Things To Touch In Toronto If You Haven't Already
If you had to plan a holiday just for your sense of touch, where would you start? When you think about touch, you probably take it more for granted than any other. After all, it’s hard to look beyond your sense of touch. It's something we do every day and at every moment, largely without even realizing we're doing.
So why not plan a weekend just for tactile sensation? People plan things all the time for their other senses. They seek out tastes and smells and sights and sounds, so why not do the same for touch? Where you can find the softest things, the warmest things, the gooey, grainy, scratchy, pulped and gnarled things?
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brendaj/1049828295/in/photolist-4pSt6N-2zn5Ry-Ki5fE-7Qjxvq-6zeZs-KiaCD-yAS7N-7Qjz7S-7Qge1p-81fJzQ-81cA4g-4pSsXU-4pNpHR-4pSt51-Ts4s-nsi7Q-nsi6F-nsi8K-BGc79-4DxoVb-2ALDnR-4Dt8Kn-2ALCQF
Photo cred - brendaj
1. Rub Everything at Romni Wools
Heaps of softness everywhere. Plunge your arms into barrels of gentle wooly fabrics, run your fingers past shelves of different weaves, pins, buttons, patterns, bobs and textures. *Tingles*
https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/16153615830/in/photolist-8BNofu-oBnzvF-p39hrz-oBrm95-qBrvcL-oBDjuv-ozBEtq-oBDoQp-ozBEX1-qTVqeE-4EJZPP-dGgdds-72XECj-kmzfCJ
Photo cred – Dennis Jarvis
2. Pet the Horseshoe Crabs at Ripley's Aquarium
Experience the living beauty of nature first hand (get it?). You can go in and actually touch the creatures in the water, and if you shell out some extra cash, you can even swim with stingrays for maximum tactile experience. Your hands will thank you later.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/42614915@N00/87658363/in/photolist-8KgM6-64BZdk-b1JKYx-9gQ4gL-s1tE5d-4KMVnM-9gQ3ss-s1BAw6-9gQ7e3-sjKaw8-s3b5tu-pEdUGf-qmArHh-s27rFk-pWKeyb-9WT9Mb-rNwT22-qfj1F8-rYJXpV-rizgq6-ascuvg-9gQ5Pq-rNwTqD-4WjdEt-piJiZk-asfa8G-ejTz7X-8vmCwd-6ikM8T-r9bELn-roCFpv-8MWae-981xzn-981ygk-981ygt-LRZuD-hotJS-4o1V2G-7LhPpg-26vRad-7b3JaT-4xavr3-Crgae-7b3HXn-7b7x3N-87YMpr-aje6G3-bTwp2k-DDsUX-hzCzY9
Photo cred - mary
3. Shovel Ethiopian Food at Nazareth
One big platter of food in the middle of the table and no forks. Use pancakes, your hands, your teeth, even your eyeballs as cutlery. Feel cuisine that is hot and greasy, cold and oily, moist, gooey, crunchy and messy all over your body. Nazareth has it all. The fact that it also tastes wonderful is just an added plus.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calamity_sal/5773390134/in/photolist-hWT5c-8K3HTr-8K3HTB-qGcNKh-6QohNM-qGRo2q-6Qoi4a-6Qsob9-6QohJR-r19m4n-6QohZB-6QsnW1-qHS8Me-6QohVg-qH7vE8-qZVmaF-qJtDU6-uAn8m-pT82o-pT81m-pT7Zp-9new5V-9Nb8Kd-74SAnS-74SAKC-74NGwv-74NGbe-9WArGz-9gyQ5P-uAmxk-uAn8e-uAmxf-uAmxc-uAn8h-uAmxp-uAmxr-uAn87-uAnNY-uAnNX-uAn8n-uAnNU-uAn8j-uAmxm-JtVEo-8Zk3Q2-8Zo7vS-hWT5a-hWT5e-7eCj82-hWXke
4. Touch the Exhibits at The Museum of Inuit Art
Mosey around a museum filled with wonderful art, that you can also touch. Well not all of it, but they do have a "hands on section" begging to be taken advantage of.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/2414639089/in/photolist-98TR2y-6RyBJr-4EruBv-6RCEMW-4FnE5r
Photo cred- Ian Muttoo
5. Play ALL of the Instruments at Long & McQuade
Caress cool piano keys, rub rosin on violin bows, stroke polished wood in the woodwind section and endure the bite and twang of guitar strings cutting into the soft pads of your digits. Feel the music vibrating inside beautifully crafted instruments.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jodaka/2466732583/in/photolist-4KYDE8-78fb32-6Vn591-nJYuVc-6k3srD-nKbr7Y-2DPsG-39Lnu-2NeGu-2NeKr-2NeaS-2New8-2Neds-2NeCR-2NeA3-2NeML-2Ness-2Neke-55G3pj-55wSxq-55ugUA-fbzMyT-4m2vez-5iJcp1-kUVHxH-8dErtU-8dEru3-6AUEG1-6KLtoL-8dErtJ-8dEruh-8ie4HU-4Vhtyf-o3am7u-74HFbB-o3VzbF-kUV4BK-8yd94o-4idEhb-6GSBTq-8hoYyT-5Ji8QK-8nGW2C-6YRWDL-4iaiFM-aoDjV-kVPj72-5f2W48-kUV3e4-kUVEoB
