family style--are the specialties. There is an outdoor patio with picnic tables set up in the outbuilding. The atmosphere is extremely friendly, and you'll often find Paul and Joanne Elliot, Henry's owners, mingling with the diners or out catching fish.

The Hoito
Thunder Bay

807.345.6323
Dining at the Hoito is like traveling to Finland for a meal because they serve "the best Finnish cuisine around." Endless authentic Finnish specialties are on the menu, like "salted fish and other such treats," and their Finnish pancakes "are the best." This is a co-op business, and all of the employees are members, which might explain why "it is so good, and so cheap." Plus, "the people are really friendly."
Local Secrets, Big Finds - Ontario

Hot Belly Mama's
Peterborough

705.745.3544
Hot Belly Mama's is a restaurant with "home-cooking flair" and late-night appeal. The menu is full of "authentic Cajun and Creole cooking," just like what you'd find in New Orleans. "The ribs and po' boy sandwiches are excellent, and the pecan pie is great." The atmosphere is friendly, and the decor is "interesting." Watch your noggin as you walk through the doorway, because there is a casket overhead. There are lots of "pictures and posters from New Orleans" on display, accompanied by "musical instruments that are mounted on the walls."

Lakeside Park Carousel
Port Dalhousie

905.934.1221
Five cents won't get you far, but it will get you a ride on the antique Lakeside Park carousel in Port Dalhousie. This historic carousel was carved in New York, housed in Toronto, and is now one of 58 attractions in Lakeside Park. It is "over 50 years old" and "has been restored from its original condition by the Friends of the Carousel," a non-profit organization dedicated to the carousel's upkeep. They conduct tours, and they once hand carved and painted a replacement for the lion that had been missing for 30 years. With 68 animals in four rows, the carousel is a marvel to look at and ride. Read more.

The Cat House
Ottawa

613.239.5000
Just past the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is the Cat House, a sanctuary for "stray cats." Up to 28 cats live in two plywood structures that resemble the nearby Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings. Rene Chartrand, the cats' caretaker since 1987, constructed this mini-housing complex. He feeds the cats daily between 4pm and 6pm, which is also the best time for a visit. Plus, "it isn't unusual to see big-name politicians giving him a helping hand."
Local Secrets, Big Finds - Ontario

The Cook-E-Tree
Port Lambton

519.677.5827
Go to the Cook-E-Tree for the "best, freshest baked goods." If you had to have just one, try the "Persian" cookie, a "wonderful, moist donut with killer icing." Everyone raves about it--"one bite, and you're hooked!" This little bakery has been in the little town of Port Lambton for practically forever, with the same owner/baker. Although it's "nothing really fancy," you won't notice because "it's all in the taste of his baking!" And the taste is what counts.

El Convento Rico
Toronto

416.588.7800
The sign to El Convento Rico is discreet, but you can't miss the Blockbuster store next door. "Once a gay Latin club," it is now considered "Toronto's most mixed bar" and welcomes "people of all sexes and orientations." Wear "whatever you feel like" and "just be yourself." There's "great mixed music, everyone is cool, and no one cares who or what you are." The drag show is fabulous--"very interactive." Read more.

Elora Gorge
Elora

519.846.9742
Elora Gorge in the Grand River Valley makes for a "great day trip in the summer and fall." This spectacular natural wonder is made of limestone, "cut out by water action." It's 22-meters high with riverside trails and scenic overlooks surrounding it. Fly-fishing, swimming, and kayaking are a few of the diverse recreational activities at your fingertips. Plus, to balance all the outdoor excitement, there are "great shops, restaurants, inns, and B&Bs." Read more.

Flying Trapeze lessons at the Toronto School of Circus Arts
Toronto

416.935.0037
Luckily the ceilings at the Toronto School of Circus Arts are 40-feet high, so you'll have plenty of space to fly. Since 1985, people from the general public have been participating in this "unique sporting adventure." Sign up for flying trapeze lessons, and you'll learn to "fly safely through the air and do acrobatic tricks."
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