To miss all the hoo-hah happening in the village with Pride this year, we had a Pride Ride out to Edward's Gardens and return, on Sunday July 4. Not wanting to haul our bikes down the stairs to the bike path at Queen Street or at Riverdale Park; we took the shoulder of the road along Bayview Ave until we hit the entrance to a little used bike path that went north along to the Brickworks (an interesting place to visit someday). Continuing on the shoulder of Bayview till we reached the Lower Don Trail at Pottery Road. Then it was all bike paths north to Edward's Gardens at Leslie and Lawrence, stopping multiple times to rest in the shade as it was very hot.
Deciding not to take the trail back downtown we took Leslie instead to Eglington, then east on Eglinton to Don Mills and south past the Science Centre (another place to visit someday) to Leaside. West through Flemingdon Park to the Tim's pit stop for refreshments and cool AC! We then went west to Laird and south across the viaduct to Pape, and then west on Mortimer to Broadview to Danforth and then home.
All in all it was a better way to spend the day out, away from the one million plus maddening crowds, who were waiting for us when we returned to the village. 16km round trip.
