High Park in Toronto

Two weeks ago Friday we found ourselves on a plane headed for Toronto, Canada. My cousin Līga’s confirmation was that Sunday, and we were joining most of my side of the family for a couple days. For the boys it was their first time in Canada, and although we didn’t have time for sights like the CN Tower we did manage to see a few places and sights that Roberts and I hadn’t yet seen.

 

A nice surprise was the Cheese Boutique, a gourmet grocery; “At Cheese Boutique prosciutto hangs from the ceiling, truffles are flown in every Wednesday, foie gras sits under lock and key, beef is dry aged 60 days, there are olive oils from 80 different terroirs and jams made from green walnuts, the best artisanal breads of the city, not to mention the chocolate boutique, pastry temptations and daily handpicked produce - but it is for the cheese that one must really come here.” (From the website) Note to self - next time you visit Toronto, drive. That way you can fill the trunk with French cheese.

Make sure you get a peek (and whiff!) of the cheese vault (middle)

 

Our relatives live in the vicinity of High Park, and that is how it came to be that Saturday we spent the majority of the day strolling through this 400 acre park. Originally purchased by John Howard as a sheep farm, the property was donated to the City of Toronto on three conditions; first, for Mr. Howard and his wife to continue to live in their house, the Colborn Lodge, second for no alcohol to ever be served in the park, and third that the park be named High Park and be free for people to enjoy. Opened in 1876, a large part is natural forest, with the oak savannah maintained by prescribed burns. With gardens, sports fields, picnicking areas, a beautiful children’s playground and a free zoo, there is more to do than can be seen in a day.

 

We followed small trails through the woods along the west ravine, which leads past Wendigo Creek and Wendigo Pond. Named after the wendigo, mythical cannibalistic creatures of Algonquian mythology, we did not linger long….It was discovered in 2003 that the eastern ravine lies over an ancient river; when capping two artisan wells a plume of water, sand and gravel shot fifty feet into the air. Research shows this pre-glacial Laurentian River System 160 feet below the surface had been undisturbed for thousands of years.

 

On the western edge of the park is Grenadier Pond, covering 35 acres and named after the local Town of York garrison of the 1800s who used the pond to fish. It is believed that British Grenadiers fell through the ice when crossing to defend the city in the War of 1812, and another urban legend claims the pond is bottomless and that the bottom has never been touched due to layers and layers of mud. On our visit the shore was dotted with fisherman fishing for bass, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bullhead and carp.

 

We stopped in the zoo, the home to American bison, emu, llamas, peacocks, fallow deer, capybara, Highland cattle, yaks, Barbary sheep, and Mouflon sheep. Our favorite was the little wallaby that was returning to its enclosure from an outing. Although Lauris wasn’t keen on petting the joey, my cousins Annelī and Andis were! In 2012, the Toronto City Council discontinued funding to the High Park Zoo. Luckily the Honey Family Foundation stepped up to sponsor the zoo for three years, hopefully allowing the Friends of the High Park Zoo time to find a permanent source of funding.

 

Our next stop was the children's playgrounds, built in 1999 and named the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground after the volunteer who initiated the construction. A little over a year ago a portion was destroyed by arson, but the local community banded together to build a grand castle as a replacement , and the combined playground is fun for kids of all ages. The wooden walkways, towers and bridges brought back childhood memories of Indian Boundary Park in Chicago, the fieldhouse of which was also destroyed by arson in 2012.

 

We did not have a chance to visit the Grenadier Café, nor the produce market, Nature Center, pool or the Colborn Lodge Museum. We saw the little trackless train drive by (also free) but going for a spin will have to wait for a future visit, as will attending on of the Shakespeare in the park plays. The cherries had already bloomed (the first of which was planted in 1959 by the citizens of Tokyo), but to me all this just means we’ll have to return again soon. Nevertheless, the boys were growing tired and there was a long evening of preparations ahead for the next day’s confirmation, and so we headed back to krusttēvs Māris’s house for the evening, leave High Park to the wallabies for the night.

