10 Things to Do in Almonte Ontario!

Based on the popularity of my “10 Things to do In Kenora” post, I’ve decided to make it a series! And my adopted hometown of Almonte Ontario is next on the shopping block. (Har dee har.) So here we go!

10 THINGS TO DO IN ALMONTE ONTARIO (By a proud Almonte resident of  nearly one year!)

1. The Almonte Riverwalk

The Almonte Riverwalk is actually pretty spectacular. At the top of the hill is a bench they made from an old millstone (yes, its a mill town!) In the summer there is a little ice cream shop at the end of it, a reward for your trek. (Your 2 block trek!)  Best to start at the Old Town Hall, and head down along the river, as then you have gravity on your side. There’s a boardwalk and series of bridges that lead along the various sets of falls. The water is shallow and you can see little fish and fun condos from the back. Grab a root beer float from the ice cream shop (Waterfall Delights!), then continue down Mill Street and across Almonte Street and down to the boat launch, which has a pretty great view at sunset.

2.Mill Street Shops!

If you have time, turn it into a shopping expedition! There are loads of cute shops, but check out some of my favourites:

• Find fun vintage clothes and housewares at Vintage Wear/Ware
• Browse books and games at the Miller’s Tale
• Stock up on gourmet condiments and chocolates at Foodies Fine Foods
• Blackbird and Design by Destination have uber cute gifts, notably gorgeous housewares at the former and fantastic import scarves at the latter!
• Then run one of my favourite errands: Buy a birthday card from Robin’s Paper Thin, head over to the Groundz Cafe for a coffee and panini, and write your birthday wishes from Almonte! The post office is just across the street. Buy a fancy stamp – those always make people’s days.

3. Festivals!

North Lanark Highland Games - Almonte Fairgrounds 2009

Almonte takes it’s festivals pretty seriously. Really – there’s one about every two weeks. So chances are, if you’re by in peak season, there will be a festival to check out! The ones I can think of:

• North Lanark Highland Games (August)
• Herbfest (July)
• Art of Being Green (July)
• FiberFest (September)
• Almonte Fair (July)
• Celtfest (July)
• Puppets Up! (August)
• YogaFest (July!)
• Light up the Night! (Pre Christmas light launching party!)
• Bicycle Month doesn’t really count as a festival, but it was pretty epic this year.

Surely I am missing some… They are nonstop! But this should give you a good start! Check the Calendar at missisippimills.ca before you come. Also there are ongoing events like:

• The Almonte Lecture Series
• Family Movie Night!
• The Almonte Concert Series

And so on and so forth. The days are just packed! Check it out!

4. Take a bike ride!

Bicycle Month Sign

Almonte people like to bike. Take a scenic (or challenging!) ride around the country roads – here is a handy map of some different routes that they put together during Mississippi Mills  Bicycle Month! You can check out bridges, an alvar area, a handful of cemeteries. I recommend working an iced coffee  from Equator Coffee Roasters into your route! Its on Houston drive, down the street from the Independent Grocer’s.

5. Cross country skiing at Mill of Kintail (Or hiking in summer!)

There is a network of great trails all around a beautiful creek and this old building, which was once the studio of Dr. R. Tait McKenzie, and is now a museum with his works. Its a beautiful piece of land - people get married there! There’s nowhere in Almonte (that I know of?) to rent skis, but you can rent them from Bushtukah or MEC. Then, maybe a hot chocolate at the Groundz Cafe?

6. Take a pottery class at Almonte Pottery Guild! I haven’t actually done this yet, but once I finish upholstery at My Upholstery Shop, I will! Almonte has a great community of artisans (check some of them out during the fall Crown and Pumpkin studio tour!) and there are loads of classes. This one I am excited about, because I find pottery to be pretty much like therapy – its so relaxing. You could also try jewelry classes from Kehla Design or fine woodworking at the Rosewood Studio.

7. Saturday Morning – Breakfast and a Farmer’s Market

If you can make it out early enough, some Saturdays the Almonte Legion hosts an egg and bacon breakfast for $5. It is pretty much the best deal around! You get eggs, bacon AND sausage, pancakes, homefries, and coffee and juice! The best way to tell if its going to be on is to check the sign out front on a Friday, or I guess you could call them. : )  It runs from 8-11AM usually. More importantly, every Saturday morning in the library parking lot, there is a small but spectacular Almonte Farmer’s Market! Check it out for delicious baked goods, local produce, meat and eggs, and bedding plants and cut flowers. It is my new favourite farmer’s market

8. Lunch at the Barley Mow Pub during High Water

This is one of my favourite places to bring visitors, just because it has a great view and a very relaxed atmosphere. The serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, and it is pretty good! Also there is loads of patio space in the summer, so lots of room to while away a summer evening with a pint. More importantly, if you come in the spring, the water rushes past the windows in the hall where you walk to the back room, and it makes you feel like you’re in a boat heading upstream. Its a very cool location! And last time I was there the waitresses were super nice.

