Stuck for ideas for your next road trip in the Ottawa Valley? From now until October 31, the annual Rural Ramble promotion offers all sorts of options for exploring the region northwest of Ottawa.
Barry’s Bay—one of the stops along the Opeongo route—has turned its former train station into a visitors’ centre and art gallery. Photo by Laura Byrne Paquet.
If you want to leave the planning to someone else, choose from five detailed itineraries. For instance, The Historic Opeongo route from Castleford to Whitney takes you through towns and villages first settled by Irish and Polish immigrants; one even claims to have a local population of leprechauns. Bonus: History buffs can download a 72-minute audio tour to play in the car along this route.
Alternatively, you can plan your own route to coincide with local festivals and events—everything from the Taste of the Valley food fair in Cobden to a meditation workshop at the Petawawa Public Library. Ideas are grouped under four themes: Adventure and Exploration, Agriculture and Food, History and Heritage, and Arts and Culture.