#Elora Quarry

[creepyimp]

[iightmaya]

Saw this on tumblr last year and found out it was 30mins away from my house…thank you tumblr! Original Post: @iightmaya

[ceapa-mica]

GEHAT’IK BE ALIIT | Chapter 3

{cross-posted on ao3}   {masterlist}

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pairing: Din Djarin x Original Female Character

warnings: graphic depictions of violence, angst

words: 4627

summary: Things don't go according to plan on Nevarro, leading to Elora using the Force against living beings...

notes: This chapter is proof that Din Djarin is, in fact, very yeetable.

a/n: I appreciate any feedback and hope you enjoy this chapter! 💗

                                   Chapter 3: The Carnage

An enormous wave of fire rolled towards Elora, and somebody from behind the veil of smoke fired shots at her. Desperately she tried to escape. There had to be a way out. Thick smoke covered most of her view and the heat was unbearable and she didn't know where she was going or where she was in the first place. All she knew was she had to get out of this situation. Suddenly an invisible power held her in place, allowing the flames to close around her. That's when somebody stepped through them without catching fire. Elora sensed untamed rage, there was no way out and she couldn't move. Her breath hitched when she saw his face. Red skin with black tattoos, and yellow eyes that looked like they could burn a hole into her soul. His weapon emitted two red beams of light and he stared at her with a devious grin. Elora panicked and closed her burning eyes.

“Hey, wake up!” a gruff voice said. When she opened her eyes there was no fire, she wasn't looking the pure evil in the eye and the heat was mostly gone. Apart from her own body which had become hot and sweaty.

“Stars, what...? Mando? This... ugh. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep.” She still struggled to breathe and noticed the nervous child who sat in her lap.

“I called you several times but you didn't wake up.”

“Don't worry about me.” Elora sighed and tickled the child who let out a squeal of joy.

“I did not worry about you. You were just making the kid nervous.”

She looked at the little one and gave him a reassuring smile. “I'm good, promise.”

In her thoughts, she went through the nightmare again. It didn't make sense. Why would she dream of somebody she had never seen in her life? This evil being had certainly never been a customer of her tribe. There was something else: Restlessness. It gnawed on her ever since she left her home world. From the rumbling sound of the crawler at night to the many voices, faces, and smells of her tribe, these were all things she was already beginning to miss. Hyperspace was quiet compared to that. And one of her travel companions was an enemy of hers while everybody at home had her back. Homesickness was not new to her, but she couldn't place this feeling at the moment. Only her subconscious did, causing her nightmare.

Mere minutes later the ship left hyperspace and the planet Nevarro appeared. The Mandalorian turned around and picked up the child from Elora's lap to put it back in the pram.

“That looks... What world is it again?” she asked, trying to conceal how unimpressed she was behind a not very convincing half smile.

“Nevarro.”

“Wow, ok. Nevarro. Hm looks like I exchanged a red dust ball for a grey dust ball. Does it have larger cities? Maybe some intergalactic archives where I could start searching for my family?”

“No, this world is a rocky volcanic wasteland with some scattered towns. A deal is a deal. I brought you to another planet for the purple gem. Your business is none of my concern.”

Elora wanted to retort something when a holo transmission came in.

“Mando! I received your transmission. Wonderful news. Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall but he's very antsy. Safe passage. You know where to find me.”

It took Elora a few seconds to register all the words. Quarry. Client. Her instincts had been right.

“You're a bounty hunter?! Tell me he was talking about a bounty that's not in this cockpit right now!” she spoke firmly.

“My business does not concern you either.”

“It's a child!” She raised her voice and stood up, placing herself protectively in front of the pram. “I always knew your kind are monsters. Bounty hunting is ok if you're catching wanted criminals, but this -”

“Step aside.” He stood as well and towered over her, but his attempt to intimidate her failed.

“No. You step aside.”

She held out her arm and a sudden invisible blast caused him to crash against the upper viewport faster than he could react. Beskar collided with transparisteel. The child started crying. With the same power, she pulled him down. He crashed down right in front of her feet, groaning in pain while trying to comprehend what had just happened. Elora reacted instantly. She took the child out of the pram, clutching him against her chest, and escaped the cockpit. How fortunate that she fixed this ship hours prior and knew where the escape pod was located. The door to the generator room was locked, but at this moment she put all her will into opening it. Sensing the locking mechanism she broke it open with her powers, hurrying through the opening doors.

“Everything's gonna be alright, I promise.” she whispered to the crying child, nuzzling his wrinkly head.

Just before she could reach the escape pod she was shot down with a stun ray, still halfway awake but unable to move she struggled to keep the grip on the crying child. Neither she nor the child was injured. As soon as the Mandalorian had taken the child out of her arms he shot once more. This shot stunned her completely. The Mandalorian put the unconscious woman into the carbonite freezer. What she was capable of had dumbfounded him. Never had he seen anything like those powers she and the child possessed. He felt uncomfortable at the thought that he'd never heard of a powerful threat like this. The child was still crying and held out his little arms when he saw the kind woman he had grown to like so much motionless in her frozen prison. The Mandalorian put the child back in the pram and landed on Nevarro to get this job done once and for all. He planned to take care of his carbonite frozen problem as soon as he returned. With new beskar armor, so he hoped.

It was clear to Elora that people who put a bounty on a helpless child were up to no good. Her body was frozen, but her worries, fear, and determination were not. There was no way she could tell if the Mandalorian and the child were already gone. All she knew was she needed to get out of the frozen carbonite to keep the Mandalorian from turning over the child to his client. Letting her mind wander through the technology that kept her prison from melting she tried to deactivate it. After doing so several times with no success she started to become desperate. She blamed herself, thinking that she should have guessed his true intentions and stopped him sooner, perhaps even before boarding this ship.

