Go-Karting in the Capital

by Tanya We were looking for something fun to do this past May long weekend which would be appropriate for two kids in their 30s and one who just turned 7. Our choice: go-karting.

Holiday Monday was gorgeous: sunny and hot. We slathered on some sunscreen, packed up -- well,  nothing -- and headed off to Karters’ Korner in Fallowfield. It wasn’t very busy when we arrived midday, but got a bit busier as the day went on. However, with the sprawling layout it was hard to tell just how many people were really there. Based on the dozen or so cars in the parking lot, I’m guessing it was a slow day.

Our choice was to purchase a set number of laps which hubby and I would share. Love this feature: Karters’ allows you to buy one package and split the tickets among several riders.  And the price was pretty reasonable: 12 laps for $36. That worked out to about 20 minutes on the track.

The Dude climbed into a 2-seater with his dad and I grabbed a single for a few laps. BIG MISTAKE. The doubles are way faster than the singles, so they immediately passed me and I was left going around the course on my own. We switched after a few laps and I realised that I should have just waited my turn with the Dude. His giggles and shouting made for a much more enjoyable ride than the silence of riding around solo. Next time, I’ll wait my turn with the Dude and skip the solo ride altogether.

Now given the heat, I secretly worried about climbing onto the hot vinyl seats in my shorts. Turns out that the go-karts were well maintained, comfortable and not nearly as hot as I would have thought. The track was fantastic with some great turns (all the better if you wait until late in the turn to crank the wheel and hear your kid giggle his head off ).

We did find that the laps went by quickly and looked around for our next adventure. Karters’ also has mini motorized vehicles that the kids can drive around but this day was about activities the whole family could do, so mini-putt was our choice.

The course was well maintained and had a retro feel with traditional wooden obstacles such as windmills. The holes were challenging enough to be interesting, but easy enough for the Dude to handle, and even manage a hole-in-one. The ball return is like a Plinko game from The Price is Right: if your ball bounces into the hole, you win a free round. Hubby’s ball plinked right into the hole, so now we have incentive for another outing. Not that we needed one. This wasn’t our first time at Karters’ Korner and it certainly won’t be the last. Like I said, there are 3 kids in our family ;)

Tanya Snook resides with her hubby & the Dude in Barrhaven. In her spare time, you can find her blogging at Spydergrrl on the Web or tweeting as @spydergrrl.

Lions and Tigers and Bears : a visit to Parc Safari

by Angela Oh My! A road trip review...

I recently managed to visit a place that just oozes childhood memories for me...

Parc Safari in Hemmingford, Quebec.

A few people asked me about it after I mentioned we were going, and I am more than happy to share our experience!

Now, it was a last minute decision and being almost 2 hours away (closer to 3 hours from Ottawa),  we figured we would not get to experience the whole park ( as they are also on reduced opening hours till school ends ) but with the 10 year old and 20 month old in tow, we figured what the hell. So off we went. From Long Sault, going through Valleyfield, the trip took just under 2 hours each way. There is potentially slow moving traffic ( read: tractors and Sunday drivers and a drawbridge ) so be patient - the drive is just beautiful, touching on the luscious Montregie area again...apples, apples, apples.

Once at the park, the wait to get in was a little draggy. LOTS of people. So, as we are sitting in line, we decided NOT to take the drive through animal tour first, yes, the signature draw of the park, but rather park, eat, wander and then do the tour at the end of our day.

Good Idea #1 - Wait to take the tour till the end of the day. The drive through the animal reserve area with traffic ( and not just the giraffe and buffalo kind ) can take over 1.5 hours. Seriously. It was bumper to bumper through the drive when we arrived. At 2:45. there was just us in certain parts, allowing plenty of stress free time to feed the animals. The schedule will change as the hours are lengthened, but we went 15 minutes before they closed the park gate, giving us an hour and 15 minutes to get through the drive before closing, and it took us less than an hour, with lots of enjoyment time. The girffes and zebras were awesome. The rest of the animals were very Parc Omega like.

