Last updated on February 15th, 2024
This year TBEX held an evening event at Shopsy’s on Toronto’s Centre Island.
Oddly, I’d not been particularly excited about this party. While most of Centre Island is actually park land, it also has an amusement park and is a well-known get-away for local families. I was picturing harshly lit low-budget children’s rides and lots of over-priced fast-food spots. I couldn’t imagine what TBEX was thinking.
Of course, I should have known better.
First there is the fact that a ferry trip was required just to reach the island and, at least in my mind, that in and of itself makes for a good outing.
Then there is Shopsy’s itself, a glass pavilion surrounded by woods, with a huge deck that hugs the water to provide a perfect view of Toronto’s skyline. It really didn’t matter that the evening was cloudy with a bit of drizzle, not with a view like that!
The party had a “celebrity” theme and some people went all out to dress accordingly. I had planned to wear a sparkly top in order to sort of participate, but the forecast called for cold and rainy weather. In the end I opted for warmth over sparkle, thus attending as a non-celebrity. That’s ok though, as ample food is available for all, as is a variety of swag, including a view master from Travel Alberta http://www.travelalberta.us/ that reminded me why it is I’ve been trying to get there. (It also reminded me of the View Master my grandmother had that first introduced me to the beauty of California.)
But really, the highlight of the evening was the skyline, which became increasingly dramatic as night fell.
It turned out to be a great way to spend an evening.
Toronto 2013 Travel Diary
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