It felt like hours to her. She had become calm, knowing it was probably too late. Her thoughts remained with the little child with his big dark eyes and his cute attempt to play with the knob of a lever in the cockpit earlier. If there was the slightest chance to save this child she had to take it. She remembered her upbringing and considered herself lucky.  This child deserves a family, too.   Determined she sensed her way through the carbonite block, sensed the energy which kept it solid. There had to be a switch, some kind of mechanism that could interrupt the energy flow. It took a while until she sensed it. Now all she had to do was turn it off. Easier thought than done. Her emotions were a single turmoil. She didn't just switch it off, the entire frame broke apart and she landed completely soaked on the cold durasteel floor, coughing and rubbing her eyes only to find her vision was rather blurry.

“Argh, dank farrik!”

She used her blurry eyesight and special sense to make her way through the ship on wobbly legs. There was no noise apart from her own breathing.  This could be a perfect opportunity to steal this ship , she thought. The child was her top priority though. She tried her best to find her way through the hull. Just when she reached the hatch, it opened, revealing the Mandalorian in shiny new beskar armor.

“How did you get out of the carbonite?!” He grabbed his blaster right away. Too late, as she already knocked him off his feet with her powers.

“Where is he?! Where did you take the child?!”

“None of your concern.” he muttered and got back up.

“It’s an innocent child, Mando! You’re gonna tell me where you took him or I’m gonna blow your precious  Razor Crest  to pieces! Believe me, that’s not hard to do and it’s gonna be the least of your worries once I’m finished with you!”

She held out her hand ready to act, he aimed his blaster at her, but neither of them acted first. They glared at each other. The way Elora kept her hard gaze fixed on his T-visor as if she could see right through it made him even more uneasy. He knew what he had done was wrong. Now he was on the verge of losing his ship and quite possibly his life. He had to admit to himself that he shouldn’t underestimate her again. This woman meant every word she said, that he was sure of. Slowly he lowered his blaster while she lowered her hand.

“Tell me where he is! Tell me they’re not harming him!”

“Your eyes. You’ve been frozen in carbonite, you can’t see very well but wanna free the kid from these people anyway?”

“I can see enough. You’re the one being blind here, Mandalorian. Take me to where they keep the child!”

“They would shoot you on sight.”

“Not if I can help it.” she winked and walked past him. He had no idea what she meant by that. The fact that she had freed herself from the carbonite frozen state bewildered him. Yet there she was, standing on the hatch and staring at the nearby town. He sighed and once again tried to think of a way to get rid of her. He could kill her in cold blood, but that was just not who he was anymore. He shook his head in exasperation when he watched her putting on her black face cover and red goggles and eventually pulling up her hood.

“Those were designed for vision in the worst of sandstorms. I can see much better in ‘em. Let’s get this over and done with.”

Mando opened his weapon storage, took a light but handy blaster and held him out for Elora to take.

“It was a mistake all along. The moment I walked out of there…” he tried to verbalize his regrets, but she just took the blaster and then walked several steps ahead of him towards the town, pretending she didn’t hear him. He deserved the cold shoulder. Literally. She was no quarry of his. Yes, he loathed her, they were enemies. But freezing somebody after shooting them in the back wasn’t honorable. In fact, it was everything but that. This hadn’t been a fair fight from the very beginning.  Perhaps I should turn it into one, he thought. But how could he? She had powers he’d never seen, powers he couldn’t estimate or understand. No, he had to get rid of her somehow once all this was over. Not by killing her. The image of him leaving her behind on a deserted planet with her as the only sentient being was one he could live with, if only his honor wasn’t bound to his word. And he’d promised to take her to a world with a higher population density where she could start her search.

Elora’s curiosity peaked when they reached the town. Never before had she seen so many individuals of different species at once. Vendors offering their goods, sketchy people lurking in the alleys between the buildings, and everyday people going about their everyday lives - most of them armed, Elora noticed. There were even a few Jawas among them who eyed her with just as much curiosity. It was hard to not walk up to them and ask them thousands of questions about space traveling. No, she had a mission. The child was in danger. No distractions.

Eventually they left the busier part of town for suspiciously quiet alleys.

“What to expect?”

“A bunch of Imperials. Stormtroopers.”

“I thought the Empire’s gone.”

“Some don’t wanna realize they lost the war. Out here, so far away from the New Republic, they go into hiding.” the Mandalorian explained.

“Uhh I see… What is a stormtrooper?”

The Mandalorian came to a sudden halt and turned around to face her.

“You’ve never… They’re white armored fools who can barely handle a blaster. You have never seen Imperials before?”

“I knew about a war. But this war was somewhere else. Never on Arvala-7.”

“That dust ball had no value for the Empire then... We’re almost there.”

He climbed on a rooftop and took his pulse rifle.

“What are you doing?”

“Listening. There are heat signatures.” he whispered barely audible through the modulator of his helmet.

“Do you see the child?”

He remained silent and climbed back down after he was done observing.

“Stay here.” he ordered. Elora nodded and hid behind a dumpster. There was a noise by the front door, then the Mandalorian went past her and put an explosive on the wall. She assumed he wanted to separate the troopers. The explosion left a hole in the wall big enough for them.

Follow his example , she reminded herself and hid in the shadows opposite him. Two stormtroopers with flashlights appeared. The Mandalorian reacted in a split second and shot them both before they could react. A third one burst through the door. Elora decided it was her turn. She grabbed him with her powers. Blood started dripping from between the white duraplast armor plates. She smacked him against the ceiling and back to the ground where he took his last raspy breath in a puddle of his own blood. Mando swallowed at the sight.  That could have been me earlier… She turned to the Mandalorian and gave him a reassuring nod. They advanced further into the building. At the corner the Mandalorian threw a whipcord, pulling a stormtrooper towads himself and stabbing him in the back.

“Nice move!” Elora remarked while he shot open the next door.

She could sense the child was nearby. A panicking scientist was in the room which seemed to be a lab. Another shot. This time the Mandalorian shot down a droid without hesitation. Then he aimed the blaster at the scientist, but refused to shoot him as he was unarmed. Elora went to the examination table where the child was being scanned. He looked too weak for her liking. She tore the machine which held him in place apart with her bare hands. The child didn’t look physically injured, just a little pale and tired.

“I promised you we will be alright.” she cooed and picked him up.

