Quote:
Originally Posted by wacko
This thread is quite timely, as my parents and I will be visiting Montreal in June (we'll be going to Mont-Tremblant and Ottawa as well). So I'll be sure to try out some of the suggestions listed here.
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For Ottawa:
1. Parliament Hill (obviously, get your free tickets at the visitor centre early in the day across the street)
2. Byward Market (have lunch or dinner there, a great place to walk around)
3. Ottawa's museums, the Museum of History, Museum of Nature, War Museum, National Art Gallery, (note Museum of Science and Technology is being rebuilt and is closed). All of these are within walking distance of downtown. The walk between Parliament Hill, National Art Gallery and the Museum of History via Major's Hill Park and the Interprovincial Bridge has great views.
4. Rent a bike a follow the Rideau Canal out to Hog's Back Falls (most people don't know that this is a man-made waterfall). You can follow the canal on both sides most of the way, on the west side through the Central Experimental Farm. There are scenic driveways if you must drive. You could also bike along the Ottawa River west from downtown out to Britannia Beach.
5. Diefenbunker is a half hour drive west of Ottawa in Carp but is well worth the visit for some cold war history. What would have happened if an atomic bomb was dropped on Ottawa?
6. A drive through Rockcliffe Park (diplomatic row sort of) and then onto the Aviation Museum.
7. Rideau Hall (on the way to Rockcliffe) (the Governor-General's residence). I believe you need arrange a tour in advance.
8. Gatineau Park (for nature lovers, bike trails, hiking trails, scenic driveways, scenic lookouts over the Ottawa River Valley, Kingsmere (learn about our most quirky Prime Minister, MacKenzie King)
9. Ottawa River cruise (many nice views, the only way to get a good look at Rideau Falls)
10. For nature lovers, Mer Bleue, a very unique natural environment in a sphagnum bog, an easy walk via a board walk, just south east of the city at the end of Ridge Road. A nice place for a picnic.
11, Royal Canadian Mint. You will need to make an appointment in advance.
12. Walk along the Ottawa Locks immediately below Parliament Hill. Watch the boats going through the locks and 19th century manual operation of the locks. The oldest building in the city is here and is the Bytown Museum where you can learn about early Ottawa history.
13. For a feel of urban Ottawa, walk, bus or drive down Bank Street from Parliament Hill to Billings Bridge. This is Ottawa's main street with a wide variety of shops and restaurants and through a number of different neighbourhoods including the upscale area named 'The Glebe' (between the Queensway expressway and Lansdowne Park). You will see the renewal of Lansdowne Park where the Ottawa Red Blacks play. There are several restaurants next to the stadium. The Aberdeen Pavilion is an architectural gem and where the Stanley Cup was won in the early days. I always given a blatant plug to my cousin's Gelato shop named Stella Luna, a few blocks south of Lansdowne Park in Old Ottawa South. It has very good homemade gelato and some eclectic flavours. They also have Panini's as well.
14. Don't forget to have a Beavertail (available in the Byward Market). A true Ottawa experience.
15. On your way to Mont Tremblant, travel to Montebello on the north side of the Ottawa River and visit the Chateau Montebello, the largest log building in the world. You can have lunch there with a taste of French Canada.
sorry for sidetracking this thread.