a peek inside the fishbowl

He’s rushing! He’s in a mad panic! He’s never hurried so much in his life! Will he make it? Will he get crushed? Will a bird swoop down and grab him? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I’ve written about Almonte before, and I’m already looking forward to going back. This place is a MAGNET for me, for lots of reasons. There is a lot to love here. Shall I count the ways?

• It’s a relatively short drive
• there is fabulous shopping
• … and history
• and it’s very scenic.

Now that I’ve done it twice in recent memory I can lay out a good game plan if you’re planning your own visit. Here’s how I’d like to do it the next time we go.

First stop: obtain fuel in the form of coffee. Equator Coffee brews up the best latte I’ve probably ever had. AND they roast their own beans. AND they are fair-trade. They’re located in a strip mall right beside the highway before you get into old Almonte. It is really worth pulling over.

Second stop: the Mill of Kintail. My youngest and I took this small side trip because she was working on a project about Dr. James Naismith and we thought it’d be cool to see the exhibit at the Mill. Bonus for us: it happens to be a gorgeous spot, just ignore the directions on the website because they’re wrong. The Mill also didn’t come up on my GPS. Just follow the roadsigns in Almonte. (I wasn’t worried AT ALL.)

We stopped at the site of his boyhood home right near one of the last turn offs to the Mill:

It’s pretty cool to think that basketball was born here, isn’t it? (You can read more about Dr. Naismith here.) I hope the people who live there weren’t too freaked out by our roadside picture-taking.

From here we continued to the Mill. I recommend parking in the lot closest to the road (parking costs five bucks – bring change!) and walking to the mill for the full effect. We took the trail by the river. And I’m glad we did. It’s only about a 5-10 minute walk and worth every second.

It’s a very easy walk, even if you don’t wear the proper footwear. Ahem.

I’ve never actually been to the Mill of Kintail before. It’s a pretty cool building with a rich history:

It’s a fairly quick stop and admission is by donation. The Naismith exhibit contains photographs, documents, a large rock (long story), and biographical information about Naismith… along with this puppet:

The rest of the house is a neat little slice of history too. It’s the former summer home of Robert Tait McKenzie, an artist and sculptor. Don’t forget to peek upstairs.

Once you’re back outside, follow the trail along the river towards the bridge and you’ll be rewarded with some pretty views:

If you walk for another five minutes you’ll find a small river study area, which includes some small nets with which you can catch things in the water if you are so inclined:

We spotted a massive snapping turtle, and lots of cool bugs in the water:

A note for next time: BRING A PICNIC!

We soon made our way back to the car – stopping to peek at a cute little chapel along the way – and drove back to the village of Almonte.

Street parking is free and plentiful. We used the rest of our time to browse the main drag. There’s a lot to see, if you know where to turn your head:

There are a lot of very cool little shops in Almonte. Standouts for me: Doree’s Habit (Sarah scored an awesome t-shirt), and the Tin Barn Market. The antique shops are totally worth a browse too.

Don’t forget to pay a visit to the doctor himself:

Where to eat in Almonte? Good question. My date and I chose THE SUPE (a.k.a The Superior) for the diner vibe. We liked it.

I had a perfectly decent pea soup and grilled bacon and cheese sandwich and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. There are lots of other places to eat here too but I’m sure this is the best deal in town. Next time I might try the Heirloom Cafe just for something different. (Here are some reviews on Yelp.)

Before we left I snapped a quick pano of the river. It was getting a bit rainer by then and it was time to go home, but I’ve promised myself I will return. The mode of transportation I choose however, is up for question. Lana Stewart (a.k.a. Modal Mom) has written a blog post about a recent bike ride to Almonte. Question is, dare I do it?

The marketing of Father’s Day (and Mother’s Day now that I think about it) bugs me because it lumps all people into a bunch of predictable stereotypes. Moms CLEARLY like to garden, wear perfume, and bake. And looking at the gift ideas in all the magazines right now you’d think that all dads like to fish, hunt, and fix their cars on the weekends. And when they’re not covered in fish guts and dirt they’re wearing ties and dousing themselves in aftershave. Sigh.

I DO however believe that inside each dad is a 12-year old boy who loves to come out and play. And that’s what I’m offering up with this blog post. SO. If live in Ottawa and you’re wondering what to do with dad and the kids on his special day, here are some ideas for you!

* At the top of my list is the aerial park and caves at La Fleche. I did the cave thing there awhile back and it’s breathtaking – that is, it will take your breath away if you’re claustrophobic. (Er. That may be me.) The treetop tours promise to be amazing. There’s even one for kids! Do note, there’s aerial touring at Camp Fortune too. I’ve been to this one and it was pretty incredible. And if you’re really focused on the spelunking idea, note that the cave at Bonnechere is worth a visit too. Dad will love it. (At least ours did!)

* Karter’s Korner – I’ve never been, have you? On first glance there seems to be many things to do here: go-kart racing, paintball, mini-golf, a GIRAFFE. Heck. I’m sure you’d find something dads would enjoy here. Alternately you can kick it up a notch and give the gift of a race car driving experience at Calabogie Motorsports. (!) Details here. Did you know you can race your own car around the track? I would LOVE to see Mark race the Prius (I’d die of laughter in the process). Hmm. Maybe a “Mustang experience” would be better. There are lots of options starting at $99 for a ridealong.

* Laser tag at Funhaven – As some of you know Funhaven is a Fishbowl patron. We’ve been there a whole bunch of times and I can honestly say that laser tag is a great activity for dad. It’s so much fun. In fact, we’ve been trying to organize a daddy-daughter night of laser tag for awhile now with friends. (It WILL happen!) The prices are reasonable too, which I appreciate. A 3-game pass is $14.99 at non-peak times. Treat daddy to a slice of pizza afterwards. Or a beer. Funhaven is licensed!

* The Diefenbunker – I think many dads would like to pay a visit to this landmark from the Cold War. We visited the Deef awhile back and really enjoyed it. There’s a special event planned for Sunday too.

* Star Wars Identities at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Need I say more?

* Golf and lunch at the Marshes – Imagine this: the day begins with a leisurely lunch in the clubhouse. Then, dad proceeds to the greens while mom and the kids hang out and swim in the pool. Ahhh. It all sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? Day passes are available to the public for $15 per person and the outdoor pool area is right by the golf course.

* Bowling – We haven’t been bowling in ages, but I think Father’s Day is the perfect excuse to head out again. Merivale Bowling Centre has a Rock N’ Bowl that the kids loved. Time to go back!

* The Movies – Treat dad to a movie on the UltraAVX theatre at the Coliseum. With cushy seating, a big screen, and big sound… it’s an extra-rich experience for film lovers. Serve it up with a gift card for popcorn and you’re set.

Going anywhere special on Father’s Day? If so I’d love to hear about it!