They had to make it out of there quickly. Two more troopers shot at them. Elora and the Mandalorian hid behind some cargo. He gave her an approving nod. It was her turn again. She sensed the troopers’ presence, spread out her arms and knocked them off their feet only to throw them around in the air and then through the windows - hard; leaving behind splatters of blood on the floor, ceiling and walls. In the next hallway they were attacked from both sides. The Mandalorian finished them with a shot and huge flames from his flamethrower. In the following room they weren’t so lucky. Four troopers surrounded them and held them at blasterpoint. She looked at the child in her arms, then up to her partner in crime. It was his self assured posture indicating that he knew what he was doing. Surrendering wasn’t the plan, but she went along with it, sensing his sincerity. It was a matter of seconds. His vambrace shot whistling birds at them. The Mandalorian put his other arm protectively around her and the child, pulling her close until each trooper got hit by one of those small missiles. He took the child from her arms and went ahead. She followed him closely, having his back.

It was already dusk outside. The  Razor Crest was their destination, but things turned out increasingly difficult. They were being followed by multiple individuals. Not stormtroopers but all kinds of bounty hunters. Experienced ones.

“I didn’t leave Arvala-7 to get shot in the streets of a melancholic bounty hunter infested planet.” she whispered while walking next to him, noticing several individuals with blinking tracking fobs who were aiming their blasters at the two of them. That’s when a man stepped forward who raised his voice. He didn’t look as dangerous as the rest, but Elora sensed anger and that was enough to make her vigilant of his every move.

“Welcome back, Mando. Now put the package down!”

“Step aside. We’re going to my ship!” The Mandalorian had his hand on his blaster, but didn’t take it out of the holster yet.

“You put the bounty down and perhaps I’ll let you and your Jawa friend pass.”

“The kid’s coming with us.” the Mandalorian insisted.

“If you truly care about the kid you put it on the speeder and we’ll discuss terms.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“If you can trust a Jawa, you can trust me as well.”

This was a trap. The hair on the back of Elora’s neck stood up. This person was driven by greed. She had known mercenaries on her planet who had been exactly the same way. The only way to talk to them was through credits. She wanted to convince the Mandalorian to disobey, but couldn’t speak. Keeping her anonymity mattered since they were kinda committing a crime at the moment. At least it was a crime in the eyes of the Bounty Hunter Guild. She couldn’t risk being seen or heard. As if he’d read her mind, the Mandalorian fired a shot in the blink of an eye. They were under attack. He jumped on the speeder with the child, pulling her with him. Elora shot at everyone in her sight. They were ridiculously outnumbered. The speeder moved and she desperately tried to keep an eye out on every threat. She couldn’t keep the man from earlier from shooting the droid which drove the speeder, so it crashed into a bunch of barrels. Many blasters were aimed at them as the hunters closed in. There didn’t seem to be a way out when they hid behind the speeder as a last resort.

“What’s your plan?” she asked.

“Fighting my way out. Do you have a better idea?”

“I do have an idea. But it’s dangerous. I won’t have full control over what will happen.”

“Do it. If it helps us get out of here...”

She nodded and sensed her way through their surroundings, down into the ground. It took only a few seconds, though to her these seconds felt like minutes. She sensed the surface, went deeper and deeper until she sensed the flow of the magma. With a concentrated frown she subtly held out her hand. In the first moment nothing happened, then the ground started to quake, causing buildings to cave in. Some hunters fled from the scene. A rumbling sound came from below the surface when the ground cracked open. Smoke and gas erupted from the growing crack which broke the street in half. The Mandalorian used this as a chance to disintegrate as many hunters as he could.

“Did you cause that earthquake?!" the guild agent yelled above the turmoil.

"No, how could I? Listen, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna walk to my ship with the kid. And you’re gonna let it happen."

"The town getting destroyed doesn’t change what you’ve done, Mando! How about this, we take the kid and if you try to stop us we kill you and we strip your body for parts. Your Jawa friend won’t be safe from us either. They’re obviously helping you.”

Elora was relieved he couldn’t see the connection between her and the crack in the ground. She sensed a hunter sneaking up behind the Mandalorian. Before the hunter could reach her temporary ally, she threw him against the next wall with her powers where he left a splotch of blood and fell out of her invisible grip, completely limp. His inner organs were partially torn out of his dead body. Elora stared at the corpse in shock. She had no control over what her powers were doing to her enemies. It only caused her fear of what she was capable of to grow.

The next wave of attack began. The Mandalorian trusted his weapons. She trusted her borrowed blaster, too, but throwing random hunters against walls with her powers she could at least make sure they were dead or at least wouldn't get up very soon. They wanted the kid? They had to rip him out of her dead hands. And she was determined to not get herself killed that day. The flamethrower was the Mandalorian’s last ace up his sleeve. It didn’t scare away the bravest hunters, they just remained at a safe distance. Meanwhile the flames set the gas on fire. Flames as tall as the town’s houses became an almost impenetrable wall. Elora froze, flashbacks from her dream resurfaced in her consciousness. She wasn’t paying attention for a second. That was enough for a shot to hit her right in the shoulder. With an agonizing scream she crouched down behind the speeder, breathing rapidly and holding her bleeding wound. The Mandalorian disintegrated her shooter in an instant and went behind the speeder to look after her.

“How bad is it?”

“I’m still alive. Sorry, I should have -”

“You’re doing your best. We’re running out of time. I’m on my limits and so are you…” He put the child down next to her who opened his eyes to look at his savior.

“You did the right thing in the end, Mando. You have a conscience. It seems I was wrong about Mandalorians having hearts of beskar steel. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

She gave him a sad smile under her face cover. This certainly wasn’t how she had imagined her death.

“I underestimated you, Elora. You did -”

He was interrupted by a blaster bolt in the sky. Suddenly an entire squadron of Mandalorians appeared, heavily armed and flying with jet packs. Elora swallowed her shock. On this day Mandalorians were her allies. They attacked the hunters and Mando joined them while she took the child and cradled him with her healthy arm.

