Travel to Ottawa, Ontario – Episode 395

categories: canada travel

Hear about travel to Ottawa, Ontario as the Amateur Traveler talks to return guest Michael Soncina of Sonchy’s Adventures about Canada’s capital city.

Michael was in Ottawa as a part of a press trip looking at a new eco-district the city is setting up in its downtown.

This was not Michael’s first visit to Ottawa because, having grown up in Toronto, he had been there before as a student.

“Ottawa is a very small city, but there is a lot of diversity there. There is a really strong culinary scene. Because it is the nation’s capital there are a lot of interesting museums. The nature around Ottawa is simply breathtaking. You can cycle around the city very easily. In the summertime, you can go whitewater rafting. It is has a small-town feel with metropolitan offerings.”

“You definitely need at least three days to go to Ottawa. You need a couple of days for the museums and there are some really great museums. You need a couple of days to have a culinary experience. I have to admit that I think I ate my way through Ottawa in a way that I shouldn’t have. And I think you should have a day in Ottawa to just be in Ottawa, to bike around, or just to wander.”

Michael takes us on a tour of some of the museums in the city such as the Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian Museum of Nature, and the National Gallery of Canada. He also talks about the restaurant scene including non-traditional restaurants like the vegan Zen Kitchen.

“There are a lot of different restaurants in Ottawa and a lot of them are focused in ByWard Market in the downtown area. It is a Bohemian and historical area. There are open markets where people are selling vegetables and locally made honey. There are shops there that sell cheese and such and then there are a variety of pubs and coffee shops.”


right click here to download (mp3)
right click here to download (iTunes version with pictures)



Show Notes

Michael Soncina
Rideau Canal
Ottawa
Canadian War Museum
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Nature
National Gallery of Canada
Byward Market
Murray Street Kitchen (closed)
Zen Kitchen (closed)
Ottawa Farmers Market
Union 613
Shanghai’s
Sonchy’s Adventures
Top 5 Luxury Boutique Hotels in Ontario

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Community

on Travel to the Navajo Nation (Arizona) – Episode 383:

Chris,

It appeared that the guest did not spend as long at Monument Valley as it might deserve. About 10 years ago we took a guided tour by open pickup truck of the valley that lasted perhaps an hour or two. Way better than hanging out at the visitor center and just looking. We also did a horseback “tour” just outside of the valley, and that was pretty awesome also.

Dan

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Chris Christensen

by Chris Christensen

Chris Christensen is the creator of the Amateur Traveler blog and podcast. He has been a travel creator since 2005 and has won awards including being named the "Best Independent Travel Journalist" by Travel+Leisure Magazine.

4 Responses to “Travel to Ottawa, Ontario – Episode 395”

Al Woodcock

Says:

Chris, Keep the pictures if you can. They add a lot and keep me coming back for more. Something must have happened at Apple causing them to display only in portrait mode. Too bad since landscape certainly is better for obvious reasons. I am surprised there is not an outcry over this issue. Keep up the good work. Al

Tim Campbell

Says:

Michael gave a decent run-down of Ottawa but neglected to mention a few key sites. Three museums he left out were the Science and Technology Museum, the Aviation and Space Museum, and the Agricultural Museum at the Experimental Farm. Many people are surprised that there is a fully functional, and massive, farming operation within the city limits! All three are very child-friendly with primarily hands-on exhibits. They are also centrally administrated, so a pass can be purchased for the group (http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca).

Michael did mention the Museum of Civilization, which will be given an extensive makeover to become the new Museum of Canadian History, but he failed to notice the awesome co-located Children’s Museum which gives kids a passport to take on a worldwide adventure where they stamp each page in a different country. It’s almost a sensory overload! The War Museum, however, is not a good choice for children. Mine didn’t like it at all and didn’t like being there. It is cold and foreboding, which, given the content, is appreciable to an adult, but not a playful kid. Lastly, some other points of interest: Gatineau Park in the mountains just 15 minutes north of the city in Quebec, Algonquin Provincial Park an hour to the west, Winterlude, and that’s only the start.

One last thing to correct, Gatineau is not an island, it’s very much mainland on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River!

sonchyADV

Says:

RT: @chris2x: Travel to Ottawa, Ontario – Amateur Traveler Episode 395 http://t.co/MBFJtfQS7T   @sonchyADV #explorecanada #travelshare 

sonchy

Says:

@Tim Campbell. Thanks for filling in the holes I missed. I was only in Ottawa a couple days and did not have as much time as I would have liked. As well thanks for correcting my error about Gatineau. Thanks for the feed back!

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