Note: They no longer have baboons running free, jumping on your car and peeing on your windshield, while scratching your paint. I wonder why? I have very vivid memories of my father losing his mind in french at the little cheeky buggers, as he threw food at them to get them off his car...

Good Idea #2 - Bring carrots and lettuce. The park food is cute and in little boxes and at 2$ not exhorbitant...but the animals prefer carrots and lettuce leaves - both the wild kind and the deers in the deer forest.

So, we entered the park and were surprised by a few things...bad first...

The water area - "swimming holes" as they refer to them - were closed. So no water fun - check on opening dates before you take the time to pack everything like we did. Sigh. Sad 10 year old. The mini golf? Needs to be retired. it sucked, lol. Sad 10 year old. Fun kid's climbing areas. Closed - looked like they were being dismantled. Sigh. Sad 10 year old.

Ride area? We ran out of time,lol. Guess what? Sad 10 year old.

Note on the ride area...for those of you from Montreal...this is where the rides from Belmont Park went after they closed that awesome park. But that was 25 years ago. The rides are still working...but even the Parc Safari spiel refers to them as "museum pieces". It is a great trip back to the amusement park of your childhood...but at the same time it is the same amusement park from your childhood. Rides are well maintained...but...old. Like me:).

Now, the good - and this is what makes it worth it... The walking paths are wide and sprinkled with water fountains. The elevated "jungle walkway" gives the kids a good chance to see huge black bears, chimpanzees, arctic wolves, hyenas, macaques and gorillas. Safely.

Good Idea #3 - Bring a video camera to capture the chimpanzees in action. They were a hoot and caused major giggles with their hammock antics. The "Lion's Tunnel" is what most amused the 10 year old though...these are glass tunnels that run around and through the lion and tiger habitats. The animals often lie right beside the glass or - GASP - walk on the top of the tunnels, allowing for a really neat experience. The kids loved this...

There is also a rest area above the glass tunnels allowing for shade and a vantage point to allow older kids to explore the tunnels safely while you easily watch them. There are drink machines and some park animation as well here. A nice rest spot. Which was nice since it was HOT. And there was no water fun open. Ooooops. Sad 10 year old again.

Good Idea #4 - Just a heads up - it is freaking hot in those tunnels on a sunny day. Seriously. The kids will need lots of water after this.

Right to the side of the tunnels is a cute little spot for photographs, where the kids can climb up elephant, hippo and giraffe statues and pose for dangerous animal shots;). BIG hit:). There is also another covered rest area, right near here and a path back to the water area ( cue sad 10 year old ).

Actually, that is the wonderful thing about this park...the pace is slow and there is a ton of room for the kids to run and just enjoy. Paths are everywhere, but clear, so you do not feel like you are losing anyone easily and if you are with little, little ones? Lots of benches for breaks and rests. There are over 700 picnic tables throughout the park and their use is encouraged ( just no charcoal bbq's allowed ). It is a very easy kid outing.

Good Idea #5 - Bring all you need...there are not a whole lot of stops after valleyfield to stock up on anything other than drinks. Trust me. We forgot diapers.

Okay. I forgot the diapers. There is also a big play structure that entertained both kids while hubby went to get drinks.

And there was more...there is a Bird Trail ( we saw none ) and Deer Trail( we saw tons ) that offer a perfect shady walk. The deer area is wonderful, with lots of deer and opportunities to feed them. This is where the lettuce came in handy ( we were given some by a lovely stranger to placate our hot, tired sad 10 year old). It is a gravel path, so parents of stone throwers beware. Or is that only us? The deers hungrily ate up the lettuce and scoffed at the paid for treats.

