Canadian Capitals — Weather
We started this tour yesterday. The weather has been beautiful — but hot. Low 80’s but pure sun so it feels hotter. A lot of people all over wearing shorts. Just FYI.
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We started this tour yesterday. The weather has been beautiful — but hot. Low 80’s but pure sun so it feels hotter. A lot of people all over wearing shorts. Just FYI.
Comments
Thank you so much Judy, this is helpful information. Any tips on good restaurants you’ve found for lunches and dinners on your own?
On our free night in Ottawa we ate at a tapas restaurant called Play — one of the restaurants recommended by our tour director. A big draw for our group of 5 turned out to be that they had Pisco Sours — which we all loved in Chile. Even without that we really liked the restaurant. We ended up going back for lunch the following day. The Tauck meals are always so large so we try to eat lighter meals when we are on our own. Even so — we weren’t very hungry for dinner the night we had lunch at Play. Their portions are not small. We arrived on the tour a day early and went to the revolving restaurant on top of the CN Tower. Great views! That night we went to a restaurant near the hotel called Bymark. We all thought it was excellent. It was a gorgeous night and we were able to eat outside. Have a great trip!
Thank you so much Judy, these restaurants sound amazing! Love a Pisco Sour! Our trip begins on Tuesday the 24th and we’re going early to Toronto and staying over in Quebec City. If you have any other suggestions please pass them along. Again, many thanks and safe travels, Grace
For those who enjoy museums, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa is an option for free time and is a short walk from the Fairmont Château Laurier. Along your walk, you can take a short detour to the ByWard Public Market for a bite to eat or to just stroll and browse the stalls.
In a separate thread about this wonderful tour, I mentioned various things to do in Quebec City as well as a restaurant suggestion. Let me know if you wish for me to resurrect that information.
When you are in Ottawa, there is also the Museum of Civilization which is just over the river in Hull. It's one of the best museums of its type.
If others are going in the spring, Ottawa has a wonderful tulip festival - usually in May. During WWII the Dutch royal family was given refuge in Ottawa and thanked the Canadians by giving them tulip bulbs. The city has continued the tradition since then with great displays along the canals.
If anyone is going in February, Ottawa celebrates Winterlude. There are all sorts of events and ice sculptures. When the canals are frozen, they are open for ice skating. Stalls are set up with beavertails and hot chocolate to warm the skaters. Unfortunately, last winter the canals did not freeze and the ice skating was not available.
Weather Update! We are in Quebec and it is COLD and incredibly windy. A scarf and a jacket with a hood would be very helpful. Keep checking the forecast before you come.
Hi Kathy,
Is the tulip festival offered as an excursion in Ottawa of is it something to do on your own?
Thanks, Capstar
I'd say it's something you do on your own. We have not been on the Tauck tour but have been to all of the cities included in the tour on our own and even stayed at some of the hotels. We have family in Ottawa and have been there numerous times over the past 30+ years.
However, it's possible that when the bus drives around the city, it goes by the areas with the tulips. Others who have taken the Tauck tour in the spring may be able to answer.
The hotel in Ottawa (Chateau Laurier) is next to the Parliament building and you should be able to see the changing of the guard by walking out the front door.
Thank you, Kathy M, for the information about Ottawa's tulip festival. I did some research and for 2025 the festival commences 09 May and runs for eleven (11) days. I think Tauck's 'Capitals' tours don't start until the third week in May so that won't work. Nonetheless, it would be a great independent travel destination in my opinion.
I really would like to experience the "smaller" group tour for comparison purposes with the small group tour for this itinerary. I'm thinking of arriving pre-tour in Ottawa for a few days for the festival, take the train or bus back to Toronto and begin the official tour. Sounds like a plan.