By: Manveetha Muddaluru
Recently while scrolling on Insta and seeing the SSC’s #mcmasterhiddengems posts, I realized that I don’t actually know where a lot of them are. I started thinking about the amount of time I spend on-campus and off-campus, and how much of my surroundings I haven’t taken the time to appreciate – like this quote that I’ve walked by so many times.
Although I’ve spent four years at Mac (including my summers taking courses and/or working), I haven’t taken advantage of the beautiful sights both the university campus and the city of Hamilton have to offer. Now that I have less than a year left in my undergrad, I want to use my time wisely and visit all the cool restaurants and waterfalls that I can before I graduate!
Here is my bucket list of things I hope to do in my final year.
Things I’ve already done
- Explored Cootes Paradise
- Went to Tiffany Falls, Sherman Falls, Webster’s Falls, and Tews Falls
- Visited Bayfront Park
- Took the HSR to Dundas, Ancaster, up and down the mountain, and Stoney Creek
- Went thrift shopping in downtown Hamilton
- Got Bubble Tea from CoCo’s; played ping pong at Serve
- Visited the set of a movie (It: Chapter Two was being filmed at the Scottish Rite a few weeks ago, but I didn’t get a chance to see any of the actors. Parts of Crimson Peak were also filmed there!)
- Watched a movie at the Westdale Theatre (unfortunately, it’s closed now for renovations)
- Saw a TV show being filmed (The Good Witch in Westdale and Murdoch Mysteries on-campus)
- Watched a movie at Jackson Square (they have reclining seats!)
- Saw a deer
- Learned how to navigate the underground tunnels from MUSC to CNH, TSH, and KTH
- Watched a theatre production by theatre and film students; volunteered at PACE
- Built turtle mounds in parking lot M for MacServe Day of Learning; attended classes at DBAC (Muay Thai and Pilates)
- Went on a tour of the McMaster Greenhouse (did you know they have pineapples and the corpse plant growing there?)
- Attended a show at the planetarium
- Went to Light Up The Night.
- Earth to Table Bread Bar
- Brown Dog Café (the apple fritters are so good!)
- Democracy Café
- Amo Gelato
- Burnt Tongue
- August 8
- Charred
- Jack & Lois
- Donut Monster
- Mezcal
- The Mule
- Hambrgr
- Fsh & Chp
- The Coop
- Cake & Loaf
- Charred
- Freshii
- Big Scoops
- TCBY
- Saigon
- Bean Bar
- Yogurty’s
- Pinks
- Williams
- Bean Bar
- Delirious Burger
- Bangkok Spoon
- La Luna
- The list goes on!
Things I want to do
- Go to Albion Falls
- Devil’s Punch Bowl
- Princess Point
- Royal Botanical Gardens
- Dundas Peak.
- Visit the Dundurn Castle
- Hamilton Farmers’ Market
- The Art Gallery of Hamilton
- Go to an Art Crawl
- Attend Supercrawl this year
- Go skating at Waterfront
- Caro Restaurant & Bar
- Boon Burger
- Rita’s Italian Ice
- NàRoma
- The Harbour Diner, Motel
- Nique
- Born & Raised
- There are probably many more that I’m forgetting!
- Find all the #mcmasterhiddengems
- Go to the McMaster Museum of Art (I walk by it every day, but I still haven’t gone inside)
- Figure out how to get outside after an exam in IWC 2 and 3
- Win question of the day at Union Market
- Go to a concert at 1280
- Cheer on one of McMaster’s sports teams at a game
If there is one thing I’ve learned about Hamilton over the past four years, it’s that there is a bit of everything for everyone! Whether you’re taking courses at Mac or working in Hamilton this summer, I hope that this post has inspired you to go outside the McMaster bubble and explore the city! If on the other hand, you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and you don’t know where to begin with your exploration, start small by exploring campus and Westdale. Or take the leap and check out the art crawl happening on James St. N on August 10. I’ll definitely be there.
About Manveetha
Manveetha Muddaluru blogged about her student experience for the Student Success Centre from 2018 to 2019.