Oh! Hungry? Thirsty? Lots of stops for slushies (delicious ) and snocones and drinks. The food court area is big, with lots of casual seating and room to run, in front of a stage with regular animation put on by the park's mascots, "les Filouminous". Now, being the parent of a pretty allergic type kid, we ran into a bit of a communication problem trying to find out what would be safe for our little guy to eat ( no, we are not the uber prepared parents we should be - pack a lunch and you need not read this part ) but we finally got to the cook who was able to check everything for us, happily. They also offer fruit cups, a peanut/dairy/egg/soy safe bean salad, jello and other "healthy" ( read - non fried) options, all with clearly marked ingredients. There is a souvenir store, but it is not over commercialized at all...a refreshing change. the 10 year old totally missed the store, only asking about it on he way home. We told her it was closed like the water area. She bought it.

Phew. Like I said, we ran out of time and skipped the ride and game area. There are also pony and camel rides available but not the day we were there. There is enough here to keep everyone happy. And it is low key enough to not make you crazy while you are doing it. The charm that makes it feel so homey also makes the park feel like it needs a little more love...but if you tune into Parc Safari radio, all this is explained, including future development plans ( 91.1 on your FM dial;)).

Good Idea # 6 - Bring small change...you pay for all those fun extras like pony rides and mini golf and parts of the lazy river ( yes, I know. Sad 10 year old didn't get to find out).

Go, enjoy, have fun. I loved this place when i was a kid, with no swimming holes...and at the end of the day, so did my 10 year old;).

Old fashioned fun and all.

Angela is mom to a teen, tween and toddler, wife of an intrepid businessman, master of two big dogs and she loves her camera-baby very much. She is a displaced montrealer living in Long Sault, Ontario. She blogs at From the Dock.

A Steam Train Adventure

by Krista This past Victoria Day weekend my 2 year old son and I decided to join some out-of-town friends and go on the Hull - Chelsea - Wakefield Steam Train excursion. The train is one of Canada's last remaining authentic steam-powered engines and travels through the Gatineau Hills covering 64 km of beautiful scenic views along the Gatineau river.

From start to end our journey was a pleasant experience beginning with the friendly staff directing us into the parking lot in an orderly fashion. Picking up our tickets and finding our assigned seats was a breeze thanks to the ticket agent's detailed directions. Each train car had a tour guide that pointed out landmarks and interesting facts during the ride. All the guides were kid friendly and always smiling.

The whole experience basically takes up the entire day. They advise that you arrive 45 minutes before the train departs, which is at 10:00 am sharp. This gives you lots of time to pick up your tickets, take pictures of the train and find your seats. The ride to the village of Wakefield and back takes 90 minutes each way including a 2 hour stopover.

The ride to our destination passed by quickly with the guide handing out colouring books/crayons and musicians making their way through the train playing classic Quebec folk songs with a few recent hits mixed in. My son bounced happily in his seat to the music while waving out the window to bystanders watching the train make its way through the Gatineau Hills. We walked through the train to the souvenir car to buy a toy locomotive, which he played with for the remainder of the trip.

The stopover in Wakefield began with the tradition of the musicians pushing the Steam Engine around 180 degrees on the turntable. (View our video on YouTube) Afterwards, you were allowed to walk through the actual steam engine while the engineer went about his business of preparing for the trip home. My son was thrilled at the chance to see the inside the steam engine!

There was a small park with picnic tables and benches next to the train station where we had our lunch. You can opt to buy a box lunch or bring your own. There are all kinds of restaurants and take out stands to grab a bite if picnics are not your thing. After our lunch and some running around the park we made our way to the Wakefield Bakery and bought some yummy cookies and bread for the ride home. We then sat and enjoyed some ice cream while we waited for the train to blast it's horn to let us know it was time to make our way back for our journey home.

The ride home was a little quieter since my son was tuckered out from all our walking (re: running) around the village. There is room in each train car to store your stroller if needed. If I had known that, I would have brought our umbrella stroller to make getting around the village a little easier. The musicians made another appearance and a girl making balloon animals and face painting paid us a visit. I had packed a book that my son had never read before to keep him happy for the final leg of our trip home. It seemed to work... but I think the cookies I bought in Wakefield might have been the real winner!

