Tuesday, July 25, 2006

101 Things to Do in Ottawa (12 anyway)

The other day on the Hotel Miami's patio, Marcie mentioned a fellow she knew who once told her he was unhappy because his wife was going away for two months and he didn't know what he'd do. "What?" said Marcie, "I can think of a hundred and one exciting things to do in Ottawa."

"Really?," I asked, "Like what?" Marcie was taken aback, but after I insisted that she give me at least five, she gave me a full dozen exciting things to do. Here they are as I recorded them on a green index card.

  1. Go to the art gallery and have lunch. It's only $1.85 -- nice homemade soup and a bun.
  2. Eat breakfast on the Mayflower patio -- even on a workday.
  3. Chateau Laurier patio with girlfirends, especially newly engaged ones.
  4. Bay cafeteria with your mom and sister after shopping and get the roast beef special.
  5. The cheap cinemas at Rideau Centre. Is it $6.75? $7.75? There won't be a crowd, but it's first-run movies.
  6. That Italian shop out back of the Bay (ed.: Il Bottega) Sandwiches at the back, you've got to get there early. Yummy, yummy food!
  7. Take a romantic stroll past the flower beds at Dow's Lake with all the recent immigrants. (Marcie: Is that not good enough for you? ed: Yes, but you did say 'a hundred and one'.)
  8. Landmarks Lounge in the Westin. Huge screen for watching hockey games, delicious hamburgers and Caesar salads. The world's best snacks.
  9. Rideau Bakery: chocolate-glazed donuts, buy them only at the bakery on Rideau.
  10. Two words: Holt Renfrew
  11. Have you driven to Old Chelsea and bought the brownies at the bakery? They're like the ones at the Manx, but you can't take the ones at the Manx home.
  12. Okay. Finish off with the pasta special at the Manx with my friends. Where they know your order.

6 comments:

Winter Family Web Logs said...

So, let me summarize, you can:
eat, eat, eat, eat, movie, eat, stroll, eat, eat, shop, eat and eat.

Anonymous said...

I was going to say, Marcie has quite the appetite, eh?

David Scrimshaw said...

Oddly enough, Marcie usually winds up giving me some of her meal.

Anonymous said...

Oh come on - I was Googling for Exciting Things to do in Ottawa and found this list. The word "exciting" does not exactly come to mind when viewing this list here unless maybe Marcie is of the age to benefit from senior's discounts at the venues she listed.

Not that I have much to contribute to this sort of thing, which is why I was searching on Google. The only things that really come to mind are zip-lining and touring the Diefenbunker.

But seriously... the Bay cafeteria... exciting????

Anonymous said...

I've lived in Ottawa my whole life and there truly isn't much to do but eat and drink... it gets kind of boring.

Anonymous said...

I have been living here all my life as well, and after you have seen all the same museums 10 times each, there isn't much else to actually do. I mean, how many time can you walk through the crazy kitchen at the science and tech before it just isn't crazy anymore :(

The new water park does seem like its going to liven things up a bit but at a hefty price. Family of 5 will cost you approx. $200 for the day. That's not cheap to me.