 

Chicks, trucks & salmon bakes

Greenville is in contention for Outside magazine’s title of “Best Town Ever.” If you vote for your favorite “active outdoor town” you can be in the running for a five day vacation grand prize. Voting does require a facebook "like" to vote. You can find Greenville's entry here.

The boys active outdoors at the zoo

 

Temperatures are heating up, we’ve initiated pool season at our house and watermelons are officially back in the diet. Once the boys have had their fill and I tire of the quarter melon taking up space in the fridge, I cut the rest up into chunks, toss it and a few basil leaves into the blender with some lemon juice, and pour the blended result into a pitcher to keep in the fridge. Also freezes well to make popsicles for the boys!

 

Our neighbors’ chicks have hatched, and the boys have already been over twice to see them. Their chicken coop is coming along nicely, and we believe they might have started a neighborhood trend because the neighbors across the alley have built their own chicken coop and we've got one or two more broods on the block...

That's Blue in Lauris's hands, pardon the camera cord

Touch a Truck, the annual free event held in conjunction with the Main Street farmers market is tomorrow, Saturday June the 9^th. Kids will have the opportunity to climb, play on and sit in the driver’s seat of almost 20 different vehicles, including large trucks and heavy equipment from the City of Greenville Police, Fire and Public Works Departments. Head to McBee Avenue off Main Street in downtown Greenville between 8 to noon, although I suggest getting there early to avoid the crowds.
 

Touch a Truck in 2010, Lauris's first of many rides in an excavator bucket

 

We made a foil-baked salmon for dinner, it is a great light meal for these hot summer days. A plus is that it can be prepared earlier in the day and then tossed in the oven when dinnertime rolls around. The recipe is adapted from the one in Williams-Sonoma “Cooking for Yourself,” a gift from my godmother and also something I haven’t done in ages.

Foil-baked salmon with corn and lime, see recipe below

 

Speaking of my godmother (who lives in Toronto), her daughter (my cousin) had her confirmation a few weeks ago. We were lucky to be there and celebrate this meaningful occasion with her, and hopefully I’ll find the time to put it down in writing this next week. Despite having lived overseas and visited over ten countries, this was both boys’ first visit to Canada, eh?



If you look veeeery closely you'll see the CN Tower just a little to the right of center



Foil-baked salmon with corn and lime (serves 2 adults, 2 kids)

Ingredients: 4 heads of corn, corn sliced off
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro (can probably double this easily)
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
salt and ground pepper to taste
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ lime cut into thin slices, the rest into wedges
1.5 pounds of salmon fillets

 1. Preheat oven to 450˚F (230˚C)
2. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, bell pepper, cilantro, chile, salt and pepper
3. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a work surface. It has to be large enough to wrap everything up hobo-style, so use your judgment on size. I put a baking sheet with a rim underneath, just in case.
4. Place corn mixture on foil and dot with half of the butter
5. Place salmon (skin-side down if applicable)on top, squeeze lime juice over and season with salt and pepper. Then top with lime slices and remaining butter
6. Fold two opposing foil sides together and seal well, then fold and seal ends.
7. Bake until salmon flakes with a fork, 20-30 minutes (timing depends on thickness of fillets and packet)
8. Open carefully, allowing for hot steam to escape, transfer to serving dish and enjoy!

Congaree National Park

On our way from Charleston back to Greenville we had time for one more stop. As Columbia is almost exactly halfway we chose Congaree National Park as our stopping point; less than a 30 minute drive from the capital of South Carolina, this 26,546-acre National Park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. Due to intermittent flooding the area was not logged in the first half of the twentieth century when the surrounding area was cut, and after a campaign by the Sierra Club and local activists Congaree Swamp National Monument was established in 1976. Later designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1983,the park lost several National Champion trees when Hurricane Hugo hit in September of 1989. However the area retained its significance as an important area for birds (designated Globally Important Bird Area in July 2001) and in 2003 the National Monument became the nation's 57^th National Park.

