I have a little bit of everything for you in this week’s Heads Up post. For history buffs, there’s the story of the Dominion Observatory Complex in Ottawa. For food lovers, there’s good news (a wonderful ramen restaurant) and bad news (the closure of an Arnprior food shop). You’ll also find out about a free pentathlon at Lansdowne Park and a new local addition to the Trans Canada Trail.
I have three great reasons to visit Montreal in winter
For the American website Perceptive Travel, I recently wrote a post recommending three great things to do in Montreal in winter. Warming up in a thermal spa on a boat is just one of them!
You can get your heart pumping at Lansdowne Park
Happiness Habits 613 and the Heart Institute Foundation have organized a free, family-friendly event called the Community Winter Pentathlon. Taking place at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, February 1, it will include snowshoeing (snowshoes will be provided), tobogganing, winter walking/running, winter bowling and something billed as a “winter workout adventure.” The event is limited to just 100 participants, and you MUST register in advance on Eventbrite using the link above. Tickets are going quickly!
Bee Savvy in Arnprior is closing
Sad news for food lovers in Arnprior and beyond: Alicia and Matthew Ott of Bee Savvy Fine Foods are closing their lovely downtown Arnprior store. The closing date isn’t definite yet, but it will likely be at the end of February. One bit of good news is that their equally nice bowling alley/axe throwing spot/cocktail bar, Steelheads & Strikes, isn’t going anywhere.
A Hintonburg bookshop has a Valentine’s treat in store
The Spaniel’s Tale bookstore in Hintonburg is staging my kind of Valentine’s Day date night on Friday, February 14: a candlelit book-shopping event! The shop is small, so the number of tickets is limited.
The Algonquin Trail is now part of the Trans Canada Trail
Great news for long-distance hikers, cyclists, skiers and snowmobilers: The 132-kilometre Algonquin Trail in Renfrew County is now part of the nationwide Trans Canada Trail (TCT) network! That means it will be easier to plan a long, self-propelled journey from points in Renfrew County to points beyond. And if you need some inspiration to get out on the TCT this winter, see the “Blahs to Ahhhs” video above.
Did you know there is a national historic site on Carling Avenue?
If you’re driving along Carling Avenue just west of Dows Lake, you can’t miss the landmark stone buildings on the edge of the Experimental Farm. But did you know that the Dominion Observatory Complex was designated a national historic site in 2023 and that it was an important scientific research site for much of the 20th century? This Parks Canada post tells the story.
I’ve discovered THE best place for ramen in downtown Ottawa
Last week, I stumbled chilled and hungry into a small downtown ramen restaurant called Jinsei Ramen, and am I ever glad I did. The dish that arrived at my table just minutes after I ordered it was sensational. Melt-in-your-mouth slices of pork, a perfectly cooked egg, black garlic, green onions, mushrooms, pickled ginger … honestly, it was like a warm hug in a bowl. I loved it so much that I wrote a Facebook post about it right away!
The family-run restaurant is a real find. It’s open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and you’ll find it at L’Esplanade Laurier (300 Laurier Avenue West). The restaurant is on the second floor, accessible from an inside corridor or from the exterior staircase at the corner of Bank and Laurier.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
