Sunsets, Pride, Cruises & Community: Looking Back at Our Summer 2025 Adventures

As we continue catching up on sharing some of our adventures from 2025, we realized just how full Summer 2025 truly was. Looking back through all the photos and videos, it wasn’t just a season filled with events and road trips — it was a summer of connection, laughter, community, healing, friendship, and making memories with the people we love most.

Some weekends were packed with celebrations and dancing, while others reminded us how important it is to slow down and simply be present with family and friends during difficult moments.

Here’s a little look back at some of the moments that made Summer 2025 so unforgettable for us.

Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women – June 2025

One of the first big events of our summer was participating in the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women for the second year in a row.

Lynn arrived first, followed shortly after by Nick’s mom, Lisette, and before we knew it, the weekend was officially underway.

Friday night kicked off with dinner at home from Jerusalem Restaurant, which absolutely hit the spot and set the tone for a fun-filled weekend ahead.

The next morning, we were up bright and early for the walk alongside Nisha and Rie. There’s something incredibly inspiring about being surrounded by thousands of people coming together to support women’s mental health and wellness. The energy throughout the event was uplifting, emotional, and motivating all at once.

After the walk, we headed for lunch at The Rooftop before making our way to the Royal Alexandra Theatre to see Clue. Between the laughs, suspense, and the incredible performances, it ended up being one of the highlights of the weekend.

We wrapped up the evening back home with homemade baked rigatoni and Caesar salad before calling it an early night after such a full and meaningful day.

Sometimes the best weekends are the ones that balance excitement, community, good food, and simple moments together.

Toronto Pride Weekend – June 2025

By the end of June, Pride weekend had officially arrived in Toronto, and the city was absolutely buzzing with energy, music, celebration, and love.

We spent most of our day hanging out in the Village, soaking in the atmosphere and reconnecting with friends before stopping for lunch at Garage Restaurant.

From there, we walked all the way to Mod Club Theatre for an unforgettable night of performances.

We got to see Sanjaya DaBish Queen, the incredible Ralph, and Wannabe — the Spice Girls tribute band we originally fell in love with back in Las Vegas.

And one of the biggest highlights of the entire night? Meeting Rêve in person. We’ve loved her music for a long time, and she was honestly so kind and sweet to chat with.

By the end of the night, our feet were exhausted, our voices were gone, and we were completely drained in the best possible way.

The following day definitely became a recovery day — one mostly spent in bed trying to regain some energy — but it was absolutely worth it.

Toronto Pride always reminds us how important community, visibility, and celebration truly are.

Windsor Pedal & Pour Weekend – July 2025

In July, we headed to Windsor for one of the most fun weekends of the summer — our Pedal & Pour adventure through the city.

We checked into Caesars Windsor on Friday night and kicked things off with a walk and dinner at Loose Goose before spending a little time at the casino.

One of the funniest surprises of the night was unexpectedly running into Lisa, Robert, and Joyce at the casino. We grabbed drinks, caught up, and immediately knew the weekend was going to be a good one.

Saturday morning started with a pool hangout at Danie & Dan’s place to help beat the summer heat before the main event finally arrived — Pedal & Pour.

A group of 12 of us hopped aboard for an afternoon full of music, laughter, dancing, drinks, and brewery stops throughout Windsor. Our adventure brought us to Chapter Two Brewing Company, Walkerville Brewery, Kildare House, Wineology, and Cookie Bar.

Even though the rooftop patio at Wineology ended up being closed, we still made the best of it and later returned there for dinner where both of us ordered pizzas that absolutely hit the spot.

Huge thank you to Zack and Eric, our incredible Pedal & Pour hosts, who made the entire experience unforgettable.

The entire day was filled with music, honking cars, people cheering us on through the streets, dancing between stops, and nonstop laughter.

We ended the evening back at the casino playing Little Piggies before wrapping up the weekend with breakfast alongside Jean-Luc’s mom the next morning before heading home to Toronto where Maui, Peru, and Saba were waiting for us with cuddles and purrs.

Toronto Brunch Cruise – July 2025

One of our favourite summer events last year was our Toronto brunch cruise aboard the Odyssey.

And honestly? It ended up being such a special day.

We had a group of 28 amazing people join us for an afternoon full of food, laughter, music, dancing, and beautiful views of the Toronto skyline.

Shortly after boarding, we kicked things off with a picture scavenger hunt that had everyone exploring the ship, taking photos, laughing, and getting to know one another. Watching people connect and interact throughout the afternoon honestly became one of the best parts of the event.

