Pick up your signalling buttons: It’s time for this week’s round of Ottawa Road Trips Jeopardy! (OK, I’m not Alex Trebek, but I have met him twice—once in Ottawa and once as a contestant in Los Angeles.)
Test your local travel savvy with these 10 new questions about Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais.
Question #1: Café with a view
What is the name of this café in Major’s Hill Park, which is now open for business every day and offers live music several times a week? (Note: This photo was taken a couple of years ago, in pre-social-distancing times.)
Question #2: One of Ottawa’s first Black residents
Paul Barber was born into slavery in Kentucky, moved to Canada as a free man, and was a respected expert on horses in Ottawa in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Today, an Ottawa street is named for him—in what neighbourhood? (You can learn a bit about his grandson’s efforts to trace Barber’s story in the video above.)
Question #3: A beach in the Pontiac
In what Outaouais community—named for a major city in southwest England—could you swim at Norway Bay Beach?
Question #4: Take a ride in a biplane
From what Ottawa flying club can you take a sightseeing flight in a vintage biplane?
Question #5: Eye-catching architecture
What is the name of the renowned Indigenous architect who designed the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau and the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Vanier, as well as the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and many other buildings?
Question #6: A quiet cycling trail
What two communities east of Ottawa are connected by the 72-kilometre Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail?
Question #7: An idyllic Eastern Ontario fall scene
What is the name of the resort where you could enjoy this view of Calabogie Lake from a colourful Muskoka chair?
Question #8: Markets and magazines
This year, the Frontenac Farmers’ Market has moved from Verona, Ontario, to what nearby community, which also lent its name to a Canadian magazine about sustainable living practices?
Question #9: A place to learn about local plants
What is the name of the demonstration garden run by the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club at the Central Experimental Farm, where you can learn about topics such as attracting butterflies to your yard with native plant species?
Question #10: Yoga in a vineyard
In what winery on Ottawa’s southeastern edge can you take outdoor yoga classes this summer? (Yes, I know this photo shows neither yoga nor the vineyard! But it was taken on the property, and I think it gives you a sense of how serene and peaceful the place is.)
And here are the answers!
- Tavern on the Hill
- Lowertown
- Bristol
- Rockcliffe Flying Club
- Douglas Cardinal
- Hammond and St. Eugene
- Jocko’s Beach Resort
- Harrowsmith
- Fletcher Wildlife Garden
- Domaine Perrault
If you’re looking for more road trip inspiration, please subscribe to my weekly, free e-newsletter.