Across the Country for 96 Hours!? Yes, yes we did.
We travelled from Victoria to Ottawa on the August long weekend in 2022 from July 30 to August 2. What transpired was a fast, but easy-going, long weekend full of activities in the nation’s capital. This trip was only booked within 9 weeks of the trip happening which for us is quite a short window, and in total secrecy. That’s right, I booked a trip on the other side of the country unbeknownst to the family. Why did I do this? It was our 10th wedding anniversary, and while COVID had put a damper on a lot of other activities, I was intent on making this anniversary a fun post-COVID family trip.
We landed late in the evening on July 30th, having departed Victoria an hour late. You can see the review of our round-trip flight on my last blog. Due to the late arrival of our plane, even without the delay, the car rental counters were already closed at Ottawa International Airport (YOW). For this reason, we had two different hotels booked so that I could zip back to the airport and grab our car rental first thing in the morning.
Tarmac Views and Breakfast Included!? Yes, Please!
Our first hotel was just a quick drive minutes from Ottawa Airport, the Fairfield Inn Ottawa Airport. This hotel offers a free shuttle to the airport at relatively set times, so plan accordingly if you intend on using it. I’m an avid user of Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and a Gold Elite member. What this gives you Is priority late checkout of 2pm subject to availability and enhanced room upgrades on arrival, subject to availability. Our room was large and comfortable, we had 2 queen beds, a separate sitting area with TV and sofa, and room to really spread out, excuse the mess, I didn’t get a chance to get photos before we unpacked for bed. The room had an amazing view of the tarmac and the active runway at YOW. The Fairfield brand also offers free breakfast and basic Wi-Fi, Marriott Gold Elite members also have access to high-speed Wi-Fi where available.
History and Heat
For those who haven’t been to Ottawa, summers are hot and humid, so plan accordingly. We ensured we packed lots of water as we took off into the city. It wasn’t actually as hot as Ottawa can get, so we got lucky. Our first activity was parking downtown and exploring the downtown area on foot, heading over to the National War Memorial. This provided an opportunity to discuss Canada’s wartime contributions with the kids and highlight the importance of the memorial.
From there, we headed over to the Parliament buildings and toured around the exterior, talking with the kids about the history and importance of our parliament buildings. Noon came around and we headed back towards the car, stopping for lunch on the way. We came across a street market on Sparks Street, picked up some food, and fresh squeezed lemonade from one of those lemon-shaped stands. The lemonade was exactly what we needed to help with the extreme humidity and heat, something us West Coasters are not used to!
Our next stop was the Canadian War Museum. The last time I was in Ottawa was 2005, and the museum wasn’t open in all its current glory yet. This was a bucket list item of mine that the kids also really enjoyed. All the jeeps, tanks, galleries, and models were really educational for the kids and quite interactive. After a few hours here, we headed to our next hotel to check in and relax before our next activity.
Our next hotel was the Four Points by Sheraton on the Gatineau-side of the Ottawa River. This was really special for Alyssa as it was her first time being in Quebec. On check in, it was clear though that the Fairfield was leaps and bounds nicer then the Four Points hotel. While also under the Marriott Banner, Four Points are a lower-cost brand for Marriott, and don’t offer free breakfast. The room was also much smaller, featuring 2 double beds, and no room for anything else. There was a small mini-fridge as is standard but no microwave.
Bus? Boat? How ’bout Both! It Floats!
We had one more scheduled activity for the day, a ride on the Amphibus on the Lady Drive 4. What is this? Well, as the name suggests, it was an amphibious bus. It was a fun ride, and what made it more fun was that we didn’t tell the kids it was a floating bus. So as the bus rolled down the boat launch and into the water, we just enjoyed the kids’ reaction. Later in the evening, we entered the ByWard market and found an amazing 70’s-era diner called Zak’s Diner, and enjoyed a yummy dinner with milkshakes at a retro-coloured outdoor booth.
After an exhausting day, we returned to the Four Points for the night. For our next day, I had not planned activities for this day, so we decided what to do when we came back from the ByWard market.
So, what did we do on our next day? Well looking up activities in the area, we found a really cool thought an hour east, in Montebello, Quebec. Called Parc Omega, this was a drive-thru nature safari.
OH DEER!!
Caribou, white-tailed deer, moose, elk, various other animals including wolves, bison, and so much more! Best of all, this drive-thru nature reserve allowed you to bring or buy bags of carrots, and feed the deer as you wind your way through the reserve. Don’t want to do it? No problem, these habituated animals just moved along to the next car. Plan for about 3 hours, you can do it faster but why would you want to? The kids loved it! The slow drive allowed the kids to safely unbuckle and really get up close to these beautiful animals. I’m curious if the rental company was wondering why there was drool all over the windows when we returned the car!
Our final activity of the day was back into the downtown area, a leisurely river cruise/tour of the Rideau Canal. While the kids found it to be more on the boring side, the history lesson and relaxation was a nice way to cap off a fun-filled weekend. After the canal tour, we grabbed dinner and relaxed back at the hotel.
Our flight home on August 2nd was at a humane time in the early afternoon and allowed us to do a bit more exploring before flying home. Again, that flight review is available.
Final Thoughts…
Was it worth it? Absolutely! With low cost airfare direct from Victoria, it was a relatively affordable weekend, that’s the magic of ULCC that I hope isn’t lost with Canadians. Add well-priced hotels at the time we travelled, and a bit of overtime easily covered this trip. I hadn’t been to Ottawa since 2005 and it was the first time for Alyssa and the kids, so it was a great way to explore a new area for them. We kept the time there busy, but at no time did we feel rushed or pressured that we had taken on too much. The kids loved the new adventures and activities, along with the sites of the Ottawa Valley. At some point, we’ll plan trips further east to explore more of Canada, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Charlottetown, are all on the list for future travels. Thanks for reading!
Have you been to Ottawa? What are some activities you’d recommend if we go back through? Please leave a comment and follow (the blog and instragram, Go.FamilyTravel)! It would help grow my passion for family travel blogs. I appreciate you taking the time today.
Adventures of the Nguyen Family 
Great, Quality Content for The Ultimate Tour Guide, A lot of thanks for sharing, kindly keep with continue !!
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