“Get out of here. We’ll hold them off.” a heavily armed Mandalorian said.

“You’re going to have to relocate to covert.”

“This is the way.”

Elora held out her hand. Mando grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Her blaster wound was bleeding heavily, soaking her grey robe’s sleeve. The Mandalorian guided her through the mess as they ran towards the ship.

“Wait, there’s -” she attempted to warn him. But it was too late.

“Hold it, Mando!” The man from earlier, Greef Karga, had escaped the town and sneaked onboard the  Razor Crest . “I didn’t want it to come to this. But then you broke the code.” He pointed his blaster at him. Elora was weak as she had lost a lot of blood. She held the child close against her chest. All of a sudden the Mandalorian’s whipcord touched a button at his left hand side which caused the hull to fill with enough steam to cover the guild agent’s view. All it took was one shot from the Mandalorian’s blaster and the intruder got knocked out of the  Crest . Mando picked up the child from her arms and ascended to the cockpit. The ship lifted off in a matter of seconds, entering hyperspace only minutes later. Elora was on her knees, holding her injured shoulder. Once in the safety of hyperspace, the Mandalorian came back down and gestured for her to follow him. He brought her to a crate in the ship’s hull. “Lay down. I need to take a look at it.”

“Where’s the child?” she asked. Her breath had become shallow. She took off her face cover, goggles, and her robe, revealing a thin blood-drenched tunic and washed out pants underneath.

“He’s fine. Contrary to you he's not injured.”

They remained silent while he patched her up and treated her wound with bacta spray as if this was an everyday task to him.

“I’ve done you and the child dirty today.” he spoke after a while. “There is no apology for my behavior. For putting you into carbonite, for turning in the child. You… you did so well protecting him. If it wasn’t for every bounty hunter in this parsec hunting us down, you should be the child’s caregiver, not me. Here, take it back.” He took out a familiar leather pouch. “I didn’t take you to a safe planet for you to look for your family. Therefore this gem is not mine to keep.”

“This means more to me than you can imagine. Thank you, Mando.”

He nodded. “You may use the refresher. Wash your clothes and take a shower. But first, I need to ask you something. I... saw them bleed out. Those who became acquainted with your powers, I mean. You did the same to me and all I get are some bruises. Why?”

“Mmm your beskar. It must have protected you from my powers somehow.”

Her answer made Mando think. He went to take a clean tunic and pants from his storage unit.

“You can wear those until your clothes are clean.”

She accepted his kind gesture and went to clean herself up and change into his clothes. She made them fit by rolling up sleeves and pant legs. Afterwards she returned to the crate and laid down. The bacta spray helped with her injury, but it couldn’t help with her exhaustion. After cracking the ground of Nevarro City open, after fighting so many enemies with and without her powers, she had no energy left to stay awake for much longer.

The Mandalorian came down from the cockpit where the child was asleep in the pram, safe and sound, to his relief. He needed some much deserved rest as well. On the way to his cot he noticed his guest sleeping on the uncomfortable looking crate. He stood there, watching her curled up sleeping silhouette and remembered how she'd had his back earlier. She had risked her life for something that wasn’t any of her business. He made up his mind that he would keep his promise to take her to one of the more populated worlds with intergalactic archives. But first they had to lay low for a while. As long as almost every member of the bounty hunter guild in this parsec was after them, traveling to a more crowded world was an increased risk. He had to think of the child’s safety. After this battle his mind was still alert, so sleep didn’t come easy. He knew being wanted by the Guild was bad for his budget, especially now since he had two mouths to feed. Finding jobs would become much harder for him. He didn’t regret his decision though, knowing he had done the right thing in the end.  This is the way.

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[j0-drouin]

since covid scrapped any potential of travel plans, we went on a local road trip to some farmers markets and decided to stop off at the bridge where they filmed both It movies 🤡

ft. the (fake) R+E carvings

also went to elora but the quarry was closed so no cliff pics this time

[sjanke]

First Post Pandemic (🤞) Road Trip

July 20-22

The girls and I planned a 2 night get away to the Elora, St. Jacob’s, Waterloo region! Our trip was jam packed! First stop was the Rose Bud Motel! A pilgrimage of sorts, continued from the previous day. (See July 19) Then we checked in to our gorgeous hotel, Staybridge Suites where we were more than comfortable. Next was an escape room at KW Escapes, THRILLER, was a super, exciting and challenging room. Our host, Max, gave us a couple of extra minutes to complete the room because we were so close! Dinner at Jake’s with huge meals. Then I went to Walmart while girls went to their booked time at the swimming pool.

Up early Tuesday to get breakfast and then head to Elora Gorge. We got our gear, tubes, helmets and life jackets. The tube took about an hour with some fun rapids and section of lazy floating. We had time to go walk around busy Elora and got lunch at Box Social. Then we were off to the Quarry for our 3:00 reservation. Spectacular!

The girls had dinner out at Street & Main while I had lunch leftovers in my king size bed. Played some games in the room that evening.

Next day up and to the market…oh the food! Fresh everything and churros, pretzels, lemonade! The girls hit the mall for an hour before our journey home with one last stop Chick fil A at the Yorkdale Mall! Worth the stop for sure!

[thebestintoronto]

15 Best Day Trips from Toronto

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The most effective excursion from Toronto.

1. Twist via Royal Prince Edward Area

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Drop in one of their dozens of wineries and also breweries for an afternoon of tasting, or hit up the Royal prince Edward Area Lavender Farm for some adorable images.

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Here are some suggestions for things to do throughout your Royal prince Edward County excursion:

Visit the white dune at Sandbanks Provincial Park Take a look at the sedimentary rock bluffs at Little Bluff Conservation Area

Best time to go to: summer through loss

2. Discover the historic community of Port Hope

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If you go to during the autumn, you can even do some salmon angling right in the heart of downtown Port Hope.

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We checked out while they were shooting, which is why you see American flags in the photo above.

It: Chapter 2 is available on Crave Canada if you intend to see before searching places in Port Hope!