The pricing changes from season to season and is very specific. They have special prices for seniors, students, children and a family rate. Kids 2 years of age and under are free and they get their own seat.

For more information visit their Web site.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58grR_TnHEA&feature=player_embedded]

Krista is mom to three boys: 2 year old Ewan and 9 month old twins Angus and Lachlan. You can follow her on Twitter @kristahouse.

An old museum is new again

by Chantal As residents of our nation's capital we are all so lucky to have access to many wonderful national institutions.  The Canadian Museum of Nature is one of the finest in our region.  My family and I have always enjoyed this museum and, like many others, were very excited to see what kind of exhibits it would house once all the renovations (which seemed to take forever, but it was only 6 years) were completed.  My sister and I braved the museum on its grand opening weekend (although not on Saturday, we aren't that crazy).

The first place we headed was the RBC Blue Water Gallery.  We just had to see Tallulah the Blue Whale and we were not disappointed. 

Our two younger boys (both 5) loved the imaginative play coast guard ship and spent quite a bit of time with their lab coats on driving through the arctic. Next we headed the Special exhibits section to see the "Frogs: Chorus of Colour" exhibit.  In order to get to the frogs exhibit you have to walk through the "Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year" exhibit.  My sister and I were surprised at how much the kids enjoyed looking at the photos, many of which were taken by young Canadians.

The frogs exhibit was so cool!  All the different colours and sizes, they were mesmerizing.  Surprisingly my 5 year old was taken by a computer program that simulates dissecting a frog (I say he will be a doctor when he grows up, let me live my dream). These two special exhibits (along with Aqua which we didn't go to this visit) are open until September 6th 2010.  Be sure to get there before they close, September seems like a long way away, but it will pass by in a flash!

There is a new Cafe, the Nature Cafe on the first floor where you can get food.  It is a nice addition in case you don't bring your lunch.  On opening weekend the Nature Cafe was overrun with people so we headed outside to a special opening weekend BBQ. The terrace outside the Cafe is beautiful and next time we may just pack our own lunch to enjoy out there.

In the basement where the cafeteria used to be, there is an exhibit called Animalium. I was busy nursing D2 while we visited the Animalium so I will let Joanne tell you about it:

If you are looking for the old creepy crawly exhibit head to the Animalium and you will see all your old favourites - beetles, cockroaches and meal worms.  They are all there where the kids can get a good look at them - there is also a great seating area where you can take a break and look at interesting books on bugs.

With the entire museum open after 6 years of partial closure it was nice to enjoy all the space. Even with all the people who were inside the museum I found most exhibits easy to navigate. The busiest exhibit by far was the Fossil Gallery, but that could be a function of the fact that it is on the main floor and is the first exhibit most kids want to see. I had my stroller with me but I parked it in the coat check room and carried D2 in the sling. No need to wait for elevators and navigate a stroller through the crowded halls.

It is a very impressive renovation and the atrium is beautiful The only thing our kids missed from the "old" museum was the dinosaur has been removed from the main entrance. Other than that, the new museum was a hit from start to end!

The museum is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays: 9 to 6 and  Thursdays, Fridays: 9 to 8

Visit the Plan Your Visit page on their website for admission prices.

For some frugal fun the Museum has free admission every Thursday night from 5-8pm.

Chantal is a mom of 3 boys ages 8, 5 and 5 months. She usually blogs at TwoHandsFull but is currently taking a blogging break to enjoy time with her baby boy!

Joanne the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (5 years).  She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit.

Sheep shearing

by Amy

If you're in Ottawa and looking for a great activity to do with your kids this long weekend, head to the Canadian Agriculture Museum. This weekend, they are hosting their annual Sheep Shearing Festival. 

And it's SUUUPER fun.

I happened to read about this event several weeks ago, so call ahead and reserved a place for our homeschool group. All in, there were fifty of us! I'm always anxious when I plan something like this that everyone have a good time. I feel responsible. 

Luckily, there's no way you could NOT have fun at this event. And since a picture tells a thousand words -and since I might have taken a few hundred pictures yesterday - I'll let them do (most of the) talking.

