Hi Carlitguy (Dean),

It is good to hear from you again.

Wow just 4 weeks away... I know how excited you must be having planned this trip for so long.

I reviewed your previous posts, so:

We've covered the Remembrance Day Ceremonies and related activities.

And as you know you'll be too late for the Fall Foliage.

I know you are visiting friends in Kemptville, see if you can't make a day of it and get out to Merrickville along the Rideau Canal (20 Kms, 20 minutes along Hwy 43). Merrickville is one of Ontario's prettiest towns. And has great shops and a collection of artisans. It is a great place to get in some early Christmas shopping if you are so inclined. The food is also great... homemade ice cream, fudge, homemade preserves, Pubs, good Restaurants, B&Bs, Country Inns etc.

In town away from "the core" shopping there is a couple of trendy areas that offer restaurants and shopping: The Glebe along Bank Street, Bank Street South (below Lansdowne Park), New Edinburg Village(adjacent to Rockcliffe Park - off of Beechwood), Westboro Village, Preston Street - Little Italy, and Sommerset - China Town. Of these Bank Street South and Westboro Village have antique shops.

In town, be sure and check out the following:

* Parliament Hill

* The Rideau Canal (and the Museum at the foot of the locks)

* Byward Market

* The US Embassy... you'll just get to see it from the outside, but it is impressive (if not hard to miss)

* A drive down Sussex past the National Gallery, the Mint, Embassy Row, and the Prime Minister Residence

* You can tour the Governor Generals House (Rideau Hall)

* Museums - among the best - The National Gallery, The Canadian Museum of Civilization, The Science & Technology Museum, The National Aviation Museum.

For restaurants there are many Guides and Reviews available in hardcopy or on the web... you can just find them by googling "Ottawa Restaurants"... However, I personally like www.ottawafoodies.com which has a lot of members who are Chefs, Food Writers and Food Tv people, they offer good info on the food scene in and around Ottawa.

As with everything, Accomodations, Restaurants and Things To Do, Trip Advisor has a Reviews Section where you can read other people's take on things. Just click on the appropriate buttons at the left of this page: HOTELS, THINGS TO DO, RESTAURANTS. But as a word of advice, most TA Members put more credibility on those Reviews that feature a User Name vs someone who posts annonymously (A Trip Advisor Contributor).

Hope this gets you started.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

I think one mistake some tourists make is visiting the National Gallery when they don't really like looking at rooms full of art. They think it's must-see, but, while it is Canada's national collection, it's still just an art gallery. If you don't like visting art galleries, don't go.

Most antique stores in Ottawa are overpriced, but of course can still be fun to visit. I like Yardley's in Old Ottawa South for the variety of stuff. At some antique markets, you can sometimes get a better deal if you pay cash. Some of the anitique markets in the small towns outside Ottawa, such as Perth and Balderson, offer better prices.

TO SCRATCHMYFEET,

I agree if something isn't your style, then there is no point in doing it. And that will always hold true.

BUT, that said, I hardly see the National Gallery of Canada a place that is just a bunch of rooms filled with art. Particularly so when it comes to the historic Canadian Collection. With it's varied mediums of Aboriginal Art, Quebec Landscapes, Religious Artifacts including sculpture and sterling silver. The Acadien themed mural painted Crosup Room and the entire salvaged Rideau Street Convent Chapel. This is far more a collection of life and times than just a bunch of oil paintings.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

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TO CARLITGUY,

In replying to this post, I suddenly recalled that you are a Military Chaplain, so you might actually be interested in this collection. There is quite a bit of representation from Quebec's religious roots (mostly because it was either the wealthy or the distinguished who were captured in portraits... including famous Nuns and Fathers who established the Catholic Church in Quebec and the Hospitals etc.). There are a nice selection of religious artifacts also, items made by Quebec Silversmiths (the handiwork is stunning). And of course the entire reconstructed Rideau Chapel with it's magnificent architecture.

