Has anyone been on it? Is it as good as it looks? Mum is over then and it seems an ideal trip to take her on.
http://www.trainavapeur.ca/horaire_en.asp?onglet=4

Not yet, but planning on taking visitors on it this summer. Wakefield one of my favourite places anyway.

They had a big landslide shortly after we arrived and train was out of action for a couple of years, I think. Talk of it shutting for good.

Come back and say how it was if you go!

We took the trip a couple of years ago before they closed it down. Don't remember why they did that now, but I heard it's open again. It's a nice trip and it's a great train but you don't actually see much of the train while you're riding in the carriages though. Still, it's a worthwhile experience and the destination of Wakefield is a pleasant enough town.

I have done the Alberta one out of Stettler, it seems to be along the same lines, we went with OH's work social club. I would recommend the Alberta one and if we lived near you would certainly think of your one to entertain oldies and the little kids.

I'm kind of thinking old people and those under ten enjoy the same sort of excursions.

I've been on the Agawa Canyon trip which was amazing. This trip is shorter and the fancy carriages look, well, fancier. I think mum would like that but not be too fussed about the engine. She's been on a few steam trains before.

Now I have to see if we can get booked
.

It was closed for a while. Part of the track got washed away and there was much bickering over who was going to pay for the repairs. That seems to have been sorted and it's running again. I can hear it from my house.

The trip is OK but nothing amazing, particularly if you have done such things before. Make sure to book seats on the river side of the train. You won't see much if you are on the other side.

A downside to the trip is that you don't get much time in Wakefield before you have to get back on the train. The promotional blurb tells you about all the things you can see but doesn't mention the need to be an Olympic sprinter.

If you have wheels, I'd suggest driving there. Go up through Hull and follow the 105 until you get to (I think) Cascades. Then follow the road along the river. That is the same route the train takes and has the best scenery. You could have lunch at Wakefield Mill. It's an old water mill that is now a hotel. The restaurant has a terrace overlooking the mill pond. There is another restaurant overlooking the Gatineau River. You'd need to book.

On the way back, you could make a slight detour via Old Chelsea and hit Gatineau Park to have a butcher's at Meech Lake. The road along the lake comes to a surprising end. Security gates and CCTV cameras. I think it's some sort of government bolt hole.

That's another option thanks. My first thought was that mum might enjoy the train carriages rather than being in a car but we could spend the $$ on another night in Ottawa and we have to drive to Ottawa anyway so why not drive a little further.

Meech Lake, that does ring a bell

You're probably thinking of the Meech Lake Accord. The guvmint has some sort of conference centre next to the lake.

It's not a long drive from Ottawa to Wakefield. Roughly 17 miles from my place, so about 20 from downtown Ottawa. That train travels very slowly.

I guess it's quite a good way to kill-off most of a day. It is expensive, though, for what it is.

Have just been chatting to Mum about this and I think we will drive. Drive up to Ottawa on Friday after work and then head to the dark side on Saturday, then back to Ottawa and drive home Sunday.

Must check Parliament is open on Sundays for a tour.

I like your suggested itinerary so will prob do that but find a less fancy place for lunch. I love fancy grub but Mum and Flederman don't.

Try Old Chelsea. There is a pub there called, imaginatively, Chelsea's. It has a big patio. We go there quite often. It's very easy to find because Old Chelsea is basically one street. Parking outside the pub can be a problem. Use the Park & Ride about 100 yards up the hill, opposite the church. You're not meant to but nobody will notice at the weekend. There are some quirky little shops there (art gallery, candlemaker etc). I'd move there like a shot if I had the money.

Don't worry about language, BTW. That whole strip of the Outaouais region is pretty anglo.

Great, thanks again. I'm getting quite excited about this little outing. The pub sounds good but I can't imagine it would be patio weather in October. I think it will be great for mum to visit Quebec. She had a cataract op in April and now will be able to see the place properly. Plus she needs to have some "I've been to.." places to boast about to her friends and this sounds a good trip. At 81 she may not be able to visit again. You never know.

The language thing will be interesting, I'd like to see if I can hear in French but have no idea of how the accent will sound. Mum gets by anywhere, she visited Moscow in her 70s and dumped the tour parties to travel on the Metro by herself. She smiles sweetly and asks handsome young men for help/directions.

Ah, October. I didn't realise. The inside of the pub is also nice. If you're coming during the first half of October, you should also get the fall colours. Much depends on how much rain we have before then.

That's our plan, fall colours. Though we have trees here too but not French speaking ones.

Well, as I say, keep an eye on rainfall. If it rains a lot during the rest of the summer and then there is a cold snap, fall will happen early. If it stays dry and warm, fall will be late. The colours can be tracked on various weather websites.

Other than for the colours, I can think of no compelling reason to come up this way in October.

Yep, we read the websites for the fall colour. I think Ottawa is earlier than us but not sure.

The compelling reason is mum's vacation, she can tell people she has been to Quebec as well as Ottawa. She'll like having bragging point at coffee mornings with the 'girls'. We are surrounded my sugar bushes here but there's no bragging points to be gained unless you can answer the "Well where did you go, what did you see?" question with recognisable place names.

On a jaunt out today- north of Highway 7 I saw some orangey leaves....