By Victoria Christie
This time of the year is hectic. You’re studying for finals, finishing end-of-term papers and finally doing your laundry that you’ve been avoiding all month. It is hard to find time to even think about dating (let alone eat a proper meal). There is every reason to say yes to these fun and inexpensive date ideas for anytime of the year. So put down the laundry and head out the door with your significant other, a new cutie, or your girlfriends for an unforgettable time that won’t break the bank. Let the Ottawa dating tour begin!
FALL/WINTER
1. Concert at the National Arts Centre
When leggings and sweatpants are your go-to (because comfort comes first), it is hard to find an opportunity to get dressed up in university. If you love a good performance whether it be music, dance or drama, you have to check out the National Arts Centre. The Live Rush™ program offers tickets for most performances to full-time students for $12. On the day of the performance, you can choose any seat in the whole theatre. Pretty fantastic. Plus, it is an excuse to get close so, you’re welcome.
2. A Coffee Shop, A Sweet Treat and the Byward Market
The Byward Market is one of the most happening spots in Canada’s capital. It is the perfect date idea for a cool autumn evening or a crisp winter night! Make sure that you go to the market with an empty stomach because there are a ton of delicious places to eat, no matter what you are in the mood for. For a sweet treat, you have to indulge in a cupcake (or two, or three) from The Cupcake Lounge. For a shot of caffeine, there are dozens of cozy coffee shops to pop in and warm up. Sounds like a satisfyingly yummy evening to me!
3. Skating on the Canal at Night
This one is such a classic, but it is truly as magical as it seems. Bonus: it is completely free, unless you indulge in a cinnamon sugar beavertail and hot chocolate, which is a definite yes. My recommendation is to go at night because the downtown lights just add to the beauty. Quick fact: the canal runs alongside Carleton so you can just hop on and skate right downtown. The seven-kilometer canal opens around early January and closes in late February. If you don’t have skates, don’t worry! You can rent them on site. Be sure to bundle up, lovebirds!
SPRING/SUMMER
1. Tulip Festival
Canada’s capital is famous for their annual Tulip Festival which runs from May 8th-18th, 2015. The tulips are sprinkled all around Ottawa, but Dow’s Lake (which is one O-Train stop away) has the largest display of these colourful flowers. On a sunny, warm day, it is so lovely to walk along the lake, snap photos of the tulips and just enjoy being outside.
2. Museum Hopping
For all of you museum lovers out there, here is a free date idea that will leave you inspired! On certain days, museums in Ottawa have free admission for a few hours. Thursdays from 5pm-8pm for the National Art Gallery, The Museum of Nature is free admission all year, and The Canadian War Museum’s starts at 4pm. Why not make an evening of it: hop from museum to museum and stop for a quick dinner downtown. Art, nature and war history will give you lots to talk about!
3. Picnic in Major’s Hill Park
To conclude the Ottawa dating tour, a picnic in Major’s Hill Park is a cute and affordable afternoon activity for when the weather warms up. This beautiful park is a short distance from the National Art Gallery and the Parliament Buildings. Just before you head back home, be sure to enjoy the lovely spring/early summer weather! Make a few sandwiches, grab your favourite snacks, two bottles of water, a blanket and you are set to go. Don’t forget the sunscreen! It is easy to get burned when you are lost in each other’s eyes. Happy snacking!
Pic source:http://livedesignonline.com/site-files/livedesignonline.com/files/archive/blog.livedesignonline.com/briefingroom/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/dsc02486small.jpghttp://everysecondsundayonfilm.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/coffee-shop-sundays/http://www.ottawamuseums.com/national-gallery-of-canada.aspxhttp://www.holidayjunction.com/node/33http://www.highresolution-wallpapers.net/beautiful_tulip_flowers_hd-wallpapers.htmlhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OMrrGHWvACk/UllBI23YC8I/AAAAAAAAgw0/9EFQz9SVBKk/s1600/019.JPG