Best time to go to: spring via fall

3. Get a preference of neighborhood in Kawartha Lakes

South Pond Farms is widely known for their program on Netflix, Preference of the Country.

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Discover lunch and dinner events on their web site.

Finest time to visit: springtime with loss

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Read a book with your toes in the sand, play some coastline volley ball, or endeavor out into the clear blue water!

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If you want to clear out a little bit further, you can head a hr up north to Tobermory as well.

Ideal time to go to: summer with fall

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Paid vehicle parking is restricted as well as you need to get online in advance, even if there are vacant places when you show up.

Additionally, make sure to examine the weather ahead of time-- we scheduled our car parking and also really did not end up going since there was an awful thunderstorm en route!

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Finest time to see: summer season

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I have a different article all about just how to invest a day hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.

Finest time to see: year-round

7. Prance via lavender areas in Milton

Lavender areas for life ...

Take the eliminate to the spectacular Terre Bleu Lavender Farm in Milton and also get some charming Instagram photos.

Check out right when it opens up in the early morning, due to the fact that it gets active extremely promptly!

Terre Bleu is the largest lavender ranch in Ontario, with over 40,000 lavender plants that bloom at different times during the year!

Oh, and you're mosting likely to want to try the lavender ice cream-- it's amazing.

Best time to visit: summertime

8. Store vintage in Guelph

The Aberfoyle Vintage Market is paradise for vintage purchasing.

You'll find all type of trendy gems like license plates from the 70's and also vintage coke indications from old diners.

There's a heap to see around the marketplace, and also you'll certainly be able to spend an entire day below.

One day might not even suffice to check out the whole thing!

The Aberfoyle Antique Market is open every Sunday throughout the summer season and loss, so you can definitely make several journeys.

Don't fail to remember to bring reusable carryall for your rewards!

If you're looking for much more adorable vintage shops in Guelph, take a look at Outpost Vintage and also Wild Rose Consignment.

Finest time to go to: year-round

9. Go hiking in Cambridge

Cambridge is just one of the prettiest cities in Ontario, with its mix of historical buildings as well as vibrant street art.

There's a charming coffee shop called Monigram Coffee Roasters that makes great sandwiches, as well as lots of treking trails within the city!

Ideal time to see: year-round

10. Go tubing in Elora

Laze around down the Elora Canyon and let the river bring you!

It lies in the Elora Canyon Conservation Area, so you can do a little hiking on the path later on if you're in the state of mind for it.

Don't forget to bring water footwear, as well as don't do this if you dislike bugs.

If you can't swim (like me lol), see to it you're with somebody that understands exactly how-- the ending requires you to swim to coast.

If you remain in the state of mind to do some actual swimming, drop in the gorgeous Elora Quarry afterwards!

Ideal time to visit: summer

11. See a theater show in Stratford

Fancy seeing a live theatre program?

Stratford is everything about arts as well as culture, as well as you most likely currently recognize them for the Stratford Event.

I attended Eliminate a Mockingbird in 2014, and it was remarkable!

This Shakespeare-loving town is filled with unusual boutiques, awesome neighborhood consumes (the Stratford Cook Institution is found here), and also lots of fun points to do.

Finest time to check out: year-round

12. Go through falls in Hamilton

Hamilton is referred to as the waterfall funding of the world, with over 100 waterfalls to explore.

Spend a road trip in Ontario discovering Hamilton's stunning falls and eating at some of the best Hamilton restaurants on King William Street!

If you enjoy hiking, you need to definitely do the Dundas Height trek for the unbelievable views.

There are likewise a lot of charming and Instagrammable areas in Hamilton, consisting of Motel Dining establishment and also Hi Baked Sugar Shop.

I've got a post everything about just how to invest a day in Hamilton!

Finest time to see: summertime through fall

13. Go white wine sampling in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake is the ideal place for white wine lovers, with practically 100 wineries found here.

Visit 1 or 2 and also check out Niagara Falls, or simply invest an entire day seeing as lots of wineries as you can!

Definitely stop by Stratus Vineyards-- they make possibly my preferred icewine.

Likewise an enjoyable reality: icewine is spelt as one word here in Canada!

Finest time to go to: summer season through loss

14. Obtain touristy at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is simply among those outing from Toronto that never ever gets old despite the number of times you visit.

Take in the sights of Horseshoe Falls, do some touristy tasks along Clifton Hill, and ride the Niagara SkyWheel while viewing the sundown!

It's the ideal place for an outing, yet you can also invest a weekend break in Niagara Falls.

Best time to go to: year-round

15. Walk the Toronto Islands

If you prefer to remain as close to the city as possible, the Toronto Islands is the perfect field trip within the city.

All you require to do is take a ferryboat over to the islands, and also you can invest a day strolling or cycling around!

I have a different article all about points to do at the Toronto Islands.

Best time to see: springtime through autumn

Ideal day trips from Toronto:

Prince Edward Area

Port Hope

South Fish Pond Farms near Kawartha Lakes

Sauble Beach

Tobermory

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Terre Bleu Lavender Ranch in Milton

Aberfoyle Vintage Market in Guelph

Cambridge

Elora Canyon

Stratford

Hamilton

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara Falls

Toronto Islands

Toronto is near a great deal of great communities and also areas for field trip, whatever activities you're interested in doing!

I've also got a post all about road trip tips that you might find useful.

Will you be doing any kind of one day trip in Ontario this summertime? What are several of your favourite outing from Toronto? I 'd like to know in the remarks!

P.S. if you liked this article, you could like this blog post on exactly how to do an outing to Niagara Falls, or any other articles on taking a trip in Ontario.

The post “ 15 Best Day Trips from Toronto “ was originally seen on Diary of a Toronto Girl

Looking for IV therapy services in Toronto? Contact The IV Lounge.

[stuffaboutontario]

Elora Quarry by Ontario For You

[whatidoisxsecret]

Odd numbers 🐰-💒

Ah okay! Oh boy.

🐰- do you believe in soul mates?

I guess, to some degree. But in that I also believe in soulmates that are purely platonic. It’s not strictly reserved for romantic relationships - that would be a shame.

