Christmas will soon have come and gone, and you’ll be looking for entertainment for the rest of the winter. This week’s Heads Up post has lots of ideas, from a drop-in art studio in Newboro and a cool café in Calabogie to a spa treatment called pressotherapy (you’ll have to keep reading to find out what that is) in Gatineau. Plus, I have the scoop on current Canada Strong Pass discounts, a guide to artsy destinations in Lanark County and more.
Get creative in Newboro this winter
Stone Manor Studios in Newboro is offering a series of Tuesday open studio sessions throughout the winter. Sign up for a month-long package for $50 and get access to a bright, well-equipped art studio on Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm. You can drop in for a few minutes, stay all day or anything in between. Studio owner Kim Lulashnyk invites participants to bring whatever creative project they’re working on and enjoy some camaraderie.
Speaking of art…
Lanark County Tourism has developed a short guide to art galleries, museums, art classes, craft shops and other cultural hotspots in Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place, Perth and Smiths Falls.
Have some winter fun in Calabogie
The Ontario’s Highlands tourism organization has a fun post about things to see and do in and around Calabogie in winter. The author highlighted a few of my faves, including the Oh-el-la Café, On the Rocks restaurant and Somewhere Inn.
Enjoy discounts on parks, museums, train trips and more
The Canada Strong Pass is back! From December 12 until January 15, you can enjoy free or discounted admissions to national museums, parks and historic sites, including overnight camping. In addition, kids 17 and under travel free on VIA Rail when accompanied by an adult, and youth aged 18 to 24 get VIA Rail discounts. Remember that this isn’t a physical pass.; discounts will be applied automatically at the gate or online.
Choose from 100 activities in the Outaouais this winter
If you feel like you need to shake up your winter routine, Tourisme Outaouais has compiled a list of 100 winter activities in the Outaouais—and some of them sound downright intriguing. I had to look up “pressotherapy,” available at Huma Spa in Gatineau; turns out it involves sticking your legs into an inflatable suit to improve blood circulation. Who knew? (Maybe you did.) You can also discover animal tracks with a trapper in Duhamel, shoot clay pigeons at Kenauk Nature in Montebello or check out a board game bistro in Gatineau. I was happy to see that Patinage en fôret, a forest skating trail in Lac des Loups, made the cut. (It’s already open for the season, weather permitting.)
Stay and eat in Kingston
Visit Kingston currently has some tasty-looking hotel packages on its website, including two at the Secret Garden Inn: one that includes afternoon tea and another that features a five-course fondue dinner.
And speaking of food…
The Southeastern Ontario tourism organization has rounded up 21 festive restaurants in the slice of Ontario stretching along the St. Lawrence River (and a bit north) between the Quebec border and the Bay of Quinte. It includes some of my top choices, such as Riva in Gananoque and The Bank at the Frontenac Club in Kingston, as well as a number of appealing-sounding restaurants I have yet to try (Tauro in Cornwall, Z’Amoré in Kemptville).
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.