So, I finally got around to checking out that address: 345 Hamilton Avenue in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It’s been on my to-do list for a while, just one of those little things, you know?
My Little Adventure Begins
I decided one afternoon, "Alright, today's the day." The weather was decent enough. I hopped in my car – figured driving would be easier than trying to figure out bus routes for this specific spot. I had the address plugged into my phone, but I also like to use my brain a bit, look at the street signs, get a feel for the area. Hamilton Avenue, okay, pretty straightforward.
Now, why was I even going to this particular address? It's a bit of a story, really. It all goes back to my late Uncle Joe. He was a character, always tinkering with things, always talking about places he’d been or businesses he thought were great. Years ago, he mentioned some little shop, a real hidden gem he said, somewhere on Hamilton Avenue. He was a bit vague on the details, as he often was, but he swore they had the best "something-or-other" – could have been pies, could have been custom widgets, his stories tended to wander.
After he passed, while sorting through a box of his old papers, I found a crumpled napkin. On it, scribbled in his familiar handwriting, was "345 Hamilton, T-Bay - Check out?" That question mark was pure Uncle Joe. He was probably half-sure about it himself. But seeing that, it just stuck with me. I thought, well, maybe I should check it out. For old times' sake, you know?
The Journey and The Find
So, I drove over there. Found Hamilton Avenue easy enough. It's a mix of houses and maybe some small businesses here and there, pretty typical for that part of town. I was keeping an eye on the numbers, 320, 330... getting closer. I was half-expecting to see a quaint little storefront, maybe a bit run down, the kind of place Uncle Joe would have loved.
Finally, I pulled up to 345 Hamilton Avenue. And what did I find?
- No quirky shop.
- No bustling little business.
- No sign of Uncle Joe’s "hidden gem."
It was a house. A perfectly normal-looking residential house. Maybe a duplex, or just a regular family home. Nice yard, looked like people lived there. No indication it had ever been a shop, at least not recently. I even drove past slowly a couple of times, just to make sure I hadn't missed anything, a small sign tucked away or something. Nope. Just a house.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. My big investigation of 345 Hamilton Avenue. It wasn't quite the discovery I was half-hoping for. No legendary pies or widgets. But you know what? It wasn't a wasted trip. It was a nice drive, and it made me think about Uncle Joe, which always brings a smile to my face.
Maybe the shop he remembered was long gone. Or maybe his memory was playing tricks on him when he scribbled that note. Or perhaps he just wrote down the wrong number! That would also be very Uncle Joe. Who knows? These little mysteries are part of life, I guess. At least now I know what’s at 345 Hamilton Avenue. And I got a little story out of it, which is something.