✨- which fictional character (book, show, or movie) do you relate to most?

I’ll get back to this one

💋- kissing in the dark or kissing in the rain?

Rain. Only because I like rain.

🍼- what is your favorite memory?

I can’t choose one! Jumping out of an airplane, seeing my 4.0 GPA in my first two quarters of art college, all the concerts I’ve been to, zip-lining, hiking through those mountains in Ontario (it was so green), staying on a goat farm, running through the rain in Port Hope, wandering the streets of NYC feeling young and free. I think my most recent favorite memory was visiting “The Kissing Bridge” and the Elora Quarry in June. I just remember feeling relaxed that day, with the sunshine and the weather was perfect and I had my favorite travel companion by my side. We got Starbucks, we wandered in areas we shouldn’t have, and we said ‘fuck it’ when we got to the Quarry and jumped in with our clothes because when would we be back? I mean, I also enjoyed hiking through the mountains there, it was gorgeous. And we both just wandered without destination in mind.

💖- have you ever been in love?

Doubt it.

🍯- describe your favorite smell

Fresh brewed coffee in the morning, fresh bed sheets, ocean salt water, the wilderness after it rains. You get four.

🍪- cookie dough or cookies?

Cookies since the cookie dough I use isn’t very easy to eat. It crumbles.

🍃- would you rather live in a sea with mermaids or a forest with fairies?

Forest with fairies - not a fan of deep dark water and those mysterious ocean creatures.

💫- what is your sun, moon, and rising sign?

Capricorn sun, Libra moon, Taurus rising.

🍭- how tall are you?

5′5″

[thisislizheather]

The Best of 2022

I’ll forever love a best-of-the-year list, so off we go.

BEST EXPERIENCES

Waking up at dawn to walk through Central Park during a snowstorm.

Above Photo: Central Park during a snowstorm, January 2022

Visiting part one of the In America exhibit at The Met. And then revisiting it a few months later with updated pieces.

Seeing Debra Messing in the play Birthday Candles on Broadway.

Finally visiting the incredible New York Transit Museum.

Taking Baby Dog to Central Park each season.

Above Photo: Baby Dog in Central Park, February 2022

Above Photo: Baby Dog in Central Park, April 2022

I went blonder than I’ve ever blonded before.

Above Photo: Blonde Liz, March 2022

Seeing American Buffalo with Sam Rockwell at Circle in the Square theatre with Nathan. Just incredible.

Traveling to England, Spain, Scotland, Barbados, Las Vegas and Los Angeles! (Individual posts for those coming soon, I swear!)

Seeing Mr. Saturday Night with Billy Crystal on Broadway. Love that man.

Finding the real Amityville house and seeing it in person.

Above Photo: The house from The Amityville Horror, July 2022

Going to Kim’s Video Store in Manhattan.

Visiting my best friend Harmeet’s lake house in the summer.

Having my first tea service with my friend Marla at the cutest place The Wild Tart - and then visiting the Elora quarry and gorge (where scenes from It were filmed).

Above Photo: Elora Quarry, August 2022

Rediscovering my love for Halloween sitcom episodes.

Continuing to crush Halloween.

Seeing the Thierry Mugler exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

Visiting the newly opened Museum of Broadway.

BEST NEW RECIPES

Zucchini Lasagna

Above Photo: Zucchini lasagna

Sour Cream Banana Bread

Above Photo: Sour cream banana bread

Lemon Brown Butter Salmon

Antoni Porowski’s Moroccan-Style Lamb Bolognese

Above Photo: Antoni Porowski’s lamb bolognese

Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Salted Maple Icing

Leftover Turkey Sandwiches with Stuffing Waffles

BEST FOODS I ATE

The wild mushroom soup with truffle oil & mascarpone at Giorgio’s of Gramercy.

Above Photo: Didn’t even mind how burned this bread was THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS SOUP IS, Giorgio’s of Gramercy

The seasonal lemon poppy seed cruller at Daily Provisions.

Above Photo: Lemon poppy seed cruller from Daily Provisions

The mussels from The Independent in Midtown.

The burger at The Sparrow Tavern in Astoria.

The chocolate peanut butter pie at The Angelika.

Above Photo: Chocolate peanut butter pie at The Angelika

The french onion soup dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s.

The steak Diane from Dowling’s at The Carlyle.

Every single pasta at Rezdora.

Above Photo: Truffle Raviolo (the giant raviolo with black truffles), the Grandma Walking Through Forest in Emilia (the green pasta), the Maccheroni al Pettine with duck ragu, Rezdôra NYC, March 2022

The burger au poivre at Raoul’s.

The roasted corn and couscous risotto with parmesan from Glass House Tavern.

Crab cakes from Bar Crudo in Brooklyn.

Every single thing at Bazaar Meat By Jose Andres in Las Vegas.

The absolute best BLT I’ve ever had at Sala in Astoria (served at brunch only).

BEST TV & MOVIES

The Golden Girls: I never watched it growing up but it’s wild what a great show it was.

Malice: Okay, do you know anything about this movie? If not, don’t look it up. Just watch it. I was ON CLOUD NINE watching this one. So many twists, there’s a great Alex Baldwin monologue in it, it’s just a party of a movie. Especially if you love early 90s semi-sexy psychological thrillers, WHICH I DO. Such a great movie.

Trapped: Nathan’s first season premiered and was reviewed in The Globe and Mail!

Top Gun Maverick: I know, who even am I? This is so out of character, but I loved it.

PEN15: Best new show I’ve seen in years. All women born in the mid 80s need to watch it.

The Thomas Crown Affair: Love 90s movies like this.

The Bear: Just a great first season.

The Summer I Turned Pretty: This was just a perfect summer/teen show that I didn’t know that I needed.

Barbarian: Such a perfect movie. Bill Skarsgård can do absolutely no wrong.

The Crown: Depressing to binge watch all at once, but really good overall.

Bob’s Burgers (Christmas episode): I WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT IT.

