story and photos by Kayte Deioma
The Atrium Le 1000 was not on my list of potential rainy day activities when I set out for Montreal. I didn’t see it listed in any of the guidebooks or webs sites I used for my research. But once in Montreal, it was the one spot everyone mentioned when I talked about fun things to do on a rainy day, so I had to check it out for myself. There are plenty of ice skating rinks in this city where kids learn to skate almost as soon as they learn to walk, but only one in a downtown office block.
This year-round ice rink is located in Le 1000, a 51 story office building at 1000 de La Gauchetiére Street West, the tallest structure in Montreal. Le 1000 has garnered awards for being environmentally responsible and for the design of the food court surrounding the Atrium Le 1000 skating rink. Of the ring of restaurants, only the Subway sandwich shop was open on a Sunday afternoon, but there was a steady flow of people coming and going on the ice.
There are several things about the Atrium Le 1000 that make it a great place for children and beginners to take to the ice. According to staff, the ice itself is softer than at most skating rinks. Since the air isn’t any colder than cool air conditioning, that’s easy to believe. They also provide the Easy Skater, a frame like a walker that you can hold onto while your feet learn how to control the blades. This is such a brilliant idea. For klutzes like me, the idea of skating is intimidating because I’ve seen how easy your feet can slip out from under you if you don’t know what you’re doing. Having a sturdy frame to support you as you cross the ice for the first time is a confidence builder. Easy Skaters come in child and adult sizes.
The diversity of the crowd was refreshing, from families with children of all ages to well-seasoned seniors. There were regulars and first-timers, off-season hockey players keeping blade muscles in shape and a bus driver in uniform gliding through his lunch hour for a bit of exercise. A couple young girls were getting some impromptu lessons from a senior coach who was there for an afternoon spin around the ice.
It wasn’t raining the afternoon I visited, but it was 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 C) and humid outside. The Atrium Le 1000 was a perfect place to escape the heat and cool off for a while. The rink is accessible from theUnderground City.
Atrium LE 1000
1000, De La Gauchetiére St. West,
Montréal (Québec) H3B 4W5, Canada
Admission: Canadian $3.50 children, $4.50 student with ID, $5.50 adults for as long as you want to skate.
Equipment rental: skates ($5), helmets ($1) and lockers ($2). Easy Skaters are free.
Parking: Discounted $5 parking is available in the parking garage.
Metro: Bonaventure Station on the Orange Line.
Phone: (524) 395-0555
Email: atrium.le1000@sitq.com
Website: www.le1000.com
Rates are subject to change.
The most fun option would be one of the boat ferries. You can ferry all day for 75 Baht. As the ferry meanders from port to port throughout town, you can sit back and watch the sites glide past you without all the work of toting the kids all over. Besides being able to spot the royal palace and many of the temples, you’ll get to see more of the rustic side. The neighborhoods line up along the waterfront. Though it’s a touristy event for you, it’s just another day for the Thais. You’ll see people relaxing on their porch, or hanging up clothes to dry. Children bathe and play in the water. I wouldn’t let this encourage your kids to do the same
the water doesn’t appear to be very clean. People dangle their feet over the edge of a wall or dock and toss their fishing lines out into the water below.
If you want a more organized approach, you can take a covered boat tour and as you pass by all these places, you will have a guide to help you understand what you are seeing. This tour runs 500 Baht. Quite a bit of difference, but you’ll gain the insight of your guide and protection from the sun or rain.
For a change of pace, you can take a ride on a Tuk, Tuk. It’s an experience! There’s only room for about 4 and you’ll want to make sure the kids hang on. The Tuk Tuk is similar to a golf cart in shape. It is a motorized tricycle rickshaw. The drivers tend to be pretty aggressive so everyone should hang on, but a ride in one of these unique vehicles should be part of the experience.
The sky train is Bangkok’s answer to the metro system, only this one hangs high above the city. You’ll enjoy seeing the sights from the sky train as much as the kids. Not only is it a good place to people watch, but also the views of the city are amazing. You’ll see the rooftops of vast neighborhoods during part of your trip and then you’ll move into a more business and commercial area. You can hop on and off the sky train as you check out some of your destinations along the way.
Regular trains can be a fun adventure for the kids as well. This might be good if you are planning to check out neighboring cities. The seating is spacious and can fit all the family together. The windows open and as you move out of town, you’ll see the change of landscape go from city center, out to the more rural, and then into the countryside. It’s a great way to see the variety in the land.
some warm clothing as your ride might be warm and stuffy, or they may have the air conditioning cranked up to bring icicles to your room. Keep in mind too, that there are different toilets. There’s the standard western toilet and then there are the squatters. It’s basically a hole in the ground. Not as bad as it sounds, except it can be a challenge on a moving train.
People often think about going to see a movie when the weather gets bad, and Hollywood certainly has its share of unique movie palaces. The three gems of Hollywood Boulevard, Grauman’s Chinese, the Egyptian and El Capitan, were all conceived and built by the development team of Sid Grauman and Charles Toberman in the 1920s. While any of the three will give you a glimpse into the Hollywood of old, if you’re traveling with kids, El Capitan is the place you want to be.
Seeing a Disney movie in Disney’s flagship movie theatre is not like going to a Disney movie in your home town. At El Capitan you may feel like you are in the movie, because they’ve decorated the theatre with set decorations and props from a scene in the movie; or you may be greeted with a song and dance number by costumed characters from the film. You never know what the creative minds at Disney will come up with to enhance your movie-going experience.
in any case, you’re likely to be welcomed with an organ concert by one of El Capitan’s house organists on the gilded 4/37 Wurlitzer pipe organ at center stage. The 1929 Wurlitzer has four keyboards to operate its 2500 pipes arranged in 37 ranks on both sides of the theatre. Each rank represents a different musical instrument. Arrive at the theatre 45 minutes to an hour before the movie is scheduled to enjoy all the pre-show entertainment.
After the movie, stop by the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store next door for some ice cream, a malt or an old time phosphate. There’s an entrance to the Soda Fountain from the El Capitan lobby, so if it’s raining, you don’t even have to go out in the street. Prepare kids ahead of time with your shopping limits, because you have to walk through the Studio Store past all the tempting Disney movie merchandise to get to the Soda Fountain. There is seating at the counter of the old fashioned soda fountain, or at tables. There is also an ice cream cone window to the street.
The Disney Soda Fountain has a sundae for any size crowd from the $4.75 Junior Sundae to the $24.95 Mickey’s Masterpiece with 8 scoops of ice cream and lots of toppings served in a Sorcerer’s Apprentice dish that looks like a wizard’s hat. Some dishes are served in souvenir Disney bowls. The Soda Fountain serves home-made ice cream delivered weekly from the Dewar’s Ice Cream and Candy Shop in Bakersfield, California
In addition to the ice cream options, there are a few kid-friendly food options including a hot dog, a grilled cheese sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich shaped like Mickey Mouse. Adult selections are more limited with options changing month to month.
El Capitan Theatre