Alpaca Fun at Little Foot Alpaca Farm

When you think of the most social animals, what comes to mind? Dolphins with their playful pods? Monkeys that create some of the most advanced animal societies with their troops?

Surely human’s best friend, the dog. It turns out there is another animal that should be added to this list- alpacas. These creatures only thrive in groups of more than three and are also incredibly calm. This makes them the perfect animal to spend a weekend outing with, as I did recently at Little Foot Alpaca Farm.

We arrived at Little Foot Alpaca Farm, and met Caroline. We started off the tour by checking out some of the finished alpaca fur products, as well as seeing the large wall of awards they earned. We then visited the docile female alpacas. Caroline gave us some pellets to feed the creatures, which they ate from our hands.

This group of alpacas is used for breeding, with pregnancies lasting for up to a year! We were able to pet the alpacas’ soft fur as we learned more interesting information from Caroline. As it turns out, alpacas are the equivalent of dogs in Peru, their origin country!

After closing the female alpacas’ pen, we went over and visited the more rowdy male alpacas. As we walked in, we heard them “chattering” by making all sorts of chaotic noises. Among them was Little Foot’s champion alpaca, an individual without blemishes and incredibly soft fur. We spread out to feed the males so that they didn’t fight too much over food. It’s very clear that alpacas are among the most extroverted animals in the animal kingdom. After spending a lot of time with the males, we went back inside.

At the end of our tour, we took a look at the Little Foot gift shop, containing the fruits of the alpaca’s existence- fur products. Among all the clothing items I mentioned earlier, there were also alpaca figurines made out of their fur. I ended up buying a soft pair of gloves, before saying goodbye to Little Foot farm.

If you too want to meet some alpacas and maybe purchase some of the softest clothing/decorations possible along the way, visit Little Foot Alpaca Farm. Some of Little Foot’s other experiences include a one-hour Alpaca Trek for people ages 14+ on a designated trail,

Alpaca therapy for those with special needs and even a luxury Airbnb. The farm also offers itself as a venue for engagement photo shoots and weddings. For more information, click here.

The cost for the farm visit tour is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Children under 3 are free. The farm is located in Spencerville, Ontario.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received complimentary tickets for the ferris wheel and the port of Montreal tower, but all views are his own.

Visiting Montreal with teens

After my hometown of Ottawa, my favourite Canadian city is Montreal. Its combination of modern diversity, tall buildings, and rich history makes it one of my favourite places. This March break, I took a two-day trip to Montreal.

We arrived at the Residence Inn by Marriott Montreal Downtown, our go-to hotel in the city, on a sunny Friday afternoon. Located in the heart of Montreal on Peel Street, this hotel is the perfect starting point for any journey through the town. We made our way up to our hotel room, which offered a view of the buildings from the 20th floor straight out of an 80s Wall Street movie.

Once we brought up our luggage, we took a quick walk through Dorchester Park and Queen Mary of the World Cathedral with its beautiful architecture, to Central Gare station. There, we boarded Montreal’s new REM Train line. This train opened last year and it travels almost entirely above ground and is fully automated. An example of innovation in public transit, we settled in at the front window, ignoring notifications of stations, for the train was our destination.

We cruised through downtown, over logistics-land at the harbor, and above the St. Lawrence River, taking loads of pictures along the way. We reached the end of the line at Brossard station and did it all again until we were back downtown. By this point, I had worked up an appetite, so we went for dinner at a Korean restaurant called King Bab, a convenient two-minute walk from the hotel. After a great meal, we returned to our room and turned in for the night.

David on the Big wheel of Montreal

In the morning, we had a filling breakfast of eggs and waffles at the hotel buffet before packing up and checking out. A trip to Montreal would be incomplete without old Montreal, so we headed to this favourite neighbourhood of attractions.

First off was the Big Wheel of Montreal, a 60-meter-tall Ferris wheel located on the shoreline. I went into the spacious glass car, and began my ride upwards. As I ascended, I was able to see further and further into the horizon, from the tall buildings, to the Six Flags park in the distance, to people riding the zipline right next to the wheel. Luckily, the wheel does three full rotations, meaning I had plenty of time to take in the scenery of Montreal. If you find the height to be too much, you can get out before the three turns are up.

We finished off our trip to Montreal with a second high altitude attraction right next door- the Port of Montreal Tower. With the top half of this glass building protruding freely from the bottom half, it is the nightmare of an engineer, but the dream of anyone who wants a panoramic view of the city. The tower includes a glass floor similar to the one in the CN tower, as well as an interactive augmented reality experience detailing some key locations found at the tower.

As one of the greatest cities in the country, Montreal is filled with things to see, and from the new futuristic train, to the towering ferris wheel, to even my hotel room window, I got to see this beautiful city from all angles this weekend.

For more information on the Residence Inn, click here, and for information on a general trip to Montreal, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received complimentary tickets for the ferris wheel and the port of Montreal tower, but all views are his own

Visting the Cabane à Sucre : Ange Guardien

Amid politeness, moose, and Ryan Reynolds, Canadians are known for one thing more than anything- maple syrup. While this sugary sap is available in our grocery stores year-round, March-April is the season when it is extracted to accompany the most decadent of meals. This past March Break, I decided to indulge my cravings in the most Canadian way possible- by traveling to Gatineau and visiting the Sugar Shack at Domaine l’Ange Gardien.

We arrived at the wooden sugar shack and immediately saw many families walking in; this is after all a favorite family friendly weekend outing. Inside, there was a vibrant atmosphere of people young and old, live music, loads of good food and a positive mood. We made our way to our table.