We also enjoyed a delicious buffet-style brunch while cruising through the harbour and soaking in the summer sunshine.

By the end of the cruise, everyone had made new memories, new friendships, and plenty of inside jokes. We wrapped up the afternoon dancing on the top deck alongside our group, the crew, and even some fellow cruisers who joined the fun.

Moments like these remind us just how much we love bringing people together.

Windsor, Family, and Finding Small Moments of Joy – July 2025

Later in the July, we found ourselves back in Windsor again — this time for a much more difficult reason following the passing of Jean-Luc’s father.

Most of that weekend was understandably spent with family, supporting one another, sharing stories, and simply being together during an emotional time.

But in between the difficult moments, we also tried to find small opportunities to breathe, recharge, and laugh where we could.

Even before the trip officially began, there was already some chaos. Nick dropped keys off to Lynn so she could care for our fur babies while we were away, but a wrong turn nearly left us stranded without gas before a stop in Belle River saved the day.

Sometimes even stressful weekends still manage to create funny memories afterward.

We were incredibly grateful for the quiet time spent with Jean-Luc’s mom throughout the weekend. Some of the most meaningful moments were simply sitting together and talking.

Our Airbnb also happened to be close to a festival at Walkerville Brewery where we unexpectedly ran into our friends Shannon and Crystal.

Crystal’s business, The Waffle Bar, quickly became one of the highlights of the weekend. She let us customize our waffles with toppings, and honestly, they were incredible.

We also stayed a couple nights downtown at the Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront and one evening decided to try Bird Scooters for the very first time.

For a little while, we were simply able to laugh, ride around downtown Windsor, and let some of the stress go.

One of the things we’ll never forget from that weekend was returning home to so many thoughtful cards and messages from friends, family, and our community.

The love and support meant more than we can possibly express.

Ottawa Pride Weekend – August 2025

We wrapped up the summer with an unforgettable Pride weekend in Ottawa — and honestly, Ottawa Pride quickly became one of our favourite Pride celebrations we’ve experienced.

Huge thank you to our friends André and Suzanne for welcoming us into their home in Orléans for part of the weekend. Your hospitality meant so much to us.

One of our first stops was taking in the beautiful Ottawa River before later enjoying dinner with Nick’s stepbrothers and eventually checking into our Sonder apartment downtown.

Once settled, we explored the ByWard Market and headed to Starling Restaurant and Rooftop Bar for rooftop drinks and appetizers overlooking the city.

The next morning started with breakfast at Benny's Bistro where Jean-Luc ordered brioche French toast topped with vanilla bean and rhubarb compote while Nick went with a potato stack topped with poached eggs and arugula.

And honestly? Both meals were incredible.

After breakfast, we hopped on Bird scooters once again and headed back toward Pride festivities where we explored vendors, enjoyed the atmosphere, and spent part of the afternoon at one of the best drag shows we’ve seen in a very long time.

That evening, we enjoyed dinner at Mamma Teresa Ristorante where we had one of the best lasagnas we’ve ever eaten — plus garlic bread that we’re probably still thinking about.

From there, we raced to a tiki bar tour on the Ottawa River where we spent the evening cruising along the water, listening to music, meeting new people, and soaking in the atmosphere.

Of course, the night still wasn’t over. We finished things off dancing at T’s before eventually heading back to our apartment exhausted but incredibly happy.

Before making our way home to Toronto, we also stopped in Brockville to visit our friend Heather’s new patisserie, Meringue Patisserie.

And finally, after one last road trip home, we reunited with our fur babies once again.

Looking Back at Summer 2025

Looking back now, Summer 2025 reminded us how important it is to make time for experiences, friendships, family, laughter, and community.

Some weekends were loud and exciting. Others were emotional and reflective. But every moment reminded us how meaningful it is to simply spend time with people you care about and create memories together.

And honestly? That’s exactly why we’re so excited for Summer 2026.

We already have so many exciting adventures planned in Toronto, Windsor, Sudbury, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and beyond — and we’d absolutely love for you to join us.

Upcoming Summer 2026 Events:

🍷 Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Tour – June 27, 2026

🏙 CN Tower EdgeWalk – July 11, 2026

🚢 Toronto Sunset Dinner Cruise – July 11, 2026

🚢 Windsor Sunset Party Cruise – July 18, 2026

🚤 Ramsey Lake Cruise – August 15, 2026

🐎 Horseback Trail Ride – September 5, 2026

We can’t wait to keep making memories — and hopefully make some new ones with many of you this summer too. 💛

❤️🧡💛💚💙

Jean-Luc & Nick