Ottawa Road Trips

10/05/2026

A spot to check out next time I'm in Kemptville!

10/05/2026

Don't be sad the weekend's over! Be happy that a long weekend is coming up...and it's packed with fairs, markets, festivals, running and walking events, concerts and more, in and around Ottawa.

Ghostly events in Smiths Falls and Dunvegan, fall fests in Manotick and Merrickville, a fashion sale in Gatineau and a walking tour in the Glebe.

10/01/2026

FYI!

Take the FREE shuttle to Gatineau Park this fall! 🍂🚍

Avoid traffic jams and full parking lots — hop on/hop off at the most popular lookouts and trails instead.

The shuttle is free and runs daily (except Wednesdays) until October 25th.
🚌 Weekends (including Thanksgiving Monday) | Downtown Ottawa-Gatineau ↔ Gatineau Park Visitor Centre in Chelsea
🚌 Weekdays, except for Wednesday | Montcalm ↔ Visitor Centre (no boarding downtown) ⁠⁠
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Stops:
📍 Pīndigen Park
📍 Canadian Museum of History
📍 Montcalm (Rapibus)
⁠📍 P3 ⁠
📍 Pink Lake ⁠
📍 Mackenzie King Estate ⁠
📍 Lauriault/Mulvihill ⁠
📍 King Mountain ⁠
📍 Champlain Lookout ⁠
📍 Camp Fortune ⁠
📍 Visitor Centre ⁠

Space is limited. First come, first served.
⁠ ⁠
Let the Park drive you. Check stops and departure times: https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/gatineau-park-shuttle?utm_source=facebook&utm_post=893485bd-938e-4e78-886d-0023d27d3906.. ⁠
⁠

09/25/2026

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is on September 30, but some events are happening this weekend and early next week. And a few are happening in early October. This post has details on events in Ottawa, Lanark County, Kingston and elsewhere.

Here are some ideas for observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and for broadening your understanding of Indigenous issues.

09/24/2026

Whether you'd like to take a scenic fall train trip, save money on Signatures tickets, do goat yoga in Luskville, get a discount on fall colours chairlift tickets or find out about Tremblant's latest expansion, you won't want to miss this week's Heads Up post.

Gardening workshop, Signatures craft show savings, goat yoga in Luskville, fall colours train trip, new trails at Tremblant and changes to VIA Rail's Toronto service.

09/22/2026

OMG, sometimes the biggest typos go right by you. The headline on this week's newsletter should read OTTAWA 200, not October 200. That's what I get for writing a headline after spending an hour researching Oktoberfests!

Despite the headline, I hope you all enjoy the newsletter. It's packed full of ideas for things to see and do this week, not the least of which are the many *Ottawa* 200 events to mark the city's bicentennial.

If you don't already subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, why not sign up to get great tips (usually with accurate headlines 🤣) every week? Links to the newsletter and the subscribe page are in the comments.

09/22/2026

This week's calendar of events is up! Check it out to make sure you don't miss the Ottawa 200 celebrations, a psychic fair, a tractor pull, a War of 1812 re-enactment, studio tours, Oktoberfest parties, a cat show, fairs, harvest festivals and so much more.

Ottawa 200 celebrations, Franco-Ontarian Day, classic car shows, studio tours, fairs, harvest festivals, porchfests, a cat show and an archaeological dig.

09/17/2026

So this is something I don’t have the chance to do every day! This afternoon, I took to the skies in a two-seater 1941 Harvard, a plane used to train Canadian pilots during the Second World War.

Before we went up, pilot Drew Watson asked me if I’d like to experience some aerobatics. “Sure!” I chirped. “In for a penny, in for a pound!”

Then his brother Dave outlined the various dives, rolls and loops we’d be doing. I think I could actually feel my face blanching, but I wasn’t going to chicken out. Dave explained that Drew would check in with me during the flight to see how much rolling and looping I was up for.

Long story short…I AM a chicken! I’m really glad I tried a roll and a loop, but when Drew asked over the headphones if I wanted to do more, I said, “No, I’m good, thanks!”

You can watch from the ground as Drew, Dave and many other pilots put lots of cool planes through their paces at the Aero Gatineau Ottawa air show at the Gatineau Airport (September 18-20, 2026). Many thanks to Yellow Thunder to Aero Gatineau-Ottawa and to KoW Connected for this opportunity!

09/17/2026

Don't miss your chance to snag tickets to a butterfly show, a ribfest or a holiday house tour—check out this week's Heads Up post for tips on those events and more. Plus, find out about my recent walk around Petrie Island (pictured).

Pretty fall trail in Algonquin Park, Ottawa W**e Auction, Petrie Island walk, new Ottawa waterpark, Carleton butterfly show tickets, Vankleek Hill home tour.