9. Visit a SugarBush! And Pakenham!

There are several sugar bushes around Almonte (did you know Lanark County is the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario? It IS!) but the closest one is Fulton’s Pancake House. Its actually closer to Pakenham, but hey, we’re amalgamated now! They are open all year, and have pancake breakfasts throughout the winter. The day we went, there was live music, which was fun to eat panckaes to. There’s a gift shop, a maple taffy stand and sleigh rides. All the maple goodness!

While you are in Pakenham, stroll over the 5 span bridge (one of Lanark’s Seven Wonders!) and go to the General Store. I have also heard great things about the Copper Kettle, which is a little restaurant run by a Hungarian (I think) couple. Call ahead, but it sounds pretty amazing. The same friends also run Riverbend Campground in Pakenham if you want a scenic place to pitch your tent (or RV?). Play a round of horseshoes on the banks of the Mississippi!

10. Play in Blakeney falls

Probably you won’t want to play in the falls when it looks like this, but in the summer, its very fun to hop along the rocks and try not to soak yourself. There is a short trail and some bridges, as well as a grassy picnic area. To get to the falls from Almonte, you take Martin Street West to Blakeney Road (South).

Well that should give you a start on getting to know my little town! I hope you like it as much as I do.

lunch hour snap: feral houses

I just wanted to drop a quick note in here, because I was just completely struck by this post I saw on NotCot :

The Feral Houses of Detroit  (via Sweet-Juniper)

Maybe its just because I often like to think about how long it would take the bridges to fall into the rivers and the trees to grow through the pavement if something apocalyptic ever happened. I guess its that designer-ey visual mind… Apparently it wouldn’t take long though! Crazy.

That is all. Stand by for a kickin’ Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe!

Top Ten Things to Do in Summer in Kenora Ontario

This post is dedicated to all of my friends who travel across Canada and want to get a taste of my hometown. This is a completely biased list of things to do in Kenora! This is what I would do, if I were there with you. In no particular order!

1. 
   Buy some chips from Ye Olde Chip Truck (either one!) and eat them on the town docks. Watch out for seagulls. And no ketchup!! Only loads and loads of vinegar. All the vinegar you can drink…
2. 

   Rushing River Provincial Park

   Go to Rushing River Provincial Park (1/2 an hour southeast of KTown) and play in the falls. There’s a little gully near the bottom that acts like a whirlpool when the water level is right! When its wrong, you go tumbling over the edge and get all scratched up. Fun stuff! Bring some BBQ and use one of the grills and have some lunch, or you can even camp here! Also, about three minutes down the road there is a pretty sweet (read: ghetto-licious) miniature golf course. Check it out!

3. 

   MS Kenora

   Take a spin on the MS Kenora! I recommend a dinner cruise which gives you a nice sunset view of everything. Tour the stars homes, see an eagle’s nest and possibly an eagle (we are pretty sure its stuffed) The food is kind of overpriced and somewhat hit and miss, so if you are on a budget, skip the dinner and head straight to Hap’s when you get off the boat! (See #4) You will get the best seat on the patio because you will be there earliest. Very important.

4. Haps Patio is a must-do Kenora experience. It doesn’t have much of a view, but the locals can be pretty entertaining. Get a seat and grab a Little Amik (A frosty mug of beer with a shot of gin and some bar lime) and some chicken fingers (with the best dill sauce ever!) Make sure you aren’t driving home. Mom’s house is within walking distance! Watch out for bears.
5. So now you need some morning after breakfast… there are a few choices, but the old standby is the restaurant across from the Tim Horton’s on Hwy 17 W. I think its called Pattie’s now. Get the perogies on the side! While you’re in the neighbourhood, you can take Mikana way to Anicinabe Park and go for a quick swim! There’s also a nice golf course nearby, if you are into that.
6. Go shopping! Yes there is some good shopping in KTown. You will be surprised! I like Indira on Second Street for clothes, and kericFunk a little farther down has nice jewelry and bags. Go to Abundance and get some Lake of  the Woods Sunrise Soap! It is the greatest. The Blue Heron is also cool. Lots of souveniers, if you are collecting. And while you’re downtown:
7. 
   Tour the Lake of the Woods Museum! It has lots of info about the history of Kenora, the aboriginals, the lake, the mining and fishing industries and its cheap. Its little, but there’s a lot to read, and partway through the summer they have an amazing quilting exhibition. Its cooler than it sounds!! Its also a nice thing to do if its raining. Just behind the museum is the Wharf Marina, where you can get an ice cream and sit on the dock! Yes, we do a lot of sitting on docks. You can also see the Grace Anne II, if she is in.
8. Now to spread out a bit – go to Keewatin! OK, Norman. There is a nice trail, the trailhead is just on the side of the road (Hwy 17 between the Super 8 and the Bridge before the Husky). You can see the dam and lots of water rocks and trees! Its about a 1 hour hike, depending how fast you are and which sections you do. This is a map of what it will be like in the future – the trail part is right! Maybe you can find a better map in town, or just ask someone.
9. 
   Still haven’t had enough nature? Rent a Kayak! You can paddle around the lake and see the sights from up close, or take Laurenson’s Creek – watch out for the jail at the end! Rent kayaks at The Hardwear Company on Main Street. You can paddle to Coney beach and go for a swim. Its also a good place for some frisbee golf! Or, if you are tired from all the awesomeness, take a boat taxi from the Wharf Marina.
10. You’ve worked hard. Time for dinner!
    

