OT - For the Canadian's in the group

Srujana

My bf is leaving for Ottawa on Wed....for almost two months. He's been there before in the dead of winter, but now that the weather will be much warmer, he's looking for ideas on things to do on his days off or any other free time that he (hopefully) will have. I hear there's a tulip festival or something that'll be happening....but are there any must-see places, events, tips, etc. that you can think of?

Thank in advance for any input!

15 years ago

General

4 replies

Latest reply was from Mac

rheostaticsfan

Active Member

I'm from Ottawa. Yes there's the tulip festival: but we've been having such a warm spring that I imagine that the tulips will be mostly done by now. Certainly the ones in my garden are...

If you're around through Canada Day you want to be sure to catch the celebration at The Hill.

Just after Canada Day is Blues Fest. There's quite a line up this year.

As for non-festivals: there are a plethora of museums to see. I personally most enjoy the National Gallery and the Museum of Civilization.

PM me if you would like more.

15 years ago

Mac

Veteran

I love the Canadian War Museum, and it's a museum that a lot of men seem to like, too. http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/home/home

15 years ago

Ele

(website)

Active Member

My hometown, too Ottawa is goooorgeous at this time of year, much nicer than January when most of it is under three feet of snow!

rheostaticsfan has given you some good ideas- Canada Day on the Hill and Bluesfest are both really fun. As for museums, I'll second all that have already been mentioned. The National Gallery is always worth a look, and the new War Museum IS fantastic- not just for the exhibitions but for the building itself. Great modern architecture, perfectly suited for its purpose. I also love the Museum of Nature, but that's a personal preference- if he's not into dinosaurs and bugs, it won't be that interesting to him!

For regular strolling/shopping/hanging out, he should check out certain neighborhoods, too. The market downtown is a given, as are neighboring areas like Sandy Hill and the Glebe. A little further out is the current "cool" place to live and go, Westboro. Lots of nice shops and some really good restaurants, too. (But I would say that, since I'm a Westboro girl born and bred

For good food, he should try:
Domus- cafe and food shop in the market, an Ottawa classic
Beckta- haven't been but consistantly tops "best restaurants in Ottawa" lists
Sweetgrass- one of my favourites downtown, centres on Aboriginal cuisine
e18ghteen- slightly pretentious, but good, resto/bar in the market
Juniper- back toward Westboro, delicious and reliable
The Wellington Gastropub- also in my neck of the woods, this place is really great (though I find it hilarious that it thinks it's a gastropub)
The Whalesbone- seriously awesome seafood

If I think of anything else, I'll add it.

15 years ago

Mac

Veteran

Ottawa is a fun town in its own right. But also, one of the many great things about Ottawa is its proximity to other places. He can quickly get out into nature! Checking out things like lodges in the gorgeous forests or the 1000 Islands... And if he tires of the "nature thing," it's not too far to get to Montreal, Kingston, Toronto...

15 years ago

Category