Monthly Archives: February 2016

JOIN ME FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR OF PORT HOPE’S HOT SPOTS!

Join me for another virtual trip to one of Ontario’s most picturesque and charming historic towns, PORT HOPE, that sits on Lake Ontario, just 50 minutes east of Toronto. With the Ganaraska River flowing through the downtown, it’s a photographer’s delight, as you will soon see here. My PR intern Gabriella Luchetta is a talented young photographer and most of the photos featured here are hers.  So let’s get started….the first stop on any trip to Port Hope is always Queenie’s Bake Shop. The food, the staff and customers all contribute to that warm welcoming “olde worlde” feel and I recommend Queenie’s for all your refreshment needs. Check out the foodie fun Gabs and I enjoyed with master baker, chef and owner Adam Pearson (below) doing his best “meals on wheels” impression!.DSC08217 File 2016-02-04, 7 17 38 PMFile 2016-02-04, 7 16 13 PMFile 2016-02-04, 7 15 13 PMNext, we went next door to visit the king of bling…the god of glitz himself, Kenneth Bell. I can always find something fabulous there and Ken makes everyone feel so welcome. You HAVE to visit his wonderful jewellery and accessories store – you can find something for every taste from Audrey Hepburn to Rihanna – Ken will kit you out perfectly! www.KennethBell.com DSC08224 DSC08227 DSC08239

 

 

After Gabriella and I injected a little moolah into Ken’s cash register, we went up the street to visit a few more retail friends of mine….here we are at Bubbles & Gems checking out some cool cushions and their “Purse Gallery”  bubblesandgems.comDSC08255 DSC08256 DSC08259Had a blast playing store clerk with Tammy at Susan Dewhurst Limited, a fab fashion boutique that carries so many stylish yet easy to wear designers….and I always buy a pair of their cute socks each time I drop in. Sadly the store will be closing in the Spring as owner Susan is retiring so get your butt in there soon as the deals are going fast.File 2016-02-04, 7 20 46 PM DSC08271 DSC08267 DSC08263

see my new Buddha socks!

see my new Buddha socks!

Further along Walton Street, we passed the stunning floral display in A.D. Holton Flowers. They always put on a fantastic show in their windows.DSC08278 20160204_134153Diane, owner of Joie de Vivre, the sweet smelling bodycare and aromatherapy shop, welcomed us and told us that she’s in the process of moving into a larger store further down the street (45 Walton) in the Spring. The product lines she carries are so lovely and luxurious (see below), and I wish her continued success as she moves into the new space.DSC08288 DSC08287 DSC08290

We decided to stick our heads in the gorgeous old Capitol Theatre (www.capitoltheatre.com), an historic building that rivals Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre. This year’s calendar of shows and concerts include Broadway hits like The Wizard of Oz, Mamma Mia, Crazy For You, August: Osage County and they welcome many professional touring companies. We were greeted by Lynn (with me below) who gave us a tour of the lobby bar and popcorn concession as well as the beautifully decorated theatre itself.DSC08205 DSC08206 20160204_120615 20160204_120636File 2016-02-04, 7 14 55 PMNow it was time to drop in on Teri who runs G. Facey’s, one of the coolest fashion boutiques in PH…they carry both men’s and women’s fashion-fwd clothing and accessories and it was so nice to be welcomed in such a warm fashion (Gabs, you really shouldn’t photograph me from behind…argh!)  http://www.gfaceys.com/DSC08297 DSC08300 DSC08301We then wandered the streets checking out the sights and signs of the town….DSC08220 DSC08292 DSC08294 20160204_140405Now this sign in the window made us giggle way too much. A couple of locals walked by and gave us a wide berth as Gabs and I were making suggestive comments about how we need to experience “a handful of fun”…haaa haaa haaa20160204_140145We headed down to the Ganaraska River to take the obligatory “touristy” shots like these…20160204_140427 DSC08318 DSC08319and here’s my “touristy” video of the fast-flowing river.

By now, it was time for afternoon tea so back to Queenie’s we went for some sustenance before we hit the beach then home to T’rona!File 2016-02-04, 7 23 38 PM DSC08317 File 2016-02-04, 7 23 27 PMJust time for a few more snaps before we left….DSC08251 DSC08252DSC08324You can check out our visit to the Port Hope beach in the previous blog – what a fun day and both Gabriella and I look fwd to the next visit when we can check out other stores, the B&Bs and maybe the nature trail & boardwalk once the weather gets a little warmer. See you soon, Port Hope!File 2016-02-04, 7 26 10 PM

www.porthope.ca

 

 

BEACH WEATHER IN PORT HOPE!!

Is that Waikiki? Bora Bora? How about world famous Bondi beach in Sydney? No, believe it or not, this is the lovely little beach on the shores of Lake Ontario at Port Hope, a charming historic town just 50 mins. east of Toronto. And with our unusually warm weather in the middle of what should be winter, my fabulous intern and photographer Gabriella Luchetta and I decided to take a little road trip yesterday so we could have some fun as well as getting work stuff done! Come run your toes thru the sand with us on this virtual beachcombing stroll…..File 2016-02-04, 7 30 14 PMI grabbed my Samsung Note 4 and started shooting video and snapshots…stand still please, seagulls!20160204_145223 20160204_145703

Here’s Gabriella in action…20160204_145047

and this is the shot she just took…File 2016-02-04, 7 25 56 PMWe took some cool “boomerang” videos, too, and I’ll upload those later. I’ll also take you for another walk along the streets of my favourite town and intro you to my PH friends who welcome visitors year-round to their stores and restaurants in another blog that should be published by the end of today. Until that’s uploaded, enjoy the beauty and peace of Port Hope’s lovely little beach….where’s my sunscreen???File 2016-02-04, 7 30 49 PMwww.porthope.ca