With the weather warming, more road tripping options are opening up—hooray! In this week’s road trip roundup, you’ll find tips on outdoor patios, year-round ziplining and urban walks. But there’s still lots of at-home fun to enjoy, too, including a fundraising bingo game and an international film festival. Whether you’re going out or staying home, have fun. (And remember, of course, to stay in your region if you’re venturing out into the Real World.)
Also, a bit of an apology: I know these posts are coming out later and later each week. I’ll confess that I’m feeling a bit swamped right now…because I’m deep in the throes of writing a travel guidebook to short day trips from Ottawa. The book will be coming out in the spring, and I’m super-excited about it, but it’s consuming a lot of my waking hours at the minute. I’ll try to get these road trip roundup posts out earlier in the week from now on, but they will be a bit shorter than usual for a few weeks, until the book is finished. Thanks for understanding!
Play bingo for the Ottawa Food Bank
There are only 100 spots available for this one, so hurry if you’re keen: Ottawa drag legend Chinadoll is running an online bingo game over Zoom on Saturday, March 13. Admission is free, but a donation of $10 or more to the Ottawa Food Bank is encouraged (receipts will be issued).
Go ziplining, caving or snowshoeing near Wakefield
Did you know that Arbraska Laflèche, the adventure park near Wakefield, is open year round? This post from Tourisme Outaouais gives you a good taste of what it’s like to go ziplining, snowshoeing or caving in the winter. It looks really cool—in both senses of the word. (I’ve been to the park in summer, but not in the winter.)
Enjoy coffee—or something stronger—on a patio
Yes, it’s now officially patio weather—at least for some hardy restaurateurs and café owners around our region! Among the many places that have announced they’ve dug out their decks and are serving outside are Coutts Coffee Roastery & Cafe in Perth and Westport Brewing Company in Westport. Ottawa Tourism has a big list of heated outdoor patios, including spots in Centretown, Chinatown, Wellington Village and Kanata. As always, patios are weather-dependent, so call ahead to check your favourite deck is open if you have your heart set on eating al fresco. And dress warmly!
Enjoy foreign films at home
The International Film Festival of Ottawa is running until March 21 and gives you the chance to see all sorts of movies that probably won’t be coming to your local multiplex anytime soon. Plus, since you’re watching from home, you can chat all you like and munch on whatever noisy food suits your fancy. Movies on the playbill this weekend include A State of Madness, a film noir from the Dominican Republic, and Golden Voices, about a pair of Russian dubbing artists who emigrate to Israel.
Take a walk in Kingston
The increasingly balmy weather is making outdoor strolls more enticing. Check out these great suggestions for urban walks in Kingston (courtesy of Tourism Kingston).
Savour an Outaouais sugar shack meal at home
La Paysannerie, a farm in Bristol, Quebec, is giving you the chance to bring home a taste of the Pontiac region of the Outaouais with its sugar-shack meal boxes. You can buy a meal for two (pictured above) or four. Each comes packed with locally produced goodies—most from the farm itself—including bacon, sausages, baked beans and, of course, maple syrup! (Looking for more ways to celebrate sugar shack season at home? Check out my recent post about local sugar bushes’ 2021 offerings.)
Plan to take a virtual tour
OK, this one is actually happening next week, but I wanted to give you time to plan ahead and pick your tours. Travel From Home (Saturday, March 20) bills itself as “the first festival of virtual guided tours.” Some of the tours focus on a theme, such as food or music, through the lens of three different destinations; others are live tours with a guide through a specific city, such as Budapest, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona or Quebec City. And the best news: It’s free! Colour me intrigued.
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