Attention: Horses, Harry Potter and a historic hotel for sale

Whether you’re imagining a fun road trip by biking through beautiful scenery, learning about Indigenous culture, horseback riding, or hanging out with the characters from Harry Potter, this week’s Heads Up post has you covered. You can learn about new nonstop flights from Ottawa to London and save money on tickets to a charity gala. I’ll even tell you where to book your own hotel (if you’re a millionaire).

New FixIt station opens in Carleton Junction

green air pump in front of a red building that looks like a small barn — Photo courtesy of Carleton Place Recreation and Culture Department.

Attention cyclists who live in or enjoy cycling in Carleton Place: A new FixIt station has opened in Carleton Junction, a park adjacent to the Ottawa Valley Recreation Trail. The station offers free access to bike repair tools and an air pump, and features a water bottle filling station and seasonal washrooms.

Tickets for the Discover L&A Ride are selling out fast

Speaking of biking, if you’re interested in pedaling a scenic 36-mile route through Lennox & Addington, a largely rural area west of Kingston, you can sign up for this year’s Discover L&A Ride on Saturday, Sept. 21. Your $35 ticket includes cookies, coffee, apple cider doughnuts and other treats, as well as musical entertainment at the end of the ride. The ride starts and ends at Bergeron Estate Winery & Cider Company (9656 Loyalist Parkway, Adolphustown) and runs whatever the weather. Last time I checked, 60% of tickets were already gone. The event sold out last year, so you might want to hurry this time.

Air Canada launches nonstop service to London

Air Canada plane flying against blue sky with hazy clouds — Photo by Ethan McArthur on Unsplash.

Before the pandemic, Ottawa residents could fly nonstop from Ottawa International Airport to London Heathrow. Here’s good news for Anglophiles: Air Canada has resumed service. Starting March 31, 2025, Air Canada will offer four flights per week in each direction between the two airports. This CTV News Ottawa article has more information.

Outaouais offers opportunities to connect with indigenous culture

Tourisme Outaouais has published a very useful blog post detailing many places in Outaouais where you can learn about Indigenous culture. Places include the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Cultural Centre, museums, restaurants, shops, events and more.

There is plenty of fun for animal lovers in Eastern Ontario

Close-up of the face of a light brown alpaca — Little Foot Alpacas in Spencerville is in the guidebook.

The Southeastern Ontario Tourism Organization has published a great online guide to animal experiences across a wide swath of Ontario from Belleville to the Quebec border. Find out how you and your family can experience horses, goats, alpacas, chickens, ducks and all kinds of other animals. (Alpaca fans: don’t miss my post about my visit to Little Foot Alpacas in Spencerville.)

Early bird tickets for the Habitat Gala are available until August 31

Steel Toes and Stilettos is a glamorous annual fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa. It takes place this year on Saturday, November 9th at the Shaw Centre and you can save $50 on individual tickets if you purchase them by August 31st. (After that date, the individual ticket price increases to $250.)

Families can unleash their inner Harry Potter in Smiths Falls

Man with long grey hair and beard in grey wizard costume for Harry Potter event at RMEO — Photo courtesy of the Eastern Ontario Railway Museum.

If you have a Hogwarts superfan in your household, mark your calendar for Saturday, September 21. That’s when the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario will be transformed into a Harry Potter-themed wonderland for a one-day event called Hallow’s Express. Visitors can chat with beloved Hogwarts characters, brew potions, take selfies, take a ride on a vintage train, and generally immerse themselves in all things Harry Potter. Costumes are encouraged!

Tickets are not yet available but are being sold every day, so if you are interested, keep checking the museum website and/or social media for the live link. Tickets usually go very quickly, so I wanted to give you a heads up in case they are all gone before next week’s heads up post.

Listed hotel building for sale

Speaking of Smiths Falls, if you have a whopping $8 million to spare, you can buy a historic building in downtown Smiths Falls. Originally built as a hotel, the 1901 building currently houses the popular C’Est Tout cafe on the ground floor and several AirBnb units on the upper floors. Here’s the listing and this In the Ottawa Valley The article contains many more details.

Looking for more tips on what to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book. Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km short break guide.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I know that I live, work and travel on the unceded, unabandoned territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful for the opportunity to be on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a nonprofit organization that helps solve water issues in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.