From the very first time I visited Ottawa, I knew I loved the city. It truly is beautiful, there are great restaurants, events and festivals. My recent trip lined up perfectly with Winterlude, an
Step one of this adventure was checking into the Alt Hotel on Slater Street. I love these hotels because you can count on a high level of service, friendly staff and a fun, updated look. From the moment you walk in the hotel, there’s a sense of being home away from home. The location is impeccable, perfect for exploring downtown Ottawa (and Winterlude festivities). The lobby is outfitted with a lovely bar area. They have a great happy hour, delicious food, and they’re open 24/7. During happy hour the bar is definitely buzzing and we enjoyed a couple of drinks there throughout our stay. There’s also a gym on site so if skating isn’t your thing, you can still get your workout in. The space really has a young, hip vibe and caters to a wide variety of clientele. We were impressed.
Our room was clean, classy and spacious. We have a history of working and staying with the Alt Hotels in other locations such as St. John’s and Halifax. You can’t go wrong with these rooms. The beds are always comfortable, there’s a tv, work/desk area and bathroom equipped with all of the amenities you could need. These hotels are consistent in their ability to go above and beyond. The stay was lovely, comfortable and restful. It will not be our last stay with the Alt Hotel. We can’t wait to check them out in another city one day. Thank you for your hospitality.
After settling into the hotel, it was time to start exploring. We headed to Jacques Cartier Park to allow our inner children to play in the snow. The sculptures were grand and beautiful. I had never seen anything like it before. WOW! We were also quick to grab some inner tubes and line up for the icy snow slides. They were so fun and fast! Our walk through this winter wonderland wouldn’t have been complete without some maple syrup candy. It was a blast!
A trip to Ottawa in the winter wouldn’t be complete without a skate on the Rideau Canal. So grab your skates, toques and mittens. We skated about 15km, stopping here and there for photos. We took it at a relatively casual pace because it was so busy. It was really fun to get outside and on our skates. I even have the bruises to prove that competitive skaters wipeout when they get stuck in ruts too. How cool is it to skate outside on the world’s largest skating rink?
The next morning we woke up early and ventured to Nordic Spa. If you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend your morning, it doesn’t get any better than this. We arrived around 9:00 am and started the day with an hour long massage. I’m not going to lie, I totally feel asleep (haha). It was so relaxing. Then we put on our white robes and flip flops and headed outside. We checked out all of the saunas and hopped in all of the pools. There’s a heat cycle they recommend which includes 10-15 minutes in a hot sauna, followed by a cold plunge in one of the cold pools and then some time to relax. We cycled through the steps a few times and absolutely loved it. I wasn’t sure about the cold plunge, outside in the middle of winter but it was super refreshing. We also took part in an Aufguss Ritual in the Finnish Sauna which we both thought of as a highlight. You can read about it on their website by clicking here. Leaving the spa I felt lighter, so relaxed, my body was very happy.
Our weekend getaway to Ottawa was awesome. We spent a lot of time outside which is our favourite place to be. I’m grateful for this experience with great company. It was perfect.
Thank you to our friends at the Alt Hotel for making this weekend extra special.
xoxo,
linds
P.S. If you’re in the Laurentian Valley area check out their skating trail through the woods for a little winter magic!
Snowshoeing. You all know by now that here at twowildtides, we love to hike. In the Winter, this gets a little more difficult, so we break out the snowshoes and get a new perspective on some of our favourite trails. Snowshoeing is great because the resistance from the snow makes you work just a little bit harder, giving you a more beneficial workout. You can snowshoe just about anywhere, but make sure you’re aware of the terrain. Be careful near ice and open water, and stay away from steep cliffs. 
Snow days. A classic. What is better than waking up in the morning to a raging blizzard, hearing that work and school are cancelled and you can lie in bed all day to read, watch Netflix, or even get caught up on life. Make pancakes (
Cozy getaways. Winter is the perfect season to rent a little cabin, cottage, or chalet and escape for a day or two. Curl around the fire with a mug of hot cocoa or a glass of wine and play board games all day with your loved ones. Spend some time really getting to know someone. Or run away by yourself if you’re feeling creative, inspired, or need to recoup. We highly recommend Oceanstone Seaside Resort for your Winter retreat. 
Ice skating. One of our favourite things about Winter is outdoor skating rinks (but indoor works too!). In St. John’s, we have the Bannerman Park Skating Loop where you can glide around and enjoy some delicious Beaver Tails, and in Halifax, we have the popular Emera Oval. Day or night, this is such a fun and festive activity to make the best of Winter. 
Hockey games. I’m not a sports fan whatsoever, but even I love to head out to the rink to watch a game of hockey in the wintertime. There is something about the energy in a live sports arena that just gets me so excited! Whether it’s your local team or the pros, definitely add a hockey game to your Winter bucket list. Unfortunately St. John’s doesn’t have a hockey team right now, but we hope the Ice Caps will be back next year!
The days are already getting longer. My LEAST favourite thing about Winter is how short the days are. So I take comfort in the fact that the deeper we get into the Winter months, the longer the days are becoming. Remember Spring is right around the corner 😉
There is also a gorgeous beach off of the campground that allowed me to get up close and personal with the pack ice that was pushed up onto the sand. NEVER climb on the ice pans that are in the water, it is super dangerous!! 
The only disappointment of my day was that in all the towns I passed through, I never found a nice place to grab a bite to eat. There were several small convenience stores that I could see, but no sit-down restaurants. If any of our readers know of a place along this route, please let us know!
Have you ever driven this route? Let us know about your experiences and suggestions in the comments below or by shooting us an email or a message on our social media. We love hearing from our readers!
We skied all day on Saturday and had drinks at the chalet that night while we were blasted with a winter storm. It was such a well-needed relaxing weekend! If you are planning a vacation to Newfoundland, whether it is winter or summer, Marble Mountain has a lot to offer.
