The late summer weather was perfect for a day trip from Ottawa, so we headed north to Wakefield, Quebec. This picturesque town is just a 30 minute drive from Ottawa.
Wakefield Mill
Our first stop of the day was the Wakefield Mill, which dates back to 1838, when it was a flour mill powered by McLaren Falls right next to it. Today, it's a hotel and spa, but their restaurant is a great place to grab brunch with a view of the waterfalls.
After a delicious brunch, we headed to the little private area next to the building with one of the better views of the waterfall.
Riverside
Next, we made our way down to the Riverside Drive. On one side you'll find restaurants and shopping, and on the other is the beautiful Gatineau river, lined with cottages, and the historic covered bridge visible in the distance.
As you walk by, you'll come across an abandoned train station. This has been here since 1892, and operated all the way to 1980s. Given the sorry state of Ottawa's public transit these days, it's shocking that there used to be four trains running daily on the Gatineau Valley rail line once.
Wakefield covered bridge
Once we left the town centre, a 20 minute walk brought us to the historic Wakefield covered bridge. Built in 1915, it was destroyed by arson in 1984. A 15-year long community campaign finally led to the bridge reopening in 1997.
Fairbairn house
As soon as you cross the bridge, you will come across the Fairbairn house, dating back to the 1860s. There was a wedding in progress on the grounds, so we weren't able to explore parts of it, but I still managed to get some amazing photos.