BEST PURCHASES

The lip exfoliator & lip butter from Three Ships.

Every single tee tree product at The Body Shop. (As well as their whole Wild Pine collection.)

The AG Hair Colour Savour Mask that Ulta has apparently stopped selling?!

Gorgeous address labels from Zazzle.

Vicks bath crystals.

Aerie black leggings with pockets.

Holler And Glow foot mask from Target.

Black, tulle slip dress from Free People.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

The sandwiches at Alidoro in the West Village.

Sullivan Street Bakery.

Angelina Bakery in Bryant Park.

Literally all Kylie Skin products.

Any product described as “lip oil” - BUY SOME DAMN LIP BALM FOR THE SAME EFFECT, PEOPLE.

So many recipes from Half Baked Harvest (the ginger sesame noodles with mushrooms and the sesame garlic chili oil noodles, for example). It’s a beautifully curated site but with such lackluster flavours in the recipes.

SLT. I love pilates, but this was just wretched.

The continued celebration of The Kardashians.

Part Two of the In America exhibit at The Met.

Halloween Ends. Just a mess of a movie.

A Christmas Carol (the one-man show on Broadway) was hell on earth.

I stand by all of these opinions!

And here are my favourites from 2021, if you’re interested!

[wizardsnwookies]

POTA102318 - Next Steps

The Swinging Sword was just as they had left it. The same smells of ale and sweat from the quarry workers permeated the wood structure, given where they had come from, it was a far more welcoming smell to their senses. Their orders were far more indulgent than when they had first met, each of their coin purses had since been burdened by the addition of payment from the constable. To her own surprise, Elora actually paid for her own glass of fine Elven Wine.  Even the pios Dion allowed himself a small taste of a spirituous beverage. When all had settled in, Banshae cleared her throat, more for her own benefit than to quiet the table. She needed to ready herself, she couldn’t get by with half-truths and non explanations.

“Let me begin by thanking you for agreeing to aid me on such little information. I have been scant with details, and I apologize. After I tell you all I know of the situation, I will not hold you to your agreement if you wish to back rescind.”

“Why don’t you let us make that decision, yeah?” Elora tipped her glass, letting the cool liquid rush past her lips. There was something about this one she found intriguing. An air if mystery swirled about her, and she was curious to see what it hid beneath.

“Very well. I’m sure you’ve heard by now of the lost caravan from Mirobar?”

“Yeah, something about a bunch of muckity mucks disappearing before their scheduled visit in town.” Flea leaned back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head.

“They were delegates from the Lord’s Alliance, as well as the body of a fallen member of the Knights of Summit Hill. They were indeed scheduled to visit Redlarch on their journey, however they never made it as far as Summit Hill.

“Word from the Knights there say that an ambush was discovered just off the road north of them. Many of the guard were slaughtered, but none of the delegates were found.”

“You knew these guards I assume?” Elora queried.

Banshae paused for a moment. No. She still was not quite ready to let that piece of information go just yet. “Yes...I knew them. They were brothers and sisters in arms of Mirobar.

“This is not simple revenge. As a soldier of Mirobar I see it as my duty seek out what has been lost. I must fulfill the job that was entrusted to my brothers and sisters.”

“Is that all we have to go on? Any trail or scent left behind will be long gone by now.”

“There were other bodies found. Several hobgoblins, and a monk from the nearby monastery. All bore the same strange symbol upon them, one not of any god that is known.”

“More symbols...” Dion pondered allowed, the thought of the sigils that encircled the eye back at Lance Rock. He wondered if it was too far of a stretch that they might be connected. Summit Hill was a long ways from here after all.

“A group of adventurers went to investigate the monastery...they have not been seen since. That is why I will understand if you wish to back out of our agreement now.”

The table fell silent for a moment while each gave the other a glance. Some internal conversation seemed to pass between them all before a silent agreement was made. None stood to leave, instead, Dion simply smiled.

“We have made an agreement. We do not intend to back out upon it now. What is the plan?”

---

Miv wandered the streets of Bargewright, taking in the new sights and smells. Banshae had decided to take the Southern route, bringing them first to this strange town named for an Inn. He was still coming to terms with the feeling of using his training outside of the scenarios so carefully orchestrated in the Monastery. It was all for sparring purposes, so people rarely got seriously injured. There were no real threats, no complications, no stakes except the lesson to be learned that day. Outside in the real world, everything seemed to have this terrible weight to it. Everything had meaning, and he was lost  in the sea of context without any paddle to help guide him through.

A hard shove to the shoulder nearly toppled him over, and as he straightened himself he saw the figure that had run into him did not seem to have avoided the same outcome. The small man sprawled out into the dust, sent off balance by the unexpectedly solid frame of the gold Dragonborn in his path. Before Miv could question what was happening, more figures seemed to seep from cracks in the buildings around him. Appearing from alleyways and crossroads, descending on the small man as he clutched to a linen bag in the dirt.

“Take the bag and count everything inside.” A heavy rasp of a voice sounded to Miv’s left from a man who had faced many years and had been the victor. “We take a finger for each item stole.”

Miv glanced over his shoulder, then in each direction visible. Nothing, not even the sound of approaching footsteps. Taking even the briefest of glances of the man told him he had no official standing. 

“Twelve books sir.” One of the fatter men held the bag aloft, the grin on his face seeming all too pleased that the number of items exceeded the number of digits.

“Beat what he owes out of him first, then you can remove his fingers.” The old man folded two well toned arms across his chest to watch. If he took any pleasure in the punishment, it didn’t show.

“Hey now, wait a minute.” Miv threw himself forward between the men and the heap of groveling flesh in the dirt. “Why not just leave him to town guard? You’ve got your goods, leave him to the town’s law.”

All four men laughed heartily, and for a moment, Miv wondered if he had stumbled into a situation he would have been better staying out of.

“You’re clearly from beyond the valley. This is Bargewright, there is no law here. We take care of our own justice as we see fit.”

