Ice-creamy goodness at the CNE, foot massage extra

Today was a fantastic day in Toronto; the sun was shining, there was lots to do, and it was also the first day for the Canadian National Exhibition.

First though, Aisha and I spent the afternoon at the Toronto Islands. That actually got kicked off with something different — an extended ferry ride to Centre Island to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the restored Trillium ferry.

After riding around on a rented two-seater bicycle, we hopped on a water taxi that took us straight to Ontario Place, right across the street from the CNE.

That meant we also entered The Ex through the main Princes’ Gates, which is relatively rare for us.

Anyway, it was a great afternoon downtown, and The Ex was pretty busy. We wandered through the main attractions, took in the wares at some of the buildings, visited with the animals at the farm building, and of course had to enjoy the annual tradition: ice-cream sandwiches.

I’m going to be writing about The Ex during the next two weeks, so stay tuned for more updates and photos. The Ex runs until September 6, when it wraps up with the annual air show weekend.

For those of you who plan to visit the CNE in the evening on weekdays, it’s also worth noting that you can get in for $5 after 5:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If you’re looking for a really good deal though, Aisha calls this the “cheapest thrill” at The Ex: 25 cents buys you a foot massage from the Footsie Wootsie. It’s something like 2 minutes of bone-vaporizing madness that has to be experienced to be believed, but you’ll certainly walk away feeling like you got your quarter’s worth.

The Footsie Wootsie at the CNE