Ottawa, ON
I visited Ottawa in May as I was attending a quantum conference at the Bank of Canada HQ.
The Ottawa Marriott Hotel was just around the corner from the venue, and pets could be brought along for free (!!!). Rita and I took the weekend to explore Canada’s capital.
Round the corner from the hotel was Parliament Hill, where yes, you guessed it, The Parliament of Canada is housed. We wandered round and took some photos. There was even a Mother’s Day pop-up photoshoot at Major’s Hill Park. We also headed to the National Gallery to see the gigantic spider! This was one of the things my family remembered from our trip here circa 2004.
Courtesy of Visual Escapes Co
During WWII, Princess Juliana of The Netherlands fled to Ottawa as a safe haven, during which time she got pregnant and the hospital room where she gave birth had to be made a “non-country” to allow the heir to the throne to be granted Dutch citizenship. To express their thanks, The Netherlands gifts Ottawa 20,000 tulip bulbs every year, and hence the annual Canadian Tulip Festival was conceived. It takes place at Commissioners Park for a couple of weeks in May, and coincided with our stay, so this was a must-do!
This tulip was a bespoke creation for Canada, resembling a maple leaf on fire
Firstly, my advice when you visit is to leave plenty of time to find parking! We took about an hour to find a space, which included sitting in queues of traffic. Another option is the shuttle which departs from the Fairmont and allows dogs. This made us late for our pre-booked walking tour, but luckily we were able to join the next one. Our guide, Val, showed us round the flower beds and pointed out the most unusual tulips. My favourites were the custom-made for Canada tulips which looked like “a maple leaf on fire”. Val educated us on the history of the festival and the meaning behind the sculptures and statues, like that of the Man with the Two Hats, whose plaque points towards his doppelganger in Apeldoorn.
After the tour, we took time to admire the masses of tulips more fully, and get lots of snaps. There was lots to do for kids at the festival, such as giant board games, a big screen playing movies, food stands and market stalls. We took a walk along the Rideau Canal Promenade.
Not far from the park was Good Eats, a healthy café situated on the ground floor of an apartment building. I wouldn’t go out of your way to visit, but it’s definitely a nice stop if you’re in the area. Bowls of water for dogs are provided on the patio. I had chia seed pudding and a smoothie for a snack.
A main feature of Ottawa is the Rideau Canal, which runs the whole way down to Kingston. (We previously visited some of the lock systems near Brockville). The first 19km was dug out by hand in the 1800s. A designated National Historic Site, it famously freezes over in winter to become an ice skating track. Saying that, this winter (22/23) was the first time it did not freeze due to rising temperatures! Rita and I hopped on a Ekeau Canal Cruise to find out more about the design choices made by Colonel John By and spot significant buildings along the waterway. One of the bridges was just high enough to accommodate the boat, which demonstrated the importance of the lock system in maintaining the water levels. Small dogs are allowed on the boat, which also has restrooms and a bar. Our guide Anna was very engaging and spoke for the first half of the trip. On the return journey, we could ask questions and take photos. The cruise lasted 1.5 hours and was a great way to see the canal.
The Byward Market area was a short walk away from our hotel, and houses a great selection of patios. Many seemed to be dog friendly. Our favourite was the courtyard patio off George Street, shared by a few establishments. It featured trees amongst the tables, with fairy lights strung out, and was also was very peaceful. We had brunch at the Clarendon Tavern, where I ordered a granola bowl, straight off their new menu. For dinner, we tried a pizza at Mamma Grazia’s. The pizza was a bit thin and crispy for my liking, but the garlic bread was delicious. Both of these places brought water for Rita.
In need of a perm and pancakes? Look no further than HeadQuarters, a hairdressers and café in one! It was a perfect spot for “dog-mom” Mother’s Day brunch; I had the most delicious pancakes with espresso cream cheese, cherry compote and shaved pistachios. The coffee was also great! Our very lovely server Ray brought Rita some water and we had a good laugh at Rita scratching her back on their artificial grass flooring! I highly recommend this spot.
A 20-minute drive North from downtown, into Quebec, will get you to Gatineau Park, a conservation area stretching across nearly 90,000 acres. Dogs aren’t allowed on all of the trails for conservation reasons so make sure you have a plan before you go. There’s no entrance fee; parking is charged in the height of the summer but at this time we could park for free. We parked at Blanchet Beach (P13), to access the Wolf Trail (No. 62). Note that dogs aren’t permitted on the beach itself. Don’t worry though, as the hike is an 8km loop with lots of opportunities to splash in the streams. The hill features a lot of uphill, and therefore downhill, which I enjoy, particularly because it means there’s a great view at the top! The two lookouts are Tawadina and Belvédère Manhigan, the former being the more impressive in my opinion. The trail is easily marked, and I recommend hiking boots…..I forgot to switch out of my trainers at the car, which I regretted. Although the trail was mostly dry, there are a couple of points where you have to cross small streams so be prepared for some stepping stones! Rita really enjoyed the hike and found lots of sticks to carry. We also stopped off at Champlain Lookout for even further stretching views.
On our return to the city, we stopped at Ottawa’s very own “falls”, the Rideau Falls. These are two 11-metre high waterfalls, where the Rideau River flows into the Ottawa River. The patio of aptly named Tavern on the Falls gives diners a view of the river, which is where Rita and I stopped for a bite. Although overpriced, my tofu bowl was tasty and it was a pleasant environment in which to enjoy it. They sometimes have live music on Sundays, but unfortunately there was nothing happening during our visit. Next to the falls is Rideau Falls Park, where we admired more tulips in the Peace Garden, and sat at the Reflection Bench, to let the fun adventures of the weekend settle in.
