New Castle California

Nope!! Never would be going here if it wasn't for a reason. It's Crystal and Turhan's wedding!!

Honestly, can't say I'll ever come back here unless there was a reason too. It's really out in the burbs. 

The venue they had the wedding and reception was great for smaller intimate weddings. I think if I ever get married it would be a small venue. 

Cancun Mexico!!

Never been to Cancun before. I only know it as a destination for college kids during spring break. Nope! It's not spring break. Cancun is just a little stop for me on my way to Tulum Mexico for a destination wedding!! Yes, Doris and Venu are tying the knot! Woot!! 

So I'm front loading my destination wedding with time in Cancun. It's the fall so it's not quite spring break. 

For this trip, I stayed at the JW Marriott. 

I'm sure like all hotels in the area, there isn't a shortage of pools. The picture is from one side of the hotel. There is another area of pools on the other side. 

3 Brewers

This place is one block away from the Ottawa Marriott. When it's the dead of winter and well below freezing, your not going to want to walk very far for some drinks. The bar at the hotel is fine, but you gotta mix it up in the winter!! No snow is going to keep me from options!

3 Brewers makes their own beer on site. It's kinda cool sitting at the bar and you see these huge containers with the good stuff inside off to the side. They have all the different types a little brewery would have. 

The food is typical for bars, but with the Canadian twist. Poutine is available! I'm not one to chow down on fries for dinner or lunch so the Poutine has never been in front of me. The flat bread is great. It's simple, easy to eat, and pretty tasty. All burgers in Canada are made well done. This is to prevent people from getting sick. The salads are pretty good. I've been through two changes of the menu and the best selling items stay on the menu. 

When I first started coming here, the scene was a few hours after work and by the time it hit 10pm the place was dead. However as more and more people learn about this place, it has been busy in the late hours. 

He bar staff is cool. Bridget is cool. Envies me for living the life I have. It's funny how people learn about what I do and think it's so awesome. I admit it's great, but a sense of home is always missing. 

Ottawa Marriott

Of all the hotel chains, a hotel from the Marriott family is my choice. 

When I am in Ottawa Canada, I stay at the Ottawa Marriott. The picture below is a view from the concierge lounge. You can easily see the parliament from here. 

As with all hotels, there are rooms that are better than the others. All corner rooms have a walk out balcony. These are the bigger rooms but are available if you ask them at the check in. Most of them are already allocated but it doesn't hurt to ask. The next best rooms are on the Queen street and sparks street sides. Of the two, the Sparks street side is better. I actually like to stay on the Kent street side. I leave my windows open and I like having the sun in the morning. 

The staff is fantastic. Of course staying there every week, they get to know who you are. 

ACL 2015

Another year, another year at ACL. Once again the first weekend is the weekend I am going too. I don't know how many years in a row I've been going to ACL but each year has been fantastic. 

If you've never been to a music festival before, this is one that you have to attend because it's done right. I'll be posting about Fuji Rock later. If music is your thing, ACL is a must do!

Ottawa - Ichido Ramen

Going to back to my high school days and well into college, ramen has always been a comfort food and something that can be had when wanting something fast and easy. 

After going to a ramen place in Tokyo, the bar for good ramen is set very high. 

I'll be posting about my trip to Japan later! 

Back to Ichido... The ramen is above average. The broth is big part of ramen. For me it is at least. Their broth isn't watery. The meat was a little dry for my liking but adequate. 

I've been here for lunch several times and have ordered the bowl dishes. These are the "don" dishes on the menu. They are probably a better choice if your not interested in ramen. 

I have no issues coming back here. 

Thai Express - Ottawa Canada

Yeah... I know. Express? 

It's actually pretty good. At some point, I'm gonna take a pic on how it's made. Although it's fast, it's actually really good. It says a lot when there is always a line during lunch. 

Today I ordered Beef Pad Thai. I'm well versed in chop trickery so no fork will be used. 

Thai express is a chain. If you don't know about downtown Ottawa, a lot of buildings have food courts at the ground level. In the winter time, no one wants to go outside so they just go to the food court. I am working at the World Exchange Plaza, and there is a Thai express in the building. 

I highly recommend it at their other locations. Toronto airport has one!!

Cheers! When in Canada, have to be bilingual!!! Amour!! Je T'aime!

Ok for real!! I'm back on this!!

The app has been updated a while now, so I'm really making an excuse. I just realized that I can compose posts all on my phone. I no longer need to use my computer. Sweet!!