Eastern Canada Trip 2014 Day 2 Wednesday June 11 Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oshawa

UPDATED: February 10, 2021

This is the 2nd of a series of posts dealing with my fourth trip to Eastern Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”. After I booked the trip I unexpectedly had to move and was staying at a friend’s place at the time of the trip, so I was already pretty tired before the trip back.

Internet was now a bit last night but it eventually returned. Very humid last night. Had insomnia. Not sure if I slept for more than a minute in a row. Unless otherwise noted all non-walking transportation this day Toronto Transit.

[NOW: The hostel described above is The Only Backpackers Inn.]

I took the Bloor-Danforth Line train from Donlands to Bloor Station, then the Yonge-University-Spadina Line from Yonge to Finch Station. Soon after I took a 60 bus to Steeles Ave, south end of Vaughn and then crossed the street to Markham. I could have caught a different bus, one I took later, but it's a different bus system so I wanted to maximize the transfer I would be getting on the next bus. So instead I walked along Yonge St in Markham  (Vaughan across the street), grabbing breakfast at Tim Horton's, to Richmond Hill and then a further ways north.

[NOW: The Bloor-Danforth Line train is the 2 Line, the Yonge-University-Spadina Line the 1 Line. I still tend to think of the subway lines buy their traditional names.]

Viva (York Transit) has you pay in advance from a machine. I took that express bus to Yonge & Mullock in Newmarket, then a 57 bus (York Transit) to Mullock and Bayview. Microplay and Starlight Books weren't yet open so I took a 57/York back and then a Viva/York south to Finch Station in Toronto.

[NOW: It was specifically a Blue Viva bus that I took both directions. Starlight Books has closed.]

I couldn't find the 199 bus stop so I walked a little ways. That bus turned out to be an express and passed my stop but the 39 right after worked. I took that bus east to Kennedy Rd (in Scarborough, Greater Toronto) and a 43 that was already there south to Kennedy Commons.

Deja Vu (sic) Discs was closed for 10 minutes so I grabbed lunch at the Subway next door and then bought Arrow season 1 at Deja Vu. I took another 43 bus to Scarborough Town Centre Station and then a 38 bus to University of Toronto Scarborough where I switched to a 300 bus (Durham Transit). As I took that bus to Oshawa I zoned out a bit due to sleepiness. I got off at Oshawa Centre and walked to another Deja Vu discs and bought more DVDs. I walked to downtown Oshawa and visited Worlds Collide Comics and Comics Alley, then returned to University of Toronto Scarborough via 900 bus/Durham, still sleepy.

I I took the 65 bus (more zoning out still) to York Mill Station. The automatic stop announcer started saying, “System Paused” a few times. I took the Yonge-University-Spadina Line train south to Dundas Station and sat briefly at Yonge-Dundas Square.

I walked north along Yonge, visiting Hairy Tarantula Comics, NDJ Books (closing), One Million Comix, Eliot's Books, ABC Books, Game Centre (bought True Blood season 6), and the Sunrise Records nearest Bloor. I walked along Bloor, doing a sidetrip to Bay St Video. I visited Labyrinth Comics which was closed the day before and then had dinner at the Pizza Pizza across from Honest Ed's. The pizza was 16 inches and very doughy (pepperoni so $10) so left behind the last three pieces. I stopped at The Beguiling near the Honest Ed's complex, also closed the day before, then continued west along Bloor  I said hi to Bumpkin the rabbit at Doug Miller Books, then visited 2Q Video and Zoinks. The cat that likes to sit at the window near Dufferin Station wasn't around. I took another Bloor-Danforth Line train from Lansdowne back to Donlands Station, and from there the hostel.

[NOW: That Hairy Tarantula, One Million Comix, Eliot's Bookshop, that Game Centre, that Sunrise Records, Labyrinth, Honest Ed's, and 2Q Video have closed. The Beguiling is a comic shop (now moved), Zoinks a book/music/video store. Bumpkin has passed away. I never saw any cat near Dufferin this trip; possibly the cats have moved on.]