The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Today, we went and visited BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The Mandir is Canada's first traditional Hindu place of worship. It is built in Vedic tradition which dates back many millenia. More than 95,000 cu. ft. of hand-carved marble, limestone and sandstone have been assembled without steel in the foundation or structure. Stone structures built in such tradition are known to last for hundreds of years.
24000 pieces of stone were hand carved in India by 400 volunteers for a total of 1000000 hours. All of these pieces were shipped to Toronto and reassembled to form the existing building. It is an amazing place of worship to visit. The hand carvings are incredible to see. The temple is located just off Finch Ave. in Toronto and is free to visit. A museum inside is also worth a visit. It tells of advancements in the sciences and mathematics of India that most people would not be aware of.
Teak from Burma is used in some areas as decorative carvings. A sense of peace and tranquility seems to be within the temple walls. It is worth the trip to experience a touch of what Hinduism is all about.

St. Thomas

Last summer, we visited St. Thomas. It is known for having Ontario's longest small town train station. It is 12 metres wide and 120 metres long. It was constructed in 1873 when a railway line known as the Canada Southern Railway (CSR), in reality, an American owned shortcut between Buffalo and Michigan, selected St. Thomas as a major divisional yard and repair facility.
In 1885, one of North America's most notable train accidents occured, when the Barnum & Bailey circus elephant Jumbo was killed by a freight train. A statue in town recalls the accident.
The train station has now become North America Railway Hall of Fame. Nearby the repair building has now become the Elgin County Railway Museum.
Also in the city are several murals painted on the sides of buildings. A lot of the murals deal with trains as the subject matter.
Wheher a train enthusiast or not, it is worth a visit to the town. It is a small picturesque place to visit.

Niagara Falls Greenhouse And Betty's Restaurant

     Today was Mother's Day and so I wanted to show my wife some fun things. We drove to Niagara Falls along the Niagara Parkway and went to visit one of the lesser known sites, the Niagara Greenhouse or more commonly known as the Floral Showhouse.  If you have never visited here, it is definitely worth a visit. Four times a year, they change their main display to reflect flowers that are in bloom at the time. Today's main flowers were hydrangeas. Also at the greenhouse, one room contains plants that are there year round.

     After visiting the greenhouse, we went further along the parkway into the town of Chippawa to one of our favourite spots, Betty's Restaurant. It is famous for its fish and chips or prime rib dinner. When there, try their pie for dessert which tastes home made. Check out the photos below and if you are ever in Niagara Falls, be sure to drop by one or both of these spots. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Stoneboats Restaurant in Bronte

      Stoneboats has been renamed to Yolanda's Spuntino Casa which roughly translates to Yolanda's House of Appetizers and Snacks. What makes this building interesting is what its walls are made from.
     In the 1840's, boats called stone-hooker boats, or stoneboats, using grappling hooks, lifted rocks and boulders, in particular well rounded and often flat shale from the shores of Lake Ontario from Whitby to Port Credit.
     The stone loads, known as toises, were loaded onto schooners and shipped to Toronto, where they were sorted by size according to usage. Smaller stones would be used for road ballast, flat stones for pavement, and large round stones would end up in building foundations. This is where the material came from to build Stoneboats.
      By the 1850's, more than 30 stone boats were in use, but farmers started to complain that the practice was eroding their farmlands, and in 1857, laws were enacted that boats could not work any closer than 30 metres from the shore.
     This, and the fact that concrete replaced stones in construction, the stone boats stopped scooping up the rocks from the lake bed. Not many of the original buildings exist. Stoneboats or should I say, Yolanda's is one of the few remaining. It was constructed from theses stones by a one-time stone boat captain, hence the name.
     It is located at 49 bronte Road in the picturesque village of Bronte which is now part of Oakville. It is designated a Heritage site and is worth a visit for a meal, a beer or whatever.
   

Belfountain Conservation Area

Last summer, we visited one of Ontario's most unusual parks known as the Belfountain Conservation Area. It was the creation of Charles W. Mack who is known as the industrialist who invented and then manufactured the cushion stamp.
When finished, the park contained a dam for swimming, a lookout point and a cave named Yellowstone that was converted into a chapel-like room and a suspension bridge across the river. The most noteworthy feature is a stone fountain with a bell on top, commemorating the name of the neighbouring village, Belfountain.
In 1955, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority purchased the property and varous hiking trails were added. The park lies in the village of Belfountain on the Forks of the Credit Road.

Ireland House at Oakridge Farm

Yesterday, we visited Ireland House in Burlington. It was built between 1835-1837 and was the home of Joseph Ireland, an English Immigrant and one of Burlington's earliest settlers. It was lived in by Ireland family descendants until 1987, when it was purchased by the city of Burlington to become its second museum.
The house is decorated in three eras of the Ireland occupancy, 1850's, 1890's and 1920's, each representing a time period one of the Ireland family resided there. It is well-preserved with all original possessions of the Irelands. It is located at 2168 Guelph Line in Burlington and is an important part of Burlington's history. It is well worth the trip and when there,make sure you take a tour by one of the knowledgeable guides.

