25 Jan, 2010
The ultimate Canadian adventure? It’s dogsledding.
Posted by andrea tomkins in: - Ottawa for kids|Easy ways to make kids happy|Publishing/writing/career stuff|travel talk
And now for something completely different! In fact, it is the POLAR OPPOSITE (no pun intended) to yesterday’s post about tropical holiday destinations.
I wanted to tell you about something we did before we left for the sunny beaches of Punta Cana. We went dogsledding at the lovely Fairmont Château Montebello. I wrote about it for SavvyMom. You can read that article here.
If you haven’t ever gone dogsledding, do it. The really great thing about this little adventure is that it’s so family-friendly. And so Canadian! Like hockey (done that), skating on the Rideau (done that) and poutine (eaten that) it is a fundamental part of our national heritage. As I wrote in the article, can you really call yourself a Canadian if you haven’t been pulled around by a pack of dogs? (And gone ice fishing? Mark doesn’t know this but that’s what we’re doing next. And then I’ll be planning a portage through blackfly-infested swamps. Heh.)
Your team will have you flying through the woods faster than you imagine.
After you’ve finished wiping the tears from your eyes (silly me, I forgot my sunglasses and didn’t hike up my scarf) mosey over to the main lodge for some hot beverages. You will be glad you did. It is gorgeous.
It is an easy and beautiful place to linger. Someday we’ll stay for dinner.
The Château Montebello is a luxury hotel with an interesting history. Local lore has it that the local curé was sent away for several months so the builders could work on Sundays. Built in 1930 in under four months, it’s been called the world’s largest log cabin. It’s easy to see why.
If dogsledding isn’t your thing, there is a beautiful curling rink you can rent by the hour. You can also rent snowshoes, skis, and skates. There’s also tubing, but we didn’t have time to check that out. There are also some interesting items for purchase in the ski shop. Like this hat:
The Fairmont Château Montebello is a pretty drive outside of Ottawa (very near Parc Omega), and it’s a great place to spend a wintery afternoon, even if you aren’t a guest of the hotel. You and your family won’t ever forget it.
