Ogdensburg, NY Outdoor Activities

Modelled after the world-renowned Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Le Circuit Quyon Karting is a destination for serious and committed karting fans. Guests pilot high-powered karts over 550-metres of asphalt, chasing the checkered flag in single 8-minute races or longer 15- and 30-minute group sessions. An active participant in the NCKC competitive kart-racing club, Le Circuit Quyon hosts championship series races and outfits their own team of speedsters in Corsa or CRG karts or mostly empty soap boxes.

Sundance Balloons' vibrant inflatables float adventurous passengers over scenic landscapes at sunrise and sunset. Each one-hour journey commences as sojourners greet their flight crew at a pre-determined location, receive a briefing on what to expect during the excursion, and observe their balloon as it swells to more than 10 storeys in height. Morning flight teams convene 30 minutes before sunrise, and evening passages begin 2.5 hours before sundown to capture enough twilight for wildlife and Where's Waldo sightings. The woven gondolas glide 1,000 feet above the ground but can sometimes gently skim treetops or cornfields when wandering over the countryside. Since balloons drift with prevailing winds, there is no wind chill and travellers feel only a slight sensation of movement. As is tradition for ballooning, explorers of the appropriate age end their flight with a champagne toast to tranquility, beauty, and neighbourhoods that appear as giant smiley faces only visible from the air.

From dawn to dusk, Oziles’ rental boats kick up waves around Petrie Island and Grandmaitre Ecological Reserve. The shop’s rental watercrafts, which require no boat operator’s card to use, exemplify the outfitter’s mission to empower Ottawans to explore and conserve their surrounding waterways. Before passengers embark on their trips, the crew familiarizes them with their boats and fishing gear, and teaches hand signals for passing by ducks before bidding them bon voyage. The crew also repairs, cleans, and winterizes private boats and furnishes captains with year-round boat storage at the marina. In addition to boats, Oziles rents ice huts with stoves and scenic picture windows, from which groups of up to six can watch the ice fishing holes outside.

For more than 30 years, the guides at Irish Creek Outfitters have explored Ottawa's local waterways and woods in search of trophy fish and game birds. During guided fishing trips along the Ottawa River, Golden Lake, or Muskrat Lake, trip leaders equip anglers with necessary equipment and hard-earned techniques for catching wall-worthy catches. In addition to using digital maps and Aqua-Vu underwater video cameras, fishing experts select lures that resemble seasonal food sources such as bugs, minnows, or limited-edition rib sandwiches. During the winter, they duck the chill wind inside portable shelters with propane heaters while wrestling and winning finned fighters such as walleye, northern pike, and lake trout.

For more than three decades, birthday parties, family outings, and corporate retreats have come to life at Karters Korner with the hum of go-karts, the satisfying sound of well-driven golf balls, and the laughter of children at the putt-putt course. A glistening fleet of 40 single and 8 double-seater carts send drivers and passengers zooming around a nearly mile-long track, shielded by the safety of annual vehicle inspections, roll bars, seat belts, and force fields. Visitors who don't meet the track's 54-inch height requirement can practice their automotive skills on the four-wheeler kiddy-cart track. Golfers master their swing at the 1,000-foot driving range, sending balls soaring over a glistening lake speckled with four island greens. Mini golf unites families against the challenge of sending spheroids past cleverly designed obstacles, and an arsenal of pool tables, air hockey, and video games entertain guests indoors. During warm, sunny days, picnickers gather at the large covered patio for lunch, and athletes pick up games of basketball or beach volleyball at the outdoor courts.

Familiar places such as Gatineau, the Ottawa River, and the Hull Casino shrink as the R44 helicopter speeds up to 180 km/h above the Ottawa area. Pilots and their headset-clad passengers peer out the aircraft’s large, panoramic windows during such year-round flights that range from 10 minutes to an hour. Héli-Tremblant's personalized tours whisk passengers away to special events, and aerial photography and filming sessions accommodate homeowners and real estate agents craving overhead shots of their backyard polar bear tank. In addition to sightseers, pilots escort jetsetters on chartered flights anywhere in Canada and offer transfer flights between Ottawa and Montreal.