No Place Like Home

Been there. Done that. Check, check, check…yawn.

Yes, it’s easy to develop a bad attitude about your home town. All the most exciting and novel things to see and do are elsewhere, right?

Wrong. What you need is a fresh perspective.

Whether due to time or money constraints, fear of flying, or poor planning on your part, perhaps this summer you and your family are spending your holidays at home in Ottawa. Or maybe the rellies are descending and you need creative ways to keep everyone entertained. Either way, there are fascinating ways to enjoy the summer right here at home. For starters:

1. Visit the other side—of the river, that is. For a cultural experience close to home, pop into the Canadian Children’s Museum in Hull, then stroll to a bistro in downtown Hull for lunch and order steak et frites (en français, of course).
2. Bet you haven’t been to the Parliament Buildings in a while. The Changing of the Guard ceremony is performed daily all summer at 10 am. Top off your visit with a view from the Peace Tower observation deck for a panoramic view. Don’t leave without seeing the eternal flame—it’s the eternal kid attraction too.
 
3. Hop aboard a red double-decker Gray Line trolley for a guided tour of the city. The extended version includes a 90-minute boat ride on the Ottawa River or Rideau Canal. Bring a camera and pretend you are a tourist.
4. Go ghost hunting. Haunted Walks Inc. offers “unique historical walking tours” of Ottawa daily between 7 and 9 pm all summer.
5. Head to the Sparks Street Mall for the Busker Festival from August 2 to 6. There are more than 40 performances daily. Kids will love the USA Breakdancers, the Junkyard Symphony and the Fire Weavers, among others—and the price (mostly free) is certainly right.
6. Take the kids to the Mont Cascades Waterpark in nearby Cantley, Que. With something for every size of kid, and slides with names like Kamikaze and Turbo Twister, the fun is practically guaranteed. Good to Know: They don’t let you wear a t-shirt or even UV protective tops so don’t pack the one piece UV suit with the t-shirt top on it or Jill will be out of luck.

Click your heels like Dorothy and repeat: There’s no place like home…. There’s no place like home…. There’s no place like home….

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