Did you ever think those huge Clydesdale horses could be cute?? How about now?!!

you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

There are several events that are scheduled throughout the day. A sheep herding demonstration, a dog agility competition and the actual sheep shearing. We started with the sheep herding.

These dogs really are something else! The shepherd training them does a great job explaining the process and puts several dogs through their paces, both older experienced dogs and younger pups "who like to floss their teeth with wool". And he explains everything in a delightful german (I think) accent that seems to somehow lend credibility to what he's saying. Or so I thought.

All the kids we were with -from 14 years old down to 16 months- LOVED it. They had a bit of trouble hearing some of what the shepherd was saying, but were spellbound watching the dogs at work.

From there, we walked a short distance to where the agility competition was being held. Just before it started, one of the trainers brought her dog around for the kids to pet. They were smitten. As you can imagine, this event was hugely fun for the kids to watch, and the dogs put on a great show.

Although there are plenty of tables and tents set up inside the museum grounds, our group was too large, so we headed back out to the parking lot and found some nearby shade to sit in while we ate. There is a small (read: VERY small) concession stand there inside the museum, but it looked pretty limited to snack-type food... other than the lemonade (think fair ground lemonade... yum).

yes, they're all wearing Star Wars shirts

The actual sheep shearing is held every 30 minutes. I was at the tail end of our group, so got there too late to pull out my camera and get pictures of the actual shearing, but here's the end result. I think she said that each sheep produces about 4 lbs of wool (at least that's what I'm going to go with since she's holding up four fingers *grin*) and that all that wool -ALL THAT WOOL- sells for only $1.20. 

You read that right. One dollar and twenty cents. Remind me not to go into sheep farming.

Don't they look a bit ashamed? Although I'm sure they put up with the humiliation in order to be free of all that hot, scraggly, stinking fleece.

they are kind of cute

From there, they kids went outside, grabbed a ball of (freshly washed and carded) wool that they were then able to dye their choice of colours. They younger kids just played in the soapy water!

Scattered throughout the farm, in various buildings, are crafts and hands-on activities for the kids. Just passed the (new and very cool) bee exhibit, the kids got to try their hands at carding wool. Not as easy as it looks for those with still-developping hand-eye coordination, but everyone still enjoyed it. My three-year old (pictured below in the navy) wanted to take his brushes home. While he had to leave them there "for other little kids to use", he did get to take his little ball of soft, clean, freshly carded wool home with him.

Although I only got one picture of this next activity, it was my favourite of the day. The kids each got to pick a colour of wool roving to use to turn into a felt bracelet. Simon chose orange (without only a bit of encouragement from his orange-loving mama), and Liam chose a dark blue/teal colour. Liam is not one to accessorize, so he insists that his is a snake. Simon wore his bracelet for a few hours... then gave it to me. Woohoo!

The Museum of Agriculture is open from 9am til 5pm, but the sheep shearing activities only run from 10am until 2:30pm. After getting our fill of sheepy, wooly goodness, we stopped by to play on the tractors...

...and visited the milking barns...

...where we stopped to ooh and ahh over this little slice of adorable...

the Jersey... my favourite of all the cows

...and a final play at the park before taking our gang of fun-filled, sun-kissed (note, wear sunscreen since it's almost all outside), slightly tired and cranky kids home.

And I saved the best for last... pictures of some of the new baby lambs that were out walking around the farm. SO. STINKING. CUTE.

So cute and so soft. Baby hands are just drawn to them. Adult hands too. Getting up close and personal with these sweet, snowy, fleece babes is alone worth the price of admission!

The Sheep Shearing Festival runs all weekend, including the holiday Monday. If you go, come back and leave a comment and tell us what you thought.

Amy is the homeschooling, photographing mom of 7 year old Liam, 3 1/2 year old Simon, and 16 month old Andrew. She blogs at Muddy Boots and her photography can be found at Muddy Boots Photo.