Hello from Ottawa, Ontario

Arriving at the capitol of Canada we discovered the Ottawa Municipal Campground in a wooded area fifteen minutes outside the heart of the city. Each day there comes a free shuttle bus from the campground into downtown to a kiosk drop off directly across from Parliament Hill. With a three day city tour bus pass we’ve been able to hop on and off at choice sights. There are more galleries, museums, and exhibition activities than ever. 

Ottawa is a city of monuments with an amazing oasis of things to do and see.
Parliament Hill was the first destination for a walk around viewing the numerous monuments around the three Parliament buildings and focal points off in the distance. Touring the interior hallway quarters of the Parliament Building is an architectural delight. It is equivalent to being inside a European castle with its neo-gothic style arches, columns, and gargoyles. The Parliament circular library’s exterior and interior was by far the most impressive feature. The East and West block Parliament Buildings glow green above the city skyline because of their copper roofing. These neo-gothic sandstone buildings were completed in 1860. The Parliament Buildings are distinctly reminiscent of London’s Westminster.
Our first day adventure enjoyed viewing the changing of the guard marching parade on the parliament lawn during the morning.

Parliament Library Exterior and Interior

Afterwards we hopped on the top of a double- decked bus for two hours of a narrated tour around the city. It was money well spent and JR was a happy camper free from driving the big city streets. This gave us a chance to decide were we might want to spend more extended time as the tour points out the top belvederes.Departing off the bus at the Info Centre found us gathering booklets for upcoming places in eastern Canada and lunch nearby at an outside pub where pigeons clamor for tidbits.

Watching boats passing through the locks on the Rideau Canal was interesting. Here the system is the only one still done by hand-cranked levers out of the 47 locks along the St. Lawrence River. It costs $250 to pass through the locks on the Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston 225 kilometers with ones boat , but it is said to be well worth it.

On the second and third day we took in the most popular two museums as our visit in Ottawa had allowed for only three days. First off The Museum of Civilizations was so captivating that it took us a full day to tour. The four floors had artifacts and exhibits of aboriginal and first nation people, famous people, horses through the ages, and the history of Canada through the provinces.

In the Grand Hall an alabaster carving at the Civilization Museum

Flags on Canada Day July 1 at Tomb of the Unknown soldier

The Canadian War Museum was also a top ten belvedere. Canadians may have a reputation as a peaceful people but they have seen their share of the world’s battlefields. This museum relocated to a new home on Vimy Place in 2005 and houses the country’s largest military collection.

World War II Lt. General's Medals

It displays an excellent overview of the history of Canadian wars from the 1600s to the present. The French, British, and Indian wars on her soil through both world wars to present day peace keeping honor and commemorate the nation’s military history.

Rideau Hall, the official residence and work place of every governor general since 1867, was a delight. The historic site hosts foreign dignitaries and has a magnificent collection of Canadian art and furniture inside the home. The residence is equivalent to the White House and open to the public for tours. Ceremonial sentries, led by a piper, march to their guard posts at the Sussex Entrance Gate every hour on the hour.

Next stop was at Notre Dome Basilica Cathedrale built in 1839. With its twin spires as a landmark, inside it features a spectacular Gothic style ceiling, stain glass windows, ornate altars, wooden carved pews, and granite marble columns and floors.

Bascila Altar Ceiling

  By the end of the last day in Ottawa our sightseeing was almost maxed out. As the shuttle bus pulled back into the campground, several old vintage cars were parked on display at the central lawn area.A group of 97 classic car owners called Coasters 2010 are traveling in their vehicles coast to coast from Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia.

We had loads of fun meeting some these Canadian folks and seeing their classic autos and “Boler” air stream trailers being towed behind for camping. They are on the move traveling daily whereas we make more time to stop and visit wonderful places along the way in our travels.

Greetings from Brantford to Niagara Falls, Ontario

Botanical Gardens at Niagara Parkway

The Falls at Niagara (American and Canadian)

JR captures a butterfly

Well, we’ve passed the 5,000 mile reading on the odometer in Ontario. Woodside National Historic Site  at the tenth Prime Minister William Mackenzie King’s boyhood home in Kitchener provided a chance to have a wonderful private tour by the curator. Thank you Robert. It was an old Victorian style house with docents in period costumes. 

South to Brantford we stayed several days at Val and David Archer’s (our daughter-in-law Genifer’s aunt and uncle) home. 

Alexander Bell Boyhood Homestead in Brantford

Val and David have a lovely patio with bird feeders which attract a variety of birds we hadn’t seen yet. 

Woodside National Historic Site 

They took us to the Royal Church of the Mohawks the oldest chapel in North America and the Alexander Graham Bell Boyhood Homestead. Niagara Falls and Niagara-On-The-Lake was an easy day trip away from their place without the motor home. At Niagara Falls the Canadian Horseshoe Falls are much larger and breathtaking than the American Falls part. It was great fun stopping at the Butterfly Conservatory and Botanical Gardens along the Niagara Parkway. Trying to photograph butterflies