Lowville Park

Located in north Burlington along Guelph Line is the small village of Lowville, and one of its highlights is Lowville Park. It is located on Bronte Creek and contains several acres with picnic areas, trails for hiking or snow shoeing in the winter, an area for tobogganning in the winter and play areas for children.
It is a relaxing area to come and just unwind for a couple of hours. Make sure you visit the ice cream store across from the park behind the Bistro.
Also of note in the park is a school house that was built in 1888. It has been designated as a Heritage Building that is now used for meetings and Boy Scout activities. Unfortunately, it is not open to the general public. In 1947, a parks maintenance building was added and also functions as a workshop.

Point Abino Lighthouse

Earlier this summer, we drove down to Fort Erie and visited a few areas. One of the most impressive things that we saw was the Point Abino Lighthouse. It is built of poured concrete and is unlike any other in Ontario. It is constructed in a style of architecture known as Greek Revival.
The lighthouse was completed in 1918, built to replace a light ship that was destroyed in a storm in 1913, killing all on board. A light-keeper's residence was added in 1921. No light house in Ontario is permanently staffed but most are still in use. Point Abino was the last to be automated.
The light house has been declared a National Historic Site, and in 2001, was purchased by the town of Fort Erie.
It is located on Lake Erie just west of Fort Erie. It is in a gated community, and is accessible only after you sign a waiver stating that you will remain on the roadway and not take any photos of peoples' properties. Be prepared for quite a walk. It is over a mile to the lighthouse. If going, take a bike with you, because they will allow you to cycle out to the site.
It is quite a trek to get there, but it is definitely worth it. No other lighthouse is like it and it is an interesting piece of Ontario history.

St. Jacobs Farmers' Market

A while back, we went to visit St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, about 3 km. outside St. Jacobs village. I was surprised to see how popular this place is. There must have been hundreds of people there. Dozens of local farmers sell their produce and a lot of them are Menonite and their baked goods are second to none. If you want to get any of these, best to get there early.
There is also a flea market there as well, so there is something for everyone. I recommend going to visit here, but it is not open every day and probably the outside market will soon be closed as summer ends. There is still an indoor market, but it is worth visiting when the outside market is open.

Black Creek Pioneer Village

Yesterday, we visited Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. It is a collection of over forty buildings     built in the 1800's and set up in a village setting. Volunteers are dressed in the time period and they are more than happy to share their knowledge of that time.
Craftsmen are in many of the buildings working on items thaat would have been available back then, some of the goods are even for sale in the gift shop.
For anyone interested in the history of the area, this is definitely worth the trip. It is easy to get to and is located just east of Jane near highway 400.
I have included  photos of some of the buildings. Below the photos is a link to many more.

www.pinterest.com/canuck120950/black-creek-pioneer-village

Walt Rickli Sculpture Garden

Recently, we went to the Walt Rickli Sculpture Garden, located in Lowville just north of Burlington. It contains several works carved in stone and a lot of the sculptures have running water, giving the area a calming effect.
Walt Rickli is a local artist who works in stone and the garden is located on his property. It is a sanctuary where people can go, stroll through the gardens and just relax and unwind a little.
Located on Guelph Line north of Burlington, the site is worth a visit.

Ruthven A Mansion in a Ghost Town

Ruthven Park is located at the site of a town which used to be called Indiana, which no longer exists. Throughout most of the 19th century, Indiana was a town that grew up around mills on the Grand River, with a canal and  locks nearby.
By the 1870's, railways arrived, and the wooden gates rotted and the locks filled with debris. In 1900, because of this, Indiana became a ghost town with fewer than two dozen inhabitants remaining. The only thing remaining of Indiana is the Ruthven mansion and the cemetery of the town.
The mansion was built of Indiana limestone, between 1845 and 1847. Four columns are situated at the front of the building, overlooking the Grand River. When we visited the site, we got to tour the building. It is need of repair, with quite a bit of work needed to restore it to its original condition. It is an ongoing work in progress.
In 1994, the building was declared a national historic site. It is an interesting place to visit and is located on Highway 54 between Cayuga and Caledonia.

Whistling Gardens

Today, we visited Whistling Gardens, located in Wilsonville, Ontario. Wilsonville is in Norfolk County just a few minutes south of Brantford and 20 minutes south of Highway 403.
There are theme gardens located on 20 acres featuring 4 kilometres of walking trails, ponds, musical water fountain shows and more. Canada's only all stone outdoor amphitheatre boasts over 120 fountains choreographed to music. Over 4,000 different plants are showcased and it is home to the largest conifer collection in the world with over 2400 species, hybrids and cultivars.
Whisting Gardens is Canada's newest botanical gardens which has only been open for a couple of years. The atmosphere is very relaxing and it is definitely worth a visit. Below are a few photos of different  scenes at Whistling Gardens, and if you like, feel free to check out the link below the photos to view more from the garden.

http://www.pinterest.com/canuck120950/whistling-gardens

Normandale

Recently, on a trip to Port Dover, we visited the small village of Normandale, situated on the shore of Lake Erie. Large peat bogs were located near here, and when burned in a furnace, bog ore produces iron. The first iron foundry in Upper Canada was located here.
Timber and bog ore became depleted, and Normandale became a ghost town. It didn't remain this way as cottagers and a few others moved into the area. It is worth a visit, two reasons being the original Union Hotel, built in the 1840's, and the Post Office/general store, built around the same time, are still both standing.
The area is quite picturesque, and a short walk takes you to a small beach. When visiting Port Dover, continue on until you come to this small village. You won't be disappointed.