January 27 news: Moonlit skiing, chef contest, forest bathing
Also, cheese shops, Kingston hotel deals and the chance to skate with Kurt Browning
A mini pow wow in Gatineau and a chance to skate with Kurt Browning in Gananoque. Winterlude in Ottawa and a pasta-making class in Smiths Falls. Skiing by moonlight in Orleans or near Morrisburg. A VIA Rail discount for seniors. Deals on Kingston hotels. And the chance to win a stay in Curacao or an Outaouais getaway! It’s all in this week’s newsletter.
Calendar of events: Moonlight skiing, indoor walking and top chef dishes
Whether you want to be frolicking in the snow or staying cozy indoors, this week’s events calendar has something for you! Outside, you can ski by moonlight, skate with Kurt Browning (wow!), or go to Winterlude or a raft of other winter festivals. Indoors, you can taste dishes from top chefs at a national competition, join an indoor walking group at the National Gallery, enjoy a mini pow wow or see lots of standup comedy. And those are just a few of the 39 events I’ve tracked down. Photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism.
This week's featured contests
The prize in this contest is a seven-night stay for two adults at the all-inclusive Dreams Curacao Resort in the Caribbean. The contest page doesn’t specify whether airfare is included, weirdly. Enter by February 8, 2026.
If you’re on Facebook, here’s a contest closer to home: the chance to win two spa experiences at Amerispa Spa Nordique Cantley, a $200 gift card for a show at Salle Odyssée in Gatineau and a $200 dinner credit at Gatineau’s Le Cellier restaurant. To enter, follow the instructions in this Facebook post. But hurry—the contest closes on Thursday, January 29.
Heads Up: Quebec City tips, VIA discounts, pasta-making class
It’s a longer than usual Heads Up post this week. You’ll find news of an outdoor art gallery you can ski through, a forest bathing outing, a pasta-making class, a 20 percent VIA Rail discount for seniors, deals on Kingston hotels, ideas for winter fun in Quebec City and LOTS more. Photo: Rue Petit-Champlain in Quebec City © GouvQc / Francis Gagnon.
Behind the scenes
Winter is usually the quietest time of year for the Ottawa Road Trips website. After all, many local businesses are seasonal (spring through fall) and the weather for road tripping can be unpredictable.
So, this year, I’m using the quiet time to do some behind-the-scenes work on the website. My main project is to write lots of small posts about local attractions, such as parks, beaches, arts centres and museums. The next step will be to mark all those places on a series of maps, so you can easily see what sites are nearby when you’re planning a trip to a particular destination.
The individual posts aren’t long, but they should provide the basic information you need to decide whether the place is worth a stop. They won’t include information such as opening hours and admission fees; each post will include a link to the attraction’s own website for that kind of updated detail.
Curious what these posts are going to look like? Here are a few that I’ve already written:
Let me know what you think! If there’s something glaringly obvious that I’ve forgotten to include in these sorts of posts, now’s the time to tell me.
The perks of membership
This weekly newsletter will always be free, as will the website articles you’re used to seeing here.
But if you’re looking for more—or if you’d just like to support my work—you’re in luck! A paid subscription gives you extra perks.
To learn more about becoming a paid subscriber (if you aren’t one already), please click the button below. Big thanks to all the readers who have already paid for a subscription.❤️
And before I sign off this week
In case you missed some previous posts on the Ottawa Road Trips website, here are a few to check out:
Trying to find something from an earlier newsletter? You can read previous issues on the Ottawa Road Trips Substack page.
That's it from me for now. I'll be back in your in-box next week with more ideas. Until then, happy road tripping!
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.