Three great reasons for a day trip to Cumberland

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Whether you want a metaphysical hike, a glimpse into Ottawa’s history or some vegan muffins, point your car east on Highway 174 to Cumberland, just past Orleans. For this day trip, you don’t even need to leave the Ottawa city limits.

Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park

Start with a bit of exercise and some meaning-of-life reflection at the Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, an 11-acre woodland site opened by Dr. Ranjit Perera in July 2017 as a Canada 150 initiative. Here, along a series of gravel and dirt walking trails, Perera has installed sculptures he’s collected from around the world, particularly southern and eastern Africa, and south and southeast Asia.

Each trail has a theme. Some focus on concepts, such as “connectedness” or “oneness of reality,” while other highlight particular religions. On that note, Perera emphasizes that the park does not advocate any particular religion; instead, he hopes it will help visitors see the similarities between all faiths. “Even if you are an atheist, you can still believe that the world is one, and think everything is interrelated,” Perera says.

The trails through stands of birch, maple, hemlock and cedar run the gamut from flat to hilly, and several include bridges across a small stream. On a walk in June, I spotted countless chipmunks and robins, as well as a shy red-headed woodpecker. Mosquitoes also abound, so bring bug spray.

Humanics Sanctuary and Sculpture Park, 3468 Old Montreal Road: Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm, from the May long weekend until October 28. Admission fees: $7.50 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and $20 per family; admission is free for kids under 12. You might find a GPS handy, as the turn onto Old Montreal Road nearest the park isn’t well marked.

Black Walnut Bakery

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, you can reward yourself with a treat from the Black Walnut Bakery in the village of Cumberland. Every week features a different lunch sandwich, such as pulled pork with balsamic vinegar and blackberries, as well as a house-made soup. Baked goodies include bread, scones, pies, muffins, cookies, mini quiches and butter tarts (some gluten free and vegan options are available).

Black Walnut Bakery, 979 Cameron Street, Cumberland: Open Wednesday through Sunday. Core hours are 9am to 4pm (it’s open earlier and/or later on certain days). Note: The bakery is closed for holidays from June 11 to June 26, 2018.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Thus fueled, you can brush up on your local history at the nearby Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. As you wander among 19^th– and early 20^th-century buildings and reproductions—including barns, a schoolhouse, a house made from a mail-order kit and a gas station—it’s easy to imagine life before television, the Internet or cell phones.

Costumed interpreters are on hand to explain how a blacksmith’s forge works, for instance, or how to make butter in a wooden churn. The museum runs lots of kid-friendly special events, too.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 2940 Old Montreal Road: Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm, from May 13 to October 28 (except October 7). Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.50 for students and seniors, and $19.75 per family; children 5 and under are free.

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