The Crack Trail in Killarney – Keep Calm and Wander

The Crack Trail in Killarney - Keep Calm and Wander

Hiking The Crack trail in Killarney was a different experience I had to endure. And I mean it in a good, satisfying way. It is the best hiking I’ve ever had in Ontario. Reaching the top was insane, but the views were worth the trouble. Every step you make will be worth it, I promise!

Hiking the Crack Trail

The sign at the entrance shows that it’s a difficult-level hiking trail. Like any trail, we started slow and easy. We passed through a forested area as we started our ascent. Then came the blistering rocks and onto the Crack.

Personally, the hike was primarily easy-intermediate, with steep terrains. The only tricky part was the last 10-15 minutes before reaching the apex of The Crack, and we had to scramble on all fours. There was no proper trail, but hikers had to climb huge boulders to pass through the crack. And after this challenge, magnificent views await those who made it to the top!

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Winter Travel: Hamilton’s Frozen Waterfalls – 2TravelDads

Winter Travel: Hamilton's Frozen Waterfalls - 2TravelDads

Hamilton’s frozen waterfalls should be on your list to visit to enjoy or embrace winter in Canada. The city is just less than an hour away from Toronto and it’s pretty accessible via Go Bus. However, from Hamilton to these frozen waterfalls you’ve got to hire a taxi or Uber and tell them to wait for you. So, your best bet is to find or constantly prod a friend with a car to go with you.

Hamilton’s Frozen Waterfalls – Tiffany Falls

We arrived just after lunch and we had to wait a bit on the roadside for a parking space that can’t accommodate more than 10 cars, at least. From the parking lot, it was an easy 8-10 minutes walk to the waterfall. Though we brought ice cleats, we didn’t see a need to use them since the snow was still fresh from a blizzard that engulfed Ontario. Yep, it’s okay to bring your kids here, but not sure about the infants.

Tiffany Falls was entirely frozen when we visited it on February 5.

By Chris and Rob – Full Story at the 2TravelDads

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Hiking the Chikanishing Trail in Killarney, Ontario – Keep Calm and Wander

Hiking the Chikanishing Trail in Killarney, Ontario - Keep Calm and Wander

The Chikanishing Trail in Killarney (Ontario) is a beautiful hiking trail along the coast which runs along the waters of the Georgian Bay. Although the bay was teasing us for a dip, we decided to just sit down and chill on the comfy red rocks. We watched the sunset here while the calming crashing of the waves was music to our ears! So serene and magical!

The Chikanishing Trail

The trail was pretty easy to moderate. However, it requires agility as there are terrains where you have to hop from one rock to another. It could be a bit challenging for those with agility problems, but it won’t be uncomfortable, I guess While in most parks,, the blue markers are attached to trees, the ones you’ll find here are drawn into the rocks A few are faded, so you have to find them to not get lost, or else you might find yourself scrambling on all fours.

This is a 3.5-kilometer trail that you can finish in under 40 minutes one way. It is lovely to watch the sunset from here, but as soon as the sun goes down, you have to g back. This is a loop trail so watch out for the blue markers to guide you back to the parking lot. 

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Toronto Gay Nightlife – The Nomadic Boys

BLOG - Toronto Gay Nightlife - tnThe Nomadic Boys

Diverse, exciting, buzzing and…best ass?

Yup, that’s actually a thing in the Toronto gay scene! Over at Woody’s gay bar, every Friday evening, they host the “best ass” competition!

Butts aside, the gay scene of Toronto truly has something for everyone. The city is home to Canada’s largest LGBTQ community and welcomes visitors from all walks of life.

Just like the gay scene of Montreal, the gay village of Toronto is huge. It is located at the intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets, hence its nickname: the “Church and Wellesley Village”, or just “The Village”…or, “ya’ll wanna go out in Church later?”. This is where the majority of the best gay bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes and clothing stores can be found.

Toronto’s Gay Village is also ground zero for the annual Toronto Pride week every June, which is one of the largest Pride events in the world. Whether you come to the Toronto gay village in the deep winter or summer, there’s always a buzz in the air, which is why we love it.

In this guide, we’ve put together our list of favourite Toronto gay nightlife – gay bars and clubs in Toronto. Also, be sure to watch our vlog about the gay scene of Toronto above.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Toronto Gay Travel Resources

The Hiking Trails of Ontario’s Darlington Provincial Park – Out With Ryan

BLOG - The Hiking Trails of Ontario's Darlington Provincial Park - Out With Ryan

If you’re looking to do some hiking near Toronto, the hiking trails of Darlington Provincial Park are the best place to get outdoors this winter. Located just off Highway 401, and a few minutes from Oshawa, Darlington Park is a lovely winter destination to visit for the day.

I surprised my boyfriend to a little day trip to Darlington to experience the beautiful Canadian wilderness and wanted to point out the highlights from our trip & why we’d definitely come back!

If you ever get a snowy day, definitely bring your snowshoes to the hiking trails of Darlington Provincial Park! We brought snowshoes, but due to the warm weather we had in January, we only got to use them for a little bit.

