for less. One of them is the popular Play
Food & Wine, sibling to the acclaimed
Beckta Dining & Wine, which serves inno-
vative small plates in a heritage ByWard
Market location.
onE-oF-A-Kind sitEs
In winter, the 4.85-mile (7.8-km) stretch of
the Rideau Canal from Parliament Hill to
Carleton University is carefully groomed
to become the world's largest skating rink.
Ottawa may well be the only city in the
world where people skate to work along
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fans of 1960s spy thrillers won't want
to miss the Diefenbunker, a fortified site
named after the former prime minister
who commissioned its construction, deep
in the countryside west of Ottawa.
Descending four storeys underground, visi-
tors can tour a complete CBC Radio studio,
a Bank of Canada vault and the War Cabinet
Room, among other intriguing sites.
It's likely that most travellers have
not experienced a water maze. On the
Québec side of the region, Eco-Odyssée is
a labyrinth laid out through 70 acres (28
ha) of marshland. Visitors wind their way
by pedal boat along four miles (6.4 km)
of intersecting water channels, learning
about local flora and fauna as they try to
find their way out.
GEt out oF toWn
One of the most appealing things about
Ottawa, paradoxically, is how quickly you
can get out of the city. Wooded hills, quiet
lakes and meandering rivers are all easily
accessible.
Families often make a beeline for the
Calypso Theme Waterpark in Limoges,
28 miles (45 km) east of Ottawa. This
attraction—the largest theme water park
in Canada—boasts 100 water games and
more than 35 waterslides. Highlights
include the country's largest wave pool
(the size of three NHL hockey rinks) and
the highest free-standing waterslide tow-
er in North America.
The Outaouais (pronounced OO-tah-
way), the Québec region with the city
of Gatineau at its core, is also a big draw
for families (www.tourismeoutaouais.
com/home/index_e.asp). Parents with
sportive kids or young thrill-seekers in
tow can easily spend a day at Laflèche
Adventure in Val-des-Monts. There, chil-
dren over five and adults can explore the
largest cave in the Canadian Shield. Above
ground, the attraction is home to three
different aerial parks, including one for
children, featuring tightropes, rope bridg-
es, zip-lines and other treetop amusements
guaranteed to provide an adrenaline rush.
For those who would rather stay on terra
firma, there are hiking and snowshoeing
trails through the forest.
The jewel of the Outaouais is the
139-square-mile (361-sq-km) Gatineau Park,
whose entrance is just a 15-minute drive
from Parliament Hill. Nature-loving visitors
can spend days exploring the sprawling
park, with its hiking trails, beaches and
secluded campgrounds. It's home to a vari-
ety of wildlife, from beaver to bears.
And on both sides of the Ottawa
River, multiple outfitters are happy to
equip visitors with crash helmets and per-
sonal floatation devices, then put them in
rubber rafts and send them down the
spectacular Ottawa River. Companies
offering whitewater rafting include OWL
Rafting, RiverRun Rafting & Wilderness
Resort and Wilderness Tours.
HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS HISTORIC ACCOMMODATIONS
We offer a small Hotel, an Inn and B&Bs in historic downtown Ottawa settings near the Convention Center, museums, the
University of Ottawa (UofO), ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal with all the modern conveniences including free WiFi
OTTAWA CENTRE B&B
3 rooms
(613)237-9494
ottawacenterbnb.com
stay@ottawacenterbnb.com
AUSTRALIS HOUSE B&B
2 rooms
(613) 235-8461
bbcanada.com/1463.html
waters@magma.ca
M
C
GEE'S INN
14 rooms
(613) 237-6089
(800) 262-4337
mcgeesinn.com
contact@mcgeesinn.com
SWISS HOTEL
22 rooms
(613) 237-0335
(888) 663-0000
swisshotel.ca
info@swisshotel.ca
D O W N T O W N O T T A W A
www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com www.historicinnsottawa.com
2012 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA 33
