Weekend in Ottawa
Ottawa is a charming, walkable city with lots to see and do. Despite being the nation's capital, it doesn't get as much attention as Canada's larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. Still, it satisfied my desire to visit a North American city (outside the U.S.) to count toward my goal to of visiting five continents this year.
I was in town to meet a friend who was already in the area for a work trip. Turns out late September was a great time for a weekend getaway to Ottawa, before the weather turned cold. Our hotel was centrally located with easy access to area attractions. We didn't have a car, didn't use public transporation, and still found plenty to do within walking distance of the Lord Elgin hotel where we stayed. You can watch a recap of our weekend activities here and here.
If you're looking for lively night life, Ottawa may not be the destination for you. It was perfect for our plans to spend a leisurely weekend in a new city. There was only one scheduled activity -- Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Château Laurier which required advanced reservations. The rest would be an in-the-moment decisions. Not wanting to leave everything completely to chance, I did some research ahead of time so that we'd at least have a list of pre-selected activities to choose from.
First Impressions
My first impression of Ottawa is that it's a lovely, clean, and quiet city. Compared to other cities I've visited this year, it has a lowkey vibe with lots of public spaces and no skyscrapers. There was not a lot of horn honking, loud conversations, or even jaywalking.
Our visit was over a weekend and not during a typical busy work week. Some businesses outside of the touristy areas were closed on weekends, as they cater mostly to the federal governament employees who work Monday through Friday.
Friday
Travel from Charlotte to Ottawa.
What should have been a short four hour travel day turned into the longest travel day ever.
Saturday
National War Memorial
Lunch at Metropolitan Cafe
Shopping at Byward Market
Exploring the city
Parliament Hill
Dinner and drinks at hotel
Sunday
Afternoon tea at Fairmont Chateau Laurier
Exploring Byward Market
Walking along Rideau Canal
Enjoying Confederation Park
Monday
Check out of hotel
Travel home with a stop at the Aspire lounge
Depart Ottawa with transfer in Toronto
One thing that I found different with visiting Canada versus other international destinations is that we cleared U.S. customs in Toronto, rather than upon arrival in Charlotte.