Bald cypress and water tupelo along Cedar Creek: source here

 

As we approached the skies gradually darkened, and by the time we reached the Visitors Center it was raining buckets. We had hoped to walk the 2.4 mile Elevated Boardwalk, which winds through a diverse old-growth forest. Passing through a cypress/tupelo stand and ending at Weston Lake (an old channel of the Congaree River), I could easily imagine the Ivory Billed Woodpecker still living in these woods. But it was not meant to be, as the rain only came down harder during our dash from the car to the Visitor Center.

Harry Hampton, one of the first champions of Congaree, next to a bald cypress, source here

 

The trees growing in this floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the Eastern U.S., forming one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. The Congaree River flows right through the park, and about 57% of it is designated wilderness area. From the exhibits we only got a slight feel for the immense forest just outside, although they provided a good picture of the history of the area and the reasons the forest managed to escape logging. We helped Lauris start the Junior Ranger activity book while Mikus stretched his legs, and before we knew it we were sprinting back to the car, only stopping once for a single photo to prove our visit wasn’t just a dream.

 

Charleston, SC

Crossing into Charleston when coming from the northeast on Highway 17 you’ll take the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge; also known as the New Cooper River Bridge, the eight-lane cable-stayed bridge opened in 2005. The 1,546 foot long span can supposedly withstand wind gusts in excess of 300 mph, earthquake to approximately 7.4 on the Richter scale, and protecting the bridge from ships are one-acre rock islands, ensuring any ship will run aground before it can collide with one of the two towers. The bridge cost around $700 million, and is named after the retired U.S. Congressman who ran for the SC Senate with a goal of solving the funding problem that had plagued the replacement of the previous bridge for over 20 years.

Once in Charleston we headed for the 5-acre Waterfront Park that stretches ½ mile along Cooper River. In 1980 the site was in bad shape after years of neglect and a fire at a steamship terminal, and mostly consisted of weedy parking lots. In 1975 the Mayor had began making plans to revitalize the harbor-front, but those were only realized at the end of the 80s, at which point even Hurricane Hugo could only delay the opening of the park by one week. We started barefoot in the fountain at the northern entrance to the park, beyond which Vendue Wharf extends into the Cooper River.

At the end of the pier past the many swings is a floating dock with views of the Ravenel Bridge, Charleston Harbor, Castle Pinckney, the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriot's Point, and Fort Sumter. Supposedly charred pilings from the 1955 fire at Tidewater Terminals, Inc. are still visible too. After a stroll up the pier we continued south through the park, which is divided into two parts; a shaded urban portion to the right and a palmetto-lined esplanade to the left. Halfway down we shucked our shoes once again, this time for the Pineapple Fountain.

Continuing on, the esplanade curves in toward Concord Street, allowing for natural marsh habitat along the edge of the river. Finally, North Adger’s Wharf marks the southern edge of the park. We opted to go on and follow East Bay, passing “Rainbow Row,” built as merchant’s houses between 1740 and 1787.

Walking along the Battery we spotted a pair of dolphins in the bay. The mansions on this street all have a story, from the William Roper House that has a fragment of a Civil War cannon (not cannonball!) embedded in the roof rafters, to the William Ravenel House, which lost two stories of its portico in the earthquake of 1886. At the end where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet is the White Point Garden. The park got its name from the large mounds of white oyster shells that once covered the point, and the popular name “The Battery” comes from the fortifications that were placed along the seafront. The cannons placed around the park represent the wars in which Charleston has played a part.

From the Battery there is a wide view of Charleston harbor: of Fort Johnson from which the first shot of the Civil War was fired, Fort Sumter that was recipient of said shot, Fort Moultrie where Edgar Allen Poe was stationed when he wrote The Gold Bug, and Castle Pinckney, the 1809 fort that was used to house Union prisoners of war.

We crossed through the park and headed north on Meeting Street, passing historic homes left and right. Over the years we’ve played tourist and tour guide in Charleston, but I never tire of learning more about these beautiful houses. Thomas Heyward’s (signer of the Declaration of Independence) 18 Meeting Street has a secret wine closet, the Otis Mills House at 37 Meeting Street (which was headquarters for General Beauregard during the Civil War) is rumored to have pirate treasure buried in the backyard, and the bells at Charleston’s oldest church (St. Michael’s Episcopal) have crossed the ocean five times. My audience was only partially interested.

