Soaring over Ottawa

While you are probably familiar with the letters YOW, the capital has a second somewhat secret airport. We are lucky enough to have an aviation museum which, on top of displaying planes across many eras, also offers opportunities for you to ride them. The fleet of small aircraft offers scenic views of Ottawa and, while intimidating to many, a more engaging flying experience. I have already flown in the biplane and helicopter, so this weekend, I decided to finish the triad trial by flier and went on the museum's Cessna Parliament Tour.

I arrived on a sunny Saturday at the Museum of Aviation with a friend of mine. It was perfect weather for a flight. We walked through the museum, seeing the plethora of vintage aircraft and a cadets graduation ceremony along the way, before arriving at the tarmac. There, we met our pilot and boarded the back of the small airplane. Within 30 seconds, we were rolling on the runway and taking off.

Immediately, we were fully turned towards our windows. On my side, I could see abandoned islands on the Gatineau side of the river, while my friend pointed out horses from the RCMP stables. As we ascended, we looked over Rockcliffe Park and pointed out places like the yacht club, 24 Sussex and Rideau hall, all visible at the same time. I also enjoyed the colorful houses in Gatineau. After a few minutes, we were flying over downtown.

The altitude of the flight is perfect, since you can see many landmarks simultaneously while still seeing individual details. I could see Parliament Hill, the University and even Lansdowne Park at the same time! Our pilot circled around downtown, giving us time to fully savor the experience. I loved whenever the plane would tilt during the turns and I could see what was directly below me.

As we headed back, I saw my school and house, something that most people who live in Ottawa should be able to see on the extensive route of the flight. Seeing a place so familiar from a totally different angle was definitely a highlight. Finally, we had a smooth landing back at the museum, now having completed this tour on all aircraft available.

If you too want to see Ottawa and Gatineau from the best view possible, check out the Museum of Aviation. The Cessna tour costs $45 or $55 per person, depending on if it's 2 or 3 passengers. On top of the year-round Cessna tour, you can also ride in a helicopter or vintage biplane from May through October. For more information, click here.

David (15) and his friend received a free flight but all views are his own.

Alpaca Fun at Little Foot Alpaca Farm

When you think of the most social animals, what comes to mind? Dolphins with their playful pods? Monkeys that create some of the most advanced animal societies with their troops?

Surely human’s best friend, the dog. It turns out there is another animal that should be added to this list- alpacas. These creatures only thrive in groups of more than three and are also incredibly calm. This makes them the perfect animal to spend a weekend outing with, as I did recently at Little Foot Alpaca Farm.

We arrived at Little Foot Alpaca Farm, and met Caroline. We started off the tour by checking out some of the finished alpaca fur products, as well as seeing the large wall of awards they earned. We then visited the docile female alpacas. Caroline gave us some pellets to feed the creatures, which they ate from our hands.

This group of alpacas is used for breeding, with pregnancies lasting for up to a year! We were able to pet the alpacas’ soft fur as we learned more interesting information from Caroline. As it turns out, alpacas are the equivalent of dogs in Peru, their origin country!

After closing the female alpacas’ pen, we went over and visited the more rowdy male alpacas. As we walked in, we heard them “chattering” by making all sorts of chaotic noises. Among them was Little Foot’s champion alpaca, an individual without blemishes and incredibly soft fur. We spread out to feed the males so that they didn’t fight too much over food. It’s very clear that alpacas are among the most extroverted animals in the animal kingdom. After spending a lot of time with the males, we went back inside.

At the end of our tour, we took a look at the Little Foot gift shop, containing the fruits of the alpaca’s existence- fur products. Among all the clothing items I mentioned earlier, there were also alpaca figurines made out of their fur. I ended up buying a soft pair of gloves, before saying goodbye to Little Foot farm.

If you too want to meet some alpacas and maybe purchase some of the softest clothing/decorations possible along the way, visit Little Foot Alpaca Farm. Some of Little Foot’s other experiences include a one-hour Alpaca Trek for people ages 14+ on a designated trail,

Alpaca therapy for those with special needs and even a luxury Airbnb. The farm also offers itself as a venue for engagement photo shoots and weddings. For more information, click here.

The cost for the farm visit tour is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Children under 3 are free. The farm is located in Spencerville, Ontario.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received complimentary tickets for the ferris wheel and the port of Montreal tower, but all views are his own.

Win tickets to see Erth's Dinosaur Zoom Live

If you have kiddos who love dinosaurs then Australia’s ERTH’s Dinosaur Zoo™ is coming to the Meridian Theatre March 21 at 6:30pm!

Get ready to be wowed by a menagerie of insects and dinosaurs that once roamed free around the world.

Be up close and personal with an amazing array of prehistoric creatures, from baby dinos to some of the largest carnivores and herbivores that have ever walked the planet.

ERTH’s dinosaurs are unmistakably ‘alive,’ and mostly friendly, in this fun, educational, and original performance, connecting young audiences to the real science of paleontology.

Audiences learn how to feed and interact with ERTH’s dinosaurs in a once in a lifetime interactive experience. Children can watch wide-eyed from a safe distance or dare to get right up close to these prehistoric creatures. VIP ticket holders also get a chance to get up on stage with the dinosaurs!