Miv smiled, his unease suddenly lessened. “Really? Well, in that case-”

The four men saw nought but a golden blur, the pain and wounds inflicted upon them having no clear source but a smearing of color and sound. Dust kicked up in clouds where footwork might have been. Blows to the chest and face felt as solid as a fist. The breeze was hot and musky, smelling of incense and spice and sweat. One by one they fell to this blur. Not knowing what had hit them, never seeing any clear assailant. When questioned later, all they would say is that the wind had attacked them as fiercely as a dragon.

“Come on, get up.” Miv yanked on a scrawny arm wrapped in dirty cotton. The thief recoiled at first but soon found that a monk’s grip was not so easily broken. “Calm down, I’m not going to take your fingers.”

“Y...you’re not?”

“No...and to be honest I’m actually having a hard time figuring out what exactly to do with you. I just wasn’t about to let them butcher you for a few books.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Miv held up the bag in question. “Can I assume they weren’t lying and that this does not belong to you?”

Miv received no answer. Seeing his chance, the man broke out into an awkward run leaving the monk behind, quite literally, holding the bag. What now? Miv wondered to himself. He had no question in his mind that he had done the wrong thing, but with no law in town he was at a loss as to what to do with the unconscious men at his feet.

“All this for a bunch of books.” Pulling the bag open Miv peered down, trying to piece together who such innocuous looking things could cause so much trouble. They were but common texts. Not leafed in gold. Not inlaid in jewels. It was just twelve volumes of the same Dwarven tome.

Buy Me a Coffee

[totaltozier]

I WENT TO THE QUARRY FROM IT SO PLEASE ENJOY MY VIDEO OF IT

[horriblytwistedlifeofjb]

🏞🌞🍃 (at Elora Quarry) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRwWdXtn1Yh/?utm_medium=tumblr

[wonderless-in-wonderland]

The quarry was beautiful and so was I 💕 I’ve been struggling with body image and feeling self conscious about my appearance a lot lately and the prospect of just wearing a bathing suit never mind taking and posting pictures has felt pretty daunting. I realized recently that a healthy mind and a healthy body really do go hand in hand and that I needed to make a change. That being said, no matter what, loving yourself is the first step to making that change, so I’m here to say that I love me no matter my shape and size!!! Hopefully this is the start of a journey for me being as happy and healthy as I can be ☀️ also props to my girl @rh.mc for the bomb ass photos and hyping me up the whole time 😘 (at Elora Quarry)

[saenvs3000]

Yes, the past can hurt

“There is no peculiar merit in ancient things, but there is merit in integrity, and integrity entails the keeping together of the parts of any whole, and if these parts are scattered throughout time, then the maintenance of integrity entails a knowledge, a memory, of ancient things. …. To think, feel or act as though the past is done with, is equivalent to believing that a railway station through which our train has just passed, only existed for as long as our train was in it.”

Who would have thought a movie with a panda who was adopted by a goose and tries to learn Kung fu would have such good life lessons? But, I think movies or stories can tell us a lot about the world that we might have overlooked or didn’t know on our own. One of the quotes I like is “You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” I think that’s especially true in our modernized, fast-paced lifestyle that we are a part of today. We’re so caught up in what’s going to happen that we forget to slow down and catch a breath.

A quote from Kung Fu panda that perfectly describes how the past, present and future are all important. 

An important role with interpretation is slowing people down. It’s so easy to be focused on the next activity or the next adventure that we forget to enjoy the one we’re living in right now. But it’s also important to recognize the value the past can have for us too. Luckily nature and history go hand in hand. Not just in an ecological or scientific sense. But also that natural sites have a history associated with it and historical sites have natural resources associated with it. Have you ever been to Elora Gorge? It’s just outside of Guelph and is rich with historical and natural information. But when you walk along the trails, or climb along the rocks, do you really think about how long it took for those rocks to form? Or what happened to an old building that now lies in ruins and why is it there? It’s important for us to think critically when we’re out in nature, beyond just a simple appreciation.

A gif from the Lion King. Rafiki shares with Simba how running away from his past instead of acknowledging it can do more harm than good. 

Our past can be filled with things we have subdued, or pain that infringes on our present, and other horrible memories and experiences. But it can also bring a potential for better things, an opportunity to learn. These opportunities allow us to grow and prosper as humans. Our collections of mistakes, though painful or detrimental at times, changes the course of human existence. It’s normal to have regret or to be ‘living’ in the past to the point where it consumes you. But instead,  it’s important to recognize our memories and experiences as an area to grow from, not to dwindle on. 

Photo of me at the ruins near Elora Quarry. Taken by my best friend in the summer of 2019. I wonder if this was an old mill.

I think that’s part of why this quote means when it talks about to think, feel and act as though the past is gone. To act as though the past doesn’t have something to offer us would be as foolish as thinking a train station only has worth when a train is presently there. The present form isn’t the only valuable aspect of something. There is value in the concepts or ideas that we can learn from the past. This ties in with the idea of integrity, which are concepts or ideas that have different significant meanings to every individual. We can all have different take-aways from the ruins we look at. Maybe we wonder who used to be here, or what activity was done there, or maybe we’re just concerned with taking a good photo and moving on. But how do we determine what’s worth giving mention to? What gives something meaning? Who determines it’s worth? Why is it valuable? Those are the questions we should be asking ourselves when we’re out in the field and regular ol’ life.There are also things that remind us of the mysteries and knowledge of yesterday. We can recount memories of historical periods through stories, artefacts and experiences. I think that part of our job as interpreters is to find, decipher and interconnect these pieces in a way to connect our audience with the truth about the past. Not as something to forget about, but to use it to our advantage. Yes, the past can hurt. But pain can also make us stronger. 

[honeykngdom]

Where is the quarry located?? The Southside map doesn’t show it anywhere

I don’t know at all, honestly. I really really want to know though. I have an idea of how I would write it in Bad Omen and requests, just because a place called Elora Gorge/quarry is right in my area and I’m referencing look based on that. But I honestly have no idea .. I’m assuming somewhere near Sweet Water though, maybe just closer to the Southside? 

[stuffaboutontario]

Elora Quarry, Ontario