    Husky the Muskie, Kenora Ontario

    Wait, one more thing. You have to walk over to the Huskie the Muskie and take your picture under it. Something to show the grandchildren. NOW! Go to the Plaza for dinner. It is my favourite restaurant on this earth. Try the Kalamari Appy, the Chicken Souvlaki and DEFINITELY the Avgolemono Soup.

And that is basically everything I try to cram into a Kenora visit. That and a giant family to visit. I see now that its a lot of eating. What can I say, they have good food in Kenora! Good luck, and send pictures!

ladies room innovation! and unrelated song of the week – clementine by washington

ASIDE: i was at a lunch meeting today at the lone star on st. laurent, and i saw this in the ladies room. yes, it is a hair straightener vending machine. $2 for 2 minutes! fairly ridiculous and yet brilliant. probably when i actually needed this product, i would be too blotto to actually use it however. anyhoo – cool idea!

now for what i REALLY wanted to say!i haven’t posted music (or ANYTHING! ahem.) in a while, so I have a bit of a backlog. here is the new song:

Clementine by Washington

this is a link to the music video, which is pretty cool, and directed by a company with the greatest name evar, we buy your kids. the girl (megan washington) is (somewhat shockingly) unsigned and from australia, and seems super talented. she has an EP on iTunes, I am listening to it RIGHT NOW! And so should you be…

and the credit stream continues… i saw this on notcot, where i see EVERYthing! but it didn’t go straight to the official clementine video, it went to THIS video: Bathtub II by Keith Loutit, which I watched because it is shot in tilt-shift, which I am in love with! It makes everything look like the mini world at DisneyLand, where you go through the whale’s mouth. It also reminds me of Theodore, (he’s a tugboat and a friendly tugboat too!) Anyhoo, Clementine was the soundtrack, and it got me digging. Worth it!! Loveble elements of this song include – words that don’t rhyme, lyrics from childhood songs, charming piano, a sort of chill, ethereal vibe, and two very cool videos. what more can one ask for? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ok, done ranting for now. take care, my darling clementines.

song o’ the week! (month?) metric – gimme sympathy

yes, the new metric album (fantasies) is out, and it is awesome! it sounded oddly familiar on the first listen; i thought i knew the songs from somewhere… but not in a bad way? it sounds much like “grow up and blow away”, or other past albums, but is still fresh and singalong-alicious. they don’t seem to be suffering from the pressure that afflicts many bands when they start to become a little more popular and they lose their edge, which is also excellent.

so, it was tough to pick a single song (and fortunately I don’t have to, because I am just cheaping out and linking to their mySpace – I learned my lesson with big bands!) but i chose “gimme sympathy” because i really like the “oh seriously” after the beatles/rolling stones reference. i also very much dig “stadium love” and “gold guns girls”, and yes, basically all the songs on the album. LISTEN TO THEM ALL!

Metric Myspace

On another note – has anyone else noticed the bizarre increase in the number of hot stewardesses in downtown ottawa on weekday mornings? there were also pilots, but they are not as hot. pillbox hats just don’t do it on dudes! the girls, however are too hot to actually work in airports, so i am guessing it is some kind of guerilla marketing tactic. that said, they are not branded, so its probably not that successful of a marketing technique! anyone?

listen to metric, and find out about stewardesses for me, ok? inquiring minds and all that.

also, here is a photo i took:

this is near the queensway exit on woodroffe. pretty area, right? well the sky was pretty glorious, anyway! makes me hold my breath for spring though. will keep holding it…

A Day at Atelier Orange

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Koen de Winter, a designer that I had come to know of through my school. I wasn’t really aware of it at the time, but Koen has made continuing education a priority in his ceramic studio, Atelier Orange. He doesn’t have a website, (I should do something about that, eh?) but there is some good info on him at this site: DesignAddict.

