Visiting Ottawa in May

Hey gang. It looks as if I might be going to Ottawa in late May to run a half marathon with my friend. While we're there, we would like to see what your city has to offer. My friend who I am going with has never been to Ottawa.

So what sites do you recommend we see? What neighborhoods should we tour? Tell me about the touristy stuff and the non-touristy stuff. Sell me your city...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

[eemy]

Well, what a coincidence! It just so happens that the National Capital Race Weekend is on at the end of May!

In all seriousness, it seems that there is a lack of festivals that particular weekend - at least that you might find interesting. One possibly unique and interesting thing you could check out is the Tailrace in Lebreton Flats where the National Whitewater Slalom Team (ww canoe/kayakers) train. I don't know if that would be too early in the season already, but it's a rather unique facility, and right adjacent to the downtown area.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

As far as touristy stuff goes, you'll definately want to check out our many museums. Museum of Nature, War Museum and Museum of Civilization in Hull seem to be the most popular. We also have the Aviation Museum which is fun.

You may also want to spend an afternoon wandering around downtown Ottawa and the Byward Market. Take a tour of Parliament Hill or one of those bus tours that take you around the core area if you want.

There's also a tonne of pretty good restaurants in the area, and I would recommend a bike ride along the Rideau Canal. You could even tool around in The Glebe if you wanted.

As far as the not so touristy stuff, go to bars in Hull and Aylmer in Quebec and have some good ole fun. Or even Elgin Street here in Ottawa. The Byward Market is also a good club scene at night.

As far as the ugly, just hang around the Rideau Centre and Rideau Street after eight o'clock, and you'll see the bad...

[lrt's friend]

Ride a bike along the Rideau Canal and down along the River behind Parliament Hill. To get to the trail behind Parliament Hill, you pass the Ottawa Locks (between Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier) and the oldest standing building, now the Bytown Museum.

Take a walk or drive through the village of Rockcliffe Park and see where many diplomats live.

Take a walk along Echo Drive from Pretoria to Bank. Many nice houses, peaceful because through traffic is not allowed, views of the Rideau Canal, the Aberdeen Pavillion

Drive up to Champlain lookout in Gatineau Park or climb the trail up the escarpment at Lusk Falls (provides a similar view)

Go to Bates Island in the middle Champlain Bridge to view the Ottawa River and downtown.

For a broad view of the whole city, I always like coming over the crest of the hill, on Highway 417 coming east from Kanata towards Moodie Drive. There is a parallel road accessible off of Moodie Drive so you are not on the expressway.

Nice view of Parliament Hill from the Museum of Civilisation on the Quebec side and use the boardwalk on the Interprovincial Bridge to get there. A very nice walk from downtown.

Nice views of downtown Ottawa coming south on Highway 5 or west on Highway 50, both on the Quebec side. Unfortunately both are expressways. Somebody else here may give you locations with similar views off the expressway.

A long walk on Bank Street from downtown going south will let you see a lot of old commercial Ottawa, and takes you through a variety of older neighbourhoods including Centretown, the Glebe and Ottawa South, depending on how far you walk.

A walk along Montreal Road east of Cummings Bridge, will take you through a more french part of the city. Side streets have more modest houses.

Take a walk or drive through Beechwood Cemetery and to where the national military cemetery is now (part of Beechwood). Beautifully treed and some lovely garden plantings.

[ajldub]

Come back two months later and experience the zen of Meech lake first hand.

[BlackRedGold]

That time of the year, Scotiabank Place should be the spot to be!

[harls]

My wife's running in that half-marathon. You'll get a good tour of the city just by doing that!

I'll be up in Ottawa from this Thursday to Sunday. Expect some awesome pics to come!

Any particular streetscapes to explore while I'm there?

[rodionx]

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

I'll be up in Ottawa from this Thursday to Sunday. Expect some awesome pics to come!

Any particular streetscapes to explore while I'm there?

Somerset Street West would be my pick, but somebody already did it: http://aregeebee.typepad.com/somersetonline/

If you want a street that's interesting in an ugly sort of way (or ugly in an interesting sort of way), you could head a few blocks south of Somerset and tour Gladstone from Bank to Preston. It's the last place you'll see in a tourist guide, but it has a certain gritty je ne sais quoi. Check out the plaque at Gladstone and Bay, which marks the site where the Ottawa Hockey Club won the Stanley Cup in 1903.

[Cre47]

I don't know if it's but there has been very little images from the Canal or the Experimental Farm areas lately. Also, there is the sprawling areas of Kanata, Orleans and Barrhaven where we're lacking images. In fact, there is relatively few photo threads from outside downtown period.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Check out the plaque at Gladstone and Bay, which marks the site where the Ottawa Hockey Club won the Stanley Cup in 1903.

Dude, that plaque was stolen during our short playoff stint this year, remember?

[rodionx]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

Dude, that plaque was stolen during our short playoff stint this year, remember?

I don't even remember our playoff stint. But whattaya know. On April 14th, someone smashed the granite pedestal and made off with the plaque. So that's a picture right there: "smashed granite pedestal."

[Mille Sabords]

While you're on Gladstone Avenue, keep going til you hit Preston. On a weekend night it's one of the great non-downtown night spots in the city. Start with a few pints at Pub Italia, grab a bite at the old Prescott (and try to get into a card game if you dare), head over to Absolut Comedy for a show and wrap it up either at the Heart & Crown or at Caliente which I hear goes after hours on weekends.

[AuxTown]

Pub Italia is the best place to grab a beer in town IMO....they have over 200 beers, 36 of which on tap!

Since you said you'd be in town this weekend (and the weather is supposed to be nice) you should hit up Clarence St in the Market for lunch/afternoon pint. It's a great spot for people-watching and would yield some nice pics not doubt. A walk down Bank Street into the Glebe is always interesting as well. Once the stretch between Laurier to the 417 is completely re-done over the next 2-3 years it won't have that vintage garbage dump look to it anymore.

[waterloowarrior]

third'd for pub italia if you are a burger fan, you may want to visit The Works which has some crazy combinations and a unique feel (there are locations in The Glebe and Westboro, two neighbourhoods that are great to tour!)

Thank you all for your suggestions! They sound like a good time and I have written them down on paper.

Going to bed soon. It's an early awakening for me to beat the GTA traffic going east.

By the way, a while back, I was on a bus in Ottawa going towards the Gatineau hills and we travelled through an area in or near downtown that was really delapidated and full of homeless people (and I do mean FULL of them). Where was that?

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

we travelled through an area in or near downtown that was really delapidated and full of homeless people (and I do mean FULL of them). Where was that?

Lowertown...

[AuxTown]

Where are the photos we were promised???? It was such a nice weekend when you were here that you must have snapped a few nice shots.