As we walked through the dining area, I looked out the window and recognized the snow tubing slopes that I tried out a few years ago as a younger child. Domaine l’Ange Gardien offers this exciting experience in the months of winter, when there is more snow. Speaking from personal memory, I would highly recommend checking it out once the 2024-25 season begins in November. We then took a seat at our table. The tables are very long, perfect for large families to look like medieval royals at a banquet. Speaking of which, it was now time for the first round of food to show up.

The sugar shack works like a mobile buffet. After a bowl of warm chicken soup as an appetizer, the waiting staff brought us a delightful tray containing scrambled eggs, maple beans, ham, sausages, potatoes and pork rinds. With a ferocious appetite, most of this selection ended up being condemned to my plate. I had to hold back though, as the best part of the breakfast was on its way, delivered separately for maximum freshness- the pancakes.

Once the pancakes arrived, I grabbed some of Domain l’Ange Gardien’s very own maple syrup and devoured the complete breakfast. As I ate, I enjoyed the view outside and listened to the rendition of Sweet Caroline that got the whole room buh-buh-buh-ing. Once I had finished my meal, we had a dessert of tarte au sucre, known in English as sugar pie. Dessert for breakfast was (literally) the icing on the cake of this great morning munching.

If you want to eat good food and partake in Quebec’s most iconic springtime cultural experience, check out Domaine l’Ange Gardien. In addition to their awesome March Breakfast, Snow tubing will be available next winter. The shack also sells many maple syrup products, and is a venue for special events including weddings, corporate events and holiday parties.

Pricing ranges from about $11-40 depending on age (free for children under 11 months.)

For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Bat Caves and Ziplining at Arbraska Lafleche

As frequent readers of the blog may know, I am someone who greatly enjoys outdoor tourism. From ziplining, to kayaking, I feel like there are few things I have yet to check off my bucket list. Something I hadn't done before this weekend is spelunking, more commonly known as cave exploration. Luckily,I was able to not only ride a zipline for this weekend’s excursion at Arbraska Lafleche, I also visited my first cave- and because it's hibernation season, I wasn’t alone in it.

Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff of Arbraska Lafleche. We met our guide, who gave us our helmets, ready to bring us to the cave. He led the way, educating us about how caves form and the geology of the area. After a short walk, we arrived at Gatineau’s puncture in the Canadian Shield: Caverne Lafleche.

We entered through a man-made tunnel, dodging ice stalactites and stalagmites. Our guide then opened the door, at which point we turned on the flashlights and walked in. Almost immediately, I looked up and saw a bat!  It was half the size of my hand, black, covered in frost and hanging upside down directly above my head. As I looked forward, dozens more bats were revealed, scattered in miscellaneous clumps on the cave ceiling, all deep in hibernation. A spooky sight to some, but definitely a rare glimpse into this part of nature.

We continued walking through the cave, seeing some small lakes along the way. Throughout the tour, our guide informed us on bats, the history of the cave, and some more geology. At one point, I was allowed to squeeze into a small tunnel that led to a chamber with more water, and carvings from explorers that had been there decades earlier.

We then made our way up a steep metallic staircase, where we entered another chamber. It was here that our guide got us to turn off our lights and experience what the cave is really like: pitch black and silent, with occasional interruptions from dripping water and chirps from half-sleeping bats.

With that perspective into the subterranean world, we returned to the sun’s domain, at which point I continued my vertical ascent to Arbraska Lafleche’s zip line. The zipline overlooked the lake that is connected to the cavern water, with a beautiful view of Canadian shield mountains covered in evergreens. Once it was my turn to go, I jumped off the platform and flew through the air above the scenic park, just as the bats below me will in the spring. A fitting end to a great visit. 

From the depths of the earth, to the thrills of the sky, I had a wonderful time at Arbraska Lafleche. On top of cave tours and ziplining, the park also offers hiking (snowshoeing in certain conditions) and a full zipline-powered aerial trek in the forest. These are all suitable for ages 5+. There is also a night trek via zipline for ages 16+. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Activities for teens in Ottawa - Axe Throwing at BATL

I have tried a lot of sports since I was young. From shooting hoops in basketball to kicking goals in soccer, I know the satisfying feeling of throwing objects at a target and getting a point. I thought I had tried them all- until I heard about axe throwing. As something I had only seen in action movies, I never realized it was a sport, let alone a common recreational activity. I recently threw axes for the first time at BATL Ottawa.

As soon as we arrived, we met Lynn, our axe throwing coach. You could smell the sawdust that had been propelled from the circular wooden board by previous groups. Lynn taught us the basic rules of safety and beginning technique. This included foot positioning, the basic throwing movement and how to not end up looking like a Halloween decoration. 

While my first two shots bounced erratically off the board, the axe came close to the bullseye on the third try. Once that happened, I was hooked. After a few more tries, and with the guidance from my coach, I quickly got the feel of axe throwing. After that, I was ready to throw independently.

BATL provides papers with multiple different formats of two player games, with more accurate throws gaining more points. Think darts meets H-O-R-S-E. I played a few exciting games against my dad, and then my mom. There's just something so satisfying about swinging a sharp axe firmly into the center of a wooden board, then prying it out victoriously. 

We played a variety of games with the axe throwing, during which time we all improved quickly in our skill. The learning curve is much quicker than I had anticipated. Finally, after around an hour of swinging axes, Lynn brought out an even bigger axe. This was the official size that is used in tournaments. It was definitely a lot heavier, but I still managed to make it connect once or twice. I was very impressed by the people who do this as a sport. All in all, I had a great time axe throwing at BATL.

Next time,  I plan on inviting my friends for an afternoon of axe throwing.  

If you want to burn off a weekend afternoon hurling axes at a wooden board, check out BATL Ottawa. Depending on the package, you can book for groups of 2-24 people for a price as low as $21 per person. Time slots are 1 or 2 hours long. For more detailed information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. David received free passes to try out Axe Throwing but all thoughts are his own.