How Ontario Got its Groove Back

Ontario Loves Kids, originally uploaded by mickzilla.

First off - I got to send a shout out to, John Perrin - Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing for The Marlborough Hotel. Thanks for the comment - and no disrespect comparing your hotel to cheap American Cigarettes.. It was a great stay - and the staff was very friendly - although they charged me $6.85 for a parking pass - but i stayed there on the weekend, and the weekend flat rate for parking is $2 if I didn't have the pass. Remind me to skip your discount parking pass next time!

Second - you may remember - i was looking for the "cool" in the Ontario - and it hit me like a bucket of water as soon as i hit Barrie, Ont. I realize now, its Southern Ontario - no offense Thunder Bay - your Lake Superior is... well.. superior - but I'm a big city guy, and when i found the $1.24/l gas, and 3-4 lane highway - there was no turning back. I love when people get angry if you're going below 120km/h in their lane.

Side note - Barrie, Ont. is officially the cheapest place I've gassed up this whole trip - I don't know if it's a timing thing or location thing - but the next closest was Edmonton, where it was $1.25 - and I figured they would be the cheapest, with all the oil fields and refineries I passed.

So we're shacked up for a 2 night stay at the Knight Inn, Toronto North - just 10 minutes from Canada's Wonderland! We got our discount tickets from the front desk - and we will ravage North America's greatest variety of roller coasters all day tomorrow!

Today's picture pays homage to something you don't see in BC, and it brought back some crazy memories for me growing up out here. At the end of the kids meal, the waitress brings out the "treasure chest" filled with cheap toys to choose from. The chest and toys have not changed in 20 years. God Bless Southern Ontario.