As usual, there’s a little bit for everyone in this week’s Heads Up post.
For in-town road trippers, there’s a new viewpoint on the Ottawa River to check out and wines to bid on. Ghost lovers can learn about haunted spots in Burritts Rapids, Rideau Ferry and beyond. If you’re planning a trip to Gananoque, Brockville or the Bay of Quinte, you’ll find tips for those adventures. Want to see the fall colours from a Calabogie chairlift? This weekend is your last chance this season. And I even have a lead on where you can see yaks in the Pontiac region of the Outaouais.
Read on, my friends, read on!
There’s lots to do in Gananoque and Brockville
Two great guides to things to see and do in Gananoque and Brockville crossed my desk this past week. First was this three-day fall itinerary for the two communities by South Eastern Ontario tourism, focusing on live performances and seasonal fun. And then I spotted this great post about fall in Gananoque on Ottawa photographer Roland Bast’s blog, The Solo Traveller, with lots of tips on activities, restaurants and hotels.
You can paint a spooky scene at an historic mill
Here’s a chance that doesn’t come along every day: the opportunity to take a painting class inside the Spencerville Mill. The three-hour workshop on Saturday, October 18, includes painting supplies, instruction, snacks and a donation to the mill, and you’ll walk away with a 16 x 20 canvas of a crow perched in front of a glowing harvest moon.
Calabogie, Carleton Place and other spots offer fine fall views
Time is running out if you want to clamber aboard the chairlift at Calabogie Peaks this year to get a bird’s-eye view of the fall colours. The activity runs on weekends (including Thanksgiving Monday) until October 13.
The Calabogie chairlift is just one of many recommendations in Eastern Ontario in this post about easy-to-access fall views from Ontario’s Highlands tourism. The post also recommends spots in and around Carleton Place, Almonte and Eganville, among other places.
The Bay of Quinte tourism board has 15 tips for enjoying fall in the Bay of Quinte region, which includes Napanee, Belleville and Quinte West.
And don’t forget my post about gorgeous fall leaf-peeping trips!
More fine views await at the Hintonburg Pumping Station
I haven’t made it out to the Hintonburg Pumping Station yet, but you can see photos of the views from the site on this City of Ottawa post. The City recently redeveloped the ruins of the 1899 station (which was destroyed by fire in 1989), and apparently the site now offers pretty views of the Ottawa River. It’s near the Chief William Commanda Bridge and Lemieux Island, just west of downtown Ottawa. If you get there before I do, let me know what you think!
You can bid on wines at the Chateau Laurier
Tickets are now available for the Ottawa Wine Auction on Friday, December 12. The fundraiser for the Music and Beyond festival is taking place at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel.
In the mood for a ghost story?
Historian Susan Code MacDougall is running a series of October ghost walks in Perth. The walk on Friday, October 24, is already sold out, but there are still tickets available for October 24, 29 and 30.
The South Eastern Ontario tourism organization has rounded up a Halloween-perfect collection of Rideau Canal ghost stories, featuring spectres said to haunt Burritts Rapids, Rideau Ferry, the Athens area and Opinicon Lake.
Chris de Burgh tickets are going fast
Tickets to Chris de Burgh’s upcoming concert (March 19, 2026) at the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau went on sale last week. From the looks of things, they’re going quickly. I’m a longtime fan, but I also acknowledge that the song Lady in Red can get unpleasantly stuck in your head for years.
Lots of ideas for road tripping in the Pontiac
An extensive post on the blog Kathryn Anywhere is packed with ideas for things to see and do in the Pontiac region of the Outaouais, ranging from a winery and a waterfall to … a yak farm! I like to think I’m on top of most of the news in the Ottawa Road Trips area, but the yak farm was a new one on me. I’ll have to check it out, next time I’m up that way.
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.