This past weekend I joined my brother and family for a weekend trip to Ottawa and I want to share some highlights in case you ever make it there and need some recommendations!
WHAT TO DO:
. Check out the variety of tulips all over the city. We were lucky that we were there just in time for the tulips festival, and although some of them had not bloomed entirely, the sight of colourful flowers all over the city was spectacular. I’d say that the best spot to enjoy the tulips is around Dow’s lake. The grounds are beautiful, there’s lots of space for the kids to play, make a picnic, and enjoy the views, plus, Little Italy is just right next to it which makes it convenient if you plan to have lunch or dinner.
. Visit the Science and Technology Museum. If you’re traveling with kids, they will love this Museum. It’s relatively small, but you’ll easily spend 2-3 hours there. There’s a small playroom for the little ones where they can do some rock climbing among other things, an arts and crafts room, and tons of interactive exhibits that we found fun, educational and interesting.
. If you feel like venturing out the city, I highly recommend visiting the Omega Park (or Parc Omega), which is less than an hour away from downtown. It’s a great experience for the whole family and if you love animals you’ll get to see deers, buffalos, bears, coyotes, beavers, wolves, reindeers and more! The highlight is definitely feeding some of them from your vehicle, so make sure you bring tons of carrots with you (if you don’t get a chance to buy them in advance they do sell them there, you’ll just pay a bit more than you would at the grocery store). There’s a great picnic area where there are some tables, washrooms, a playground and where you can buy coffee, ice cream and some light refreshments.
. The ByWard Market is a great place to wander around, do some shopping, have a meal, or sit down for a drink. It gets pretty busy during weekends so expect big crowds!
WHERE TO EAT:
. If you check out the tulips at Dow’s Lake, make your way to Little Italy, (literally across the street) and have pizza at Roberto (make sure you make a reservation!); then enjoy some amazing gelato at Gelatini Gelato.
. There’s a great spot downtown called The Scone Witch that’s great for either breakfast or lunch. The food is delicious and I loved that it was family friendly.
. If you like italian food and find yourself in the ByWard, we loved Vittoria Trattoria. Great pizzas and pastas and even though they do not have a kids menu, they can accommodate most dishes for the little ones.