Before heading off to Ottawa we wanted to bike along the trail that goes from Cornwall for over 30 km to Upper Canada Village. We had heard about this great bike path following an interview by a radio station in Cornwall, Ontario. We rented bikes at the Marina that is the third site in the immediate area operated by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. From here we were able to bike along the scenic paths that skirt along the river. Although it had been drizzling all through the night, the weather held up for us and allowed us to enjoy the scenic bike trail along the St. Lawrence River.
My 6 year old, Eli who had just learned how to ride a bike earlier this year also wanted to come along for the ride. As a result we came nowhere near to taking the entire 30 km trail to Cornwall, but we did have an enjoyable time along the path and took our time.
By the late morning we were finally on our way for the 1 hour drive to Ottawa. I was amazed to be only 15 minutes south of Ottawa and still be in the heart of flat farmlands. Ottawa is surrounded by protected farmlands to the south.
Our first plan was to head into the heart of Ottawa to visit the Parliament Buildings which are a definate focus of the city. We drove through the city and caught a glimpse of the old buildings… parking an RV hear was also a challenge. In the end we followed the signs to the Bus parking area on the edge of the city and walked the 1.5 km from there to the centre of town where our Guided tour by “Ottawa Walking Tours” was to start.
“Ottawa Walking Tours” did a great job giving us an in depth look into this beautiful and historic city. It was a drizzly day however and so we searched out trees and covered areas as we walked around the city. Not only did we visit the grounds of the parliament buildings but we also stopped at the National War Memorial, the National Press, Supreme Court and shopping district. By the end of the tour our one year old was a bit frustrated at having to sit in her stroller and running around in the puddles was getting a bit much. Unfortunately we had to cut the last part of the tour short due to the weather and our younger ones but as far as the adults and older kids were concerned, we still had a great educational experience on our Nation’s capital city from our guide who is a High School History teacher by profession.
We had a bit of a walk in the rain to get back to our parking area and by the time we got there we were desperate for a nice warm and dry hotel room. We made a few phone-calls and within an hour we were in a nice quiet two bedroom suite only 2 blocks away from our parked motorhome. Kirsten was especially happy as she was feeling a bit under the weather… In three weeks of travel this was our second stay in a hotel… and a much needed family break from our RV.