For more info on the Gallery's Canadian Collection check out: http://www.gallery.ca/english/102.htm

To my mind (and I used to work for one of the National Museums) the best least visited of Ottawa's museums is the currency museum in the Bank of Canada building. Everything from a giant Yap stone to Weimar hyperinflation currency to the type of coin Judas was paid his 'pieces of silver" in plus a history of money in Canada. Not an all-day blockbuster of a museum but great if you are on Sparks Street and have a couple of hours to do a museum.

bankofcanada.ca/currencymuseum/eng/index.php

I didn't say it was rooms full of oil paintings. I said it was rooms full of art, which it is.

And having taken a lot of family/friends to various sites, that is the one they typically enjoy the least, unless they are into art. I've heard the word "boring" used several times. I think people look at the fantastic exterior and somehow expect it to be Disneyland inside. There also isn't always a lot interpretation to help people understand the importance of what they're seeing. So unless you have tour guide or some art history background it can be quite innaccessible.

TO SCRATCHMYFEET,

I apologize. I wish one could see the previous posts when one is typing... and not just the original question.

I've done it with the headsets that you can rent, and I've done it with a guide (I was a parent escort on a school trip), and I've done it alone. I still think it is a good exhibit. But like I said previously, and we both agree it isn't for everyone.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

Thank you for the replies and discussion.

This is what I really enjoy about these boards as it is always about 'opinions'. We don't always see things the same way.

I am on the Greece boards and in particular Athens. It is really, really interesting how the locals perceive the area around the heart of Athens as dangerous and not nice. As a tourist I perceived it entirely differently. I found it vibrant and handy to all the tourist sights. Not at all the perception of a local.

In this case it is perceived one way at the art gallery but in reality, a tourist may see it differently. I appreciate the post about the mint collection. I collect early Canadian stamps (1851 to Queen Victoria ) and I hope to see the postal museum. I haven't Googled it yet but when we are walking downtown on Friday, October 31 will wee be close to it????

Dean in Red Deer,Ab

If you're Canadian, and you've always wondered what "Meech Lake" was about, head up through Gatineau Provincial Park, go down Chemin du Lac Meech, and find the road up to the official summer home of the Prime Minister. You can't see anything from the road, except guard stations and RCMP (with automatic weapons, if the Prime Minister is actually there), but you can tell people you've been to Meech Lake. As an added bonus, you get to drive through the Park, which is really beautiful. While you're up there, you can head further North, to Wakefield, which is a picturesque town (where a lot of English is spoken).

Unfortunately, the Hull-Wakefield steam train is not running currently, as that's a nice experience.

You can also plan a few detours to catch some of the old (some rebuilt) covered bridges. Yes, they're not just found in Madison County.

If you're into bungee jumping, there's a great (scenic) jump site up there, too. Here's the URL: http://www.bungee.ca/

On another note, I don't think anyone mentioned the aviation museum in the Ottawa area, in case you're an aviation fan.

You can take a guided tour of Rideau Hall. See URL for details: http://www.gg.ca/visitus/index_e.asp

A nice walk is along Sussix Drive, past the Prime Minister's residence, and then into Rockcliffe, and just wander around, keeping an eye out for the coat of arms, and flags, indicating a foreign embassy.

There are tons of things to do, in the Ottawa area, and you should probably be able to fill up your time easily.

Cheers, and bon voyage.

Hi Carlitguy,

The Canadian Postal Museum is now housed in the Canadian Museum of Civilization on the Hull-Gatineau side (along the river, across from Parliament Hill)... cross the Interprovincial Bridge (aka Alexandria Bridge) next to the National Gallery on Sussex.

I haven't been to the Postal section in years, so I can't comment on it. I typically go for the IMAX or NEW Exhibits, that or to visit with out-of-town friends who come to see the Grand Hall and the Aboriginal Exhibits (which IMO is outstanding... particularly if you spend the extra $ 3 and do it with a guide).

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

The postal museum currently has a "Postal goes Pop" show which explores the importance of mail in popular culture. One of the exhibits is Cliff Claven's Mail Carrier jacket from Cheers for example. There is also other permanent stuff, including a lot of stamps and interactive stuff for kids.

If you're at the Museum also check out the "Heart and Soul" exhibit. It's got some fun and funky folk art.