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands – Out With Ryan

Fall breeze. autumn leaves and pure Canadian wilderness. This is exactly what you’ll discover when you go canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands this season. This provincial park is the ideal place to re-connect with mother nature in any season, but especially in fall and late-summer; the most beautiful time to explore Canada, in my opinion.

Not only was this my first canoe trip in the Kawartha Highlands but also my first overnight canoe trip ever!

I learned so much from my 2 nights and 3 days canoeing, portaging (which I thought at first was a fancy word similar to apres-ski) and camping my way around the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, specifically the Serpentine Lake Loop.

Canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands

My good friend Chris Mitchell invited me and a group of our travel blogger friends on a camping trip where we all experienced canoeing in the Kawartha Highlands together, and oh boy, this oasis didn’t disappoint.

We have a saying in the LGBT+ community: There are friends. And there’s family. Then, there are friends who become family. This trip is where my travel blogger friends, Chris, Kimberly, Kathryn, and Kevin became family.

Full Story at Out With Ryan

Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Niagara Falls Wine Tasting – Out With Ryan

Niagara Falls Wine Tasting - Out With Ryan

Looking for information on Niagara Falls wine tasting? Or are you looking for reasons to go wine tasting in Niagara on the Lake? Well, you’re in luck!

The natural wonder of Niagara Falls is so close to fabulous Niagara wine country! Like literally a 20 minutes drive and BAM… Niagara Wineries! The best way to experience Niagara Falls wine tasting is by driving / taking a wine tour to the wineries in Niagara-on-the-lake!

The Niagara Peninsula is the largest wine region in Ontario! It’s also one of the most popular destinations for tourists and even local Canadians to spend a night or weekend! I find there’s no better way to really taste an area then to drink local wine grown in the area.

From the unique stories of how the wine is made to actually tasting the wine, your time in this Niagara region will truly be one to remember after every sip of wine & knowledge!

Oh, and please remember, don’t drink and drive. There are many locally organised tours that will allow you to sample a generous amount of wineries if you don’t have a designated driver!

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Niagara Peninsula Gay Travel Resources

 

Romance in Ontario’s Blue Mountains – Out With Ryan

Blue Mountains - Out With Ryan

Ryan shares five of his favorite things to do in the Blue Mountains:

SPA – #1 ROMANTIC THINGS TO DO IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

There are a few options for spas in the Blue Mountains area, but my #1 choice is the Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain.

The award-winning Scandinave Spa is a renowned outdoor Scandinavian Baths experience. Nestled in the heart of nature, the spa also offers registered massages, getaway packages, and so much more.

After some intensive skiing down the fantastic slopes at Blue Mountain, what can be more pleasant than heading to the nearby Scandinave Spa where you will be able to relax and unwind in a tranquil environment.

Enjoy one of the many thermal pools and saunas and de-stress in one of the many relaxation rooms. Going to Scandinave Spa is definitely one of the top romantic things to do in the Blue Mountains.

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Southwestern Ontario Gay Travel Resources

Toronto Island – Go Girlfriend

Toronto Island - Go Girlfriend

The multi-cultural megacity of Toronto, Ontario, Canada can boast a wooded, rural, non-hectic getaway gem just a short ferry ride into Lake Ontario – think New York City with it’s Central Park, but in Toronto, with beaches. While only 300 ft into Lake Ontario with no bridge link, the island’s charm and non-commercialism is a relaxing respite from Toronto’s high rises and city center just a short distance away.

Take a picnic, put on your bathing suit (or take it off at the one of a few of Canada’s official Clothing Optional beaches), rent a tandem bike or family quadracycle or stroll the miles of walking trails in the wooded greenery bird-watching, swimming in Lake Ontario, or exploring Centreville Theme Park. On a summer’s afternoon, there’s a full day of activities to keep yourself and your family busy!

Getting to the Toronto Islands by Ferry is the easy part (it’s a relaxing 15-minute ferry ride), getting into the downtown core to park may be the challenge. Public transit is best if you live in or near Toronto, but for those outside the city, there is ample parking available at the numerous lots (especially on weekends) near the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Expect about $20 for the day’s parking.

By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Toronto Gay Travel Resources

 

Romantic, Gay Toronto – The Nomadic Boys

Romantic, Gay Toronto - The Nomadic Boys

Toronto is an exciting city in Canada to visit. It has over 40 million visitors each year, and is home to 8,100 restaurants and bars. This is one of the most diverse places on our planet, with over 180 languages and dialects spoken.

Toronto is also a very fun place to come as a couple. We loved discovering the many touristic sites here, especially the CN Tower and the massive aquarium. Following our visit, we’ve put together our 5 favourite romantic things to do in Toronto to inspire your trip.

Romantic Dinner at the CN Tower

The CN Tower is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, and when adding in the height of its antenna on top, it’s the tallest freestanding structure in the western hemisphere, standing proud at 553m/1,815ft. It was built in the 1960s by the Canadian National Railway (CN) because they wanted a communications tower tall enough so that any radio or TV communications from it would not be obstructed by the many other high-rise buildings in the city.

As well as being able to visit the tower for the best views across the city, it also has a revolving restaurant to dine at. We had one of our favourite romantic meals here at the tower’s 360 The Restaurant. The food is delicious, with a mix of fresh sea food, steaks and other local classics. Definitely one for a special occasion.