Ottawa Travel Blog

Looking to pick up a cool souvenir of your visit to the capital…without breaking the bank? It can be done, if you know where to look and what to say. First, a word of warning for travellers from places where bargaining is the norm: you won’t have much luck trying to “make an offer”...

First off, you need to know that Ottawans–like most urbanites–have a love-hate relationship with their transit system, OC Transpo. A long and nasty wintertime strike a couple of years ago still leaves a sour taste in many riders’ mouths. And a running joke when I was a student at Carleton...

Watery fun awaits families in Limoges. Creative Commons photo by Mike Gifford, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgifford/4719071531/ All of you who have been procrastinating about taking the family to the new Calypso Water Park in Limoges: it’s time to get your act in gear. The park is only open until...

They like us. They really, really like us! That could pretty much sum up Ottawa’s excited reaction to the news that a star-studded Hollywood movie shoot has rolled into the region. On the Road, based on the cult Jack Kerouac novel of the same name, will be shooting a few scenes in the Hull sector...

Love it or hate it (and if you live in the Glebe and fear the annual onslaught of fair-related traffic, you probably hate it), the Central Canada Exhibition is almost here. The annual fair, which the locals call “SuperEx” or simply “the Ex,” will take over Lansdowne Park in the...

Thinking of taking your significant other for a romantic meal at the Merlot Rooftop Grill, the scenic revolving restaurant atop the Ottawa Marriott Hotel in Centretown? Nice thought–it’s a scenic locale with an extensive wine list. But if you want to check it out, don’t procrastinate....

OK, so the weather forecast through Thursday looks pretty dire, with predictions ranging from mere “rain” to “severe thunderstorms.” But the sun is supposed to come back just in time for the weekend, which will make conditions just about perfect to catch the end of the Canadian...

Walking on a wire stretched high between two trees was not the best time to discover I’m afraid of tightropes. But trussed up in a harness and hanging from another wire by two carabiners and a pair of super-strength bungee cords, I had two choices: keep moving across the tightrope, or clamber down...

So you’ve booked your ticket or gassed up the car, and you’re ready to head to the nation’s capital. What merits room in your suitcase…and what isn’t worth the baggage fare? Here’s my decidedly unscientific packing guide. Necessary items Sports gear. Bike shorts,...

The Black Sheep Stage at Bluesfest. Photo by D. Neuman. The 13-day Cisco Otttawa Bluesfest–a music festival that’s moved far beyond blues to include acts as diverse as Hole, Metric, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and the B-52′s–is winding down for another year. Sunday is your...