Our walk was put on hold while we ducked into Hyman’s Seafood. Possibly the best-known seafood restaurant in the historic district, we have always been happy with the food and this visit was no different. We started with scallops over fried grits with cheddar cheese and Cajun seasoning, a bacon and parmesan cheese sauce on top that I wanted to eat with a spoon. Roberts had the light Cajun stiffed grouper with crab & parmesan cream sauce, while I had a bowl of She-crab soup and the crab cakes. Absolutely delicious, every last bite. The icing on the cake - the oysters, although there is a reason the hush puppies have won awards. The property has been in the Hyman family for over 120 years, starting out as a wholesale dry goods business, but in more recent times has been featured (as a restaurant) in Southern Living to NY Times – it’s certainly no secret they have great seafood!

Just across the street is Market Hall. The first public market on this site opened shortly after the Revolutionary War, and the present Roman Revival structure dates from 1841. The sheep and bulls’ heads pictured in the frieze indicate meat was sold there, and during the 1800s the streets and rooftops were lined with buzzards who lived off the scraps thrown out by the butchers. The Confederate Museum is on the second floor, but the tourist attraction is below in the arcade, which houses the shops.

From a previous visit, Roberts with Edgars, Annelī and Andis

One hat purchase later we emerged from the market at the opposite end, crossing over to the parking garage to pack up and head towards home. We’ve really seen very little of the city, but it’s still one of our favorites, and I’m positive we’ll be back soon for more seafood, sunshine and history. Who can resist?

Huntington Beach State Park

After our long day in the sun on Bulls Island I didn’t have much planned for the following day. I figured we would wake up, see our friends off on whatever adventure they had planned for the day (you can read about their day trips to Myrtle Beach and in Charleston here) and see where the wind would take us. Another sunny day; our luck with the weather so far was holding. Although the beach house we had rented was comfortable with great views of the Intercoastal Waterway and coastal marshes, it seemed imperative to do something, we had driven all this way after all.

For McClellanville beach house rentals click here

We had thought to stop in Charleston on our way home that Sunday, and so instead chose to head north to Huntington Beach State Park. Another excellent beach, although this one was quite crowded compared to the experience of the previous day. The State Park boasts of its surf fishing and bird watching, and within the Park is a Moorish-style mansion, Atalaya, a National Historic Landmark which was the winter home of the Huntington family that also designed nearby Brookgreen Gardens.

We spent our time on the beach, building sand castles that one by one were swept away by the incoming tide. Mikus preferred the tidal ponds to the surf, but both boys squealed in delight when we took them into the waves. The beachgoers who had so carelessly set up their flotilla of chairs, umbrellas and gear blocking our view of the ocean hurriedly evacuated when the tide came lapping at their feet. We would have been content to laze all day, but by late afternoon the crackers, dried fruit and other snacks I had brought were not enough to keep hunger at bay.

Benefits of visiting Huntington Beach SP vs. Bulls Island are the amenities. It was nice to be able to rinse all the sand and saltwater off before jumping in the car, and a Nature Center and restrooms are available if needed.

On our way out we once more crossed the large freshwater lake, full of alligators sunning on the shores, egrets and herons doing their one-legged dance in the shallow waters. Continuing north on Highway 17 is Murrells Inlet, which is where we stopped for a late lunch, and just south of the Park are Litchfield and Pawleys Island, more beach communities, each with its own distinct flavor. Visitors to the area could also visit Myrtle Beach, however The Carolina’s largest motorcycle rally, Myrtle Beach Bike Week was ongoing. We opted to point our family sedan in the other direction.

After another relaxing evening spent hanging out with our friends we turned in for the night, already dreaming of the seafood we would eat the following day in Charleston…

Entrance to park: $5/adult, $3 each ages 6-15 and free for children under 5. There is a separate charge to take the tour of Atalaya.