Photo cred - Anton Kudris
6. Go Salsa Dancing at Danceology
Feel another person's body move under yours, feel their breath warm on your cheek, the muscles of their back slide and twist under your hand, the sweat moving down their torso and the weight of them pushed against you. Not to mention, the first class is free, and free feels good!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bensonkua/3989026992/in/photolist-75uNKs-6H9NWc-fdErtZ-5kbSev-nf9HzR-82VK5d-5eJrEN-4Mzoxa-fQQ434-doViom-6EyREN-a52NJ8-7ULU8d-86t3BC-5z6ifs-cETM7A-eD9Pb-fXq6b-53VMoW-nd7eAB-928fam-7wLZ65-a1uT1D-68YQS9-74QLXq-stWCqT-ac9LSV-8rACMJ-LDsF4-eA682J-5h5TUs-hzfzur-QccNA-5eB16n-8kGMMY-86t3Bh-eA3sce-on6iHY-akjeRz-qAe3Hw-eKUjZy-aifrsA-36DsKt-cL5TPC-quuwzo-nX4Qki-nWY375-h6Uy8G-nWY4Su-62gyt2
Photo cred - Benson Kua
7. Swim at Kew-Balmy Beach
You've felt man-made things and living creatures, now it's time to feel nature at its most elemental. Swim in the water and roll on the shore as if you were a deranged seal. Embrace the texture of sand and lake water on your skin. Feel the sun slowly dry your body as you lay on the beach.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77681716@N03/7318580260/in/photolist-c9HCWh-6auddE-pu2iUA-ay5yan-5c4xKy-76JNTW-gm9D8-5k3SZv-k7k5C6-k7nF2G-k7nB65-k7nCfQ-k7kMMi-k7nCDf-a7fqWC-opctpH-pwpgyv-qgVSgu-aqHBDY-pndE2S-bVpeRh-Cuxyd-pu2jEJ-pcyT1R-pcyDuy-9bg7jc-7TyEzV-ps1UA7-6aq44e-9DfDBv-peV6Rt-faghqB-hPryJ-5kS6vy-Whvh-5utgrG-ay5xNr-d6T2P-66pftt-fagkUg-6aq55r-peUmqd-eYVnz2-fqxERY-ySDVu-2THkPZ-8N9MrL-4teEYw-roQGAK-simzMq
Photo cred - Viola Ng
8. Dine in the Dark at O.Noir
To really get the most out of your food, try taking away your sight. Feel the weight of the cutlery in your hand and the unique impression each morsel of the dish brings to your touchy-feelies. No phones allowed, and you need help to find the bathroom, so you'll just have to stay at the table and touch everything.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asoundtrackforeveryone/4654302381/in/photolist-86hvWM-86hvWx-aU9wqa-86hvWV-8uHqKt-8uLxnL-DRpTV-bvBoWc-62L8Dd-9EbJoy-9SaJdT-9FLNi1-9HaG4N-9EDwcT-9JcNns-9E3yFo-87Scpo-9Ff8FE-9ESY4b-9EU5BD-9FDt8g-9EPJBZ-9E1Arb-icxF29-9EYUc9-9FFSYy-9Eg3qn-9Fqeb1-9EUBfF-9FS3mf-9EF6MQ-9EjKKp-9FuJRk-9Fetg3-9J9FVZ-qaubZJ-9FKTbX-a2k1kv-9F99M5-9ESABT-9ENGUP-9EmepN-9G4KQL-9EDxfC-aaYDAE-9FDegD-9F9GUy-9F9pFn-9F6soD-fgV7Kz
Photo cred - Tyrone Warner
9. Flick Through Outfits at Black Market Vintage Clothing
Pick out a future wardrobe by sorting through a selection of outfits from the past few decades. Cotton, silk, wool, polyester, and many strange and unique fabrics, all there for the touching.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shiridenovo/5749321435/in/photolist-9L3LXD-co5Gky-9W9jPg-5xuJuw-vxDmi-bYwqs7-5S5B53-5S1eNH-5S5wSu-5S5wcs-5S5BZ1-5S1gWF-5S5AWb-5S5wXA-5S5xCu-5S5x5m-5S1c1t-5SZZc8-5S1fS4-5S1hxP-5S5AiW-5S1fuD-5S5yth-5S5ARo-5S5zC5-5S5xz3-5S5zSN-5S1cyv-5S5wLY-5S1duT-5S5xvh-5S1gtX-5S1gaz-5S1dhz-5S5ybo-5S5BC1-5S5zMd-5S5zdm-5S1e5a-5S5yhL-5S1dHv-5S5yM5-5S1fCi-5S5AxW-5S5wkj-5S5BWE-5S5ypS-5S1gf2-5S5yUN-5S1cKR
Photo cred - Carey Ciuro
10. Sex with a Loved One. Or Tequila Jack's
Basically every person I asked about touch said the best thing about it was sex. We're sexy sexual creatures at the end of the day, and touch is so crucial to our relationship with others. Some people don't have anyone at hand to make love with though, but there is an alternative. Rumour has it Tequila Jack's is the place to go if you're looking for a partner with whom to celebrate your tactile senses on a more casual basis. #TouchaStranger.