In any case, this is why I was able to visit Koen de Winter’s very cool three story boutique/studio nestled along the river near Saint Andre Avellin. I had seen his earthenware on another great site, the Canadian Design Resource, and fallen in love with the contrast of colour and material, and the organic, geometric forms. Little did I know I had actually met the designer! And little still did I know that he and his lovely wife Lise would feed me and my colleague lunch. Lucky!  Sometimes as a design student you don’t realize what a small world it is.

I’ve wanted to learn slipcasting ever since I took my first pottery class and thought to myself “This isn’t what I wanted to do!” Also because Amy Adams from Perch! is my hero. [Side note - I met her at ICFF and was all starstruck, I'm such a dork.]

Works in Progress at Atelier Orange

While I was there, I took a few photos, but mostly I just absorbed. Koen used to teach at UQAM, and he does like to talk. : ) I think my favourite anecdote was when Koen pointed out that for the same reason there are no books on learning to ride a bike, there are no significant books on slip casting. Its something that, when described, is exceedingly simple, but to get the feel for and to excel at you have to try it, and learn it in your bones.

Taking a little off the top - Koen de Winter making a positive from plaster on the wheel to make a slip casting mold.

He also had some interesting insights on design education, having been on both ends of the experience. He suggested that all students would be better off if they did at least four courses in some subject of their choosing, thereby making them an expert in one thing, rather than, as designers seem to naturally become, jacks of all trades, masters of none. He suggested it would help with at least differentiating you and getting you that first job. It would have been interesting to do it in such a formal way, but I felt that most people manage to massage their projects into their own particular likes and interests anyway. I know I did!

The finished positive, waiting to get turned into a slip casting mold!

So I don’t know how to slipcast yet, but I do want to go back for the rest of the lesson. Its immensely humbling to speak with someone who has been designing products since before you were born, but Koen is in no way pretentious. He was gracious and I felt very honoured to have been able to learn a little of his trade. He was very generous with his time, although his staff buzzing around indicated that he was pretty busy! If anyone is in the Ottawa area, I’d highly suggest at least a visit to the boutique, if not a day in the studio. I would try contacting him via the link I listed earlier. Spread the learning, people! Its glorious.

codey code code/song o’ the week: tv on the radio – love dog

Today I am trying to finish some web projects so I can get back to making things. Here is my new favourite coffeeshop on a springish winters day!

The art on the wall (which rotates! yes, its a coffee shop/gallery!) is by Rosemary Leach. I like the one with the ice cream scoop and the one with the espresso machine.

Also, I am nominating a new song of the week! As always, its not actually that new, but I love it the more I listen to it. The whole album is pretty great, actually. Check it out! TV On the Radio seems to be one of those genre-defying bands, but they have lots of soul. In the figurative sense I mean, more than the genre. Ahem. Just listen to it!!

TV On The Radio – Love Dog

Via the Hype Machine / my friend Tarah, and then via We All Want Someone To Shout For. Thanks, peeps!

the third cup of tea from the green tea leaves is the best

that is all, really. i was just enjoying a THIRD cup of gunpowder green tea. the heat turns down during the day, so i drink tea to keep warm.

(i took this photo a couple of years ago when I was living at the Sunnyside House. its just a little old, its still good, its still good!)

Pears Are The New Birds

I just wanted to comment on a little trend I have noticed. Its starts in housewares, then ends up all over, on hats, jewelry, etc. First it was deer,

then it was birds,

with a brief foray into owls specifically:

and now its pears?

I don’t know what comes after pears. what am i, a fortune teller? i just wanted to make an observation, is all. : ) get your pears, while they’re hot!!

bus sweet bus

And now for something completely unrelated:

So I have been working at Gabriel Mackinnon, a lighting design firm in the market for almost a month now. Living in the lovely town of Almonte, working in the very hip neighbourhood of the Byward Market, around 60 km (!) away, and a city-wide bus strike combined to make it take 2 hours to get to work on a bad day. And then I still had to get home! Luckily I dig this job, so it has been totally worth it, but my life just got massively more pleasant. This week I started taking the bus! And it is glorious.  Thom Transport operates a commuter bus that runs from Pakenham to Almonte to Carleton Place to downtown, and then does the reverse at the end of the day. Instead of spending an hour in traffic cursing the gods, I get to SLEEP! Glorious sleep in Greyhound-type comfort. And I can have a little nap on the way home and be all refreshed and home in time for dinner. The lights don’t even work, so I don’t have to feel guilty about not working on the way. Everything is coming up Milhouse!

I’m done now, I just wanted to share my basking. Bask, bask, bask. OK, back to coding. Remember – I’m still a web designer! Designer of all trades, OUT!