Want to win a pass for 4 to the show on March 21st?

Comment below with the name of your favourite dinosaur! (Or just write T-Rex if that’s easier :)

Contest closes March 8th at 10pm

Activities for Teens: Ottawa Redblacks Game

Our teen blogger is back and sharing about his experience heading to an Ottawa Redblacks game!

With school back, I like to make the most of my Friday nights. Lansdowne Park has me covered. I recently went to TD Place on the last day of summer to watch the Ottawa Redblacks play against the Saskatchewan Roughriders to finish off my week.

As soon as we arrived at Lansdowne Park, we could feel the atmosphere of excitement. Redblacks fans were swarming through the pedestrian streets around the Aberdeen Pavilion. Music from the stadium and a clothing color scheme matching the team’s namesake made it feel like a true football night. 

After getting in, we found our seats that gave us an amazing close up view of the touchdown line; a place the Redblacks would make frequent visits. Shortly after sitting down, the Redblacks came storming out of the locker rooms as the countdown to kickoff began. We got some refreshments, stood for the anthem, watched the coin toss and cheered with the release of the football. 

Saskatchewan scored the first touchdown, but Ottawa’s chainsaw was running just before the first quarter ended. We gained the advantage in the second quarter, with a touchdown, two point conversion and field goal within the final 25 seconds. By halftime, the score had the Redblacks leading 19-13. 

During the break, I bought some pizza before going back to my seat. Ottawa advanced its lead by another 2 points in the third quarter, before a fierce battle near the end of the game. The Redblacks scored two touchdowns at the start of the last quarter, and while Saskatchewan was able to match Ottawa, it simply was not enough. Fans cheered as the game ended with a heap of log slices and overheated flare guns.

We left the stadium thrilled with a victorious 36-28 score following an action-packed game and an excuse to sleep in through Saturday.

To have a great time in Ottawa, check out a football game at TD Place before the season closes this year. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary rental for this post, but all views are his own.

Green Corners Farm

A visit to Green Corners Farm is one of my family’s favourite activities during Spring, Summer and even into Fall. We’ve been making trips to the farm for the past 3 years and find ourselves there at least once or twice per season. Green Corners Farm is Ottawa’s largest pick-your-own flower farm and is found on York’s Corners Road. The farm is the official floral supplier for the Canadian Tulip Festival. The owners, Manja and Al are always on site to help welcome guests and provide tips on picking the best blooms for a beautiful bouquet.

Green Corners Farm is perhaps most well-known for its incredible fields of tulips that burst into bloom early May but while the tulip season is short, the following flower seasons shouldn’t be missed. My daughters absolutely love heading to the farm to wander between the rows of various types of flowers. We often pick a few bouquets to share with family and friends and the kids are in charge of which flowers they’d like in their bouquet as well as the arrangement of the bouquet.

Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed by a staff member who will check you in. It is recommended to pre-purchase your “picking” ticket through the Green Corners Farm website https://greencorners.ca/product-category/u-pick-bouquets/ or if you’d prefer to take in the views and enjoy the flowers, you can select a “looking” ticket. Tickets may also be purchased on site but you’ll save a bit of money by purchasing online (and entry is not guaranteed if they are full.) Each “picking” ticket has a value of 25 points, with all flowers worth 1 point except for the sunflowers, which are 2 points. You can mix and match your flowers to create a unique bouquet.
Every guest ages 5+ must have either a “Picking” ticket or a “looking” ticket.

Once checked in, you’ll get a quick lesson on how to cut your flowers (you’ll need a certain length of stem) and then you’ll pick up a basket and clippers and be off to explore the many fields of various types of flowers. If you’re looking for photo ops, you’ll find colourful benches and chairs throughout the fields. The flowers provide a spectacular backdrop! After you’ve selected your flowers, you’ll head over to the white tent where you’ll find tables with buckets. This is where the creativity happens! You’ll remove the extra greenery from your flowers and make your arrangement. There’s fresh basil on hand to add to your bouquet (it smells divine!) and when you’re happy with your arrangement, you’ll tie it off with twine. The final step is to admire your beautiful bouquet! 

If you are looking for a beautiful field of sunflowers, this is the place to be! There are several different types of sunflowers to be picked or photographed whether you’re looking for bright golden petals, pale yellow or even a rusty red. Sunflowers are currently at their peak and are available until the first frost in September. Snapdragons, zinnias, marigolds, calendula, statice, strawflower, celosias and strawflowers are just a few of the seasonal flowers available for picking. There is a Bouquet Stand on site that is stocked with seasonal bouquets.

For those who love tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs, they are available for purchase. Bulbs can be pre-ordered over the summer and are ready in the Fall for pick-up or delivery. Green Corners Farm also offers flowers for Valentine’s Day and Easter. My family purchases the forced tulip bulbs that we grow in vases on stones. They are a lovely addition of colour during the snowy months!

Green Corner Farm
Hours: Thursday to Monday - 9am to last entry at 11:30am and 4pm to last entry at 6:30pm.
Bouquet Stand hours: Friday-Monday 9am-7pm

Candace is a mom of 4 who loves exploring the city and trying out new activities with her adventurous kiddos. Note: the family were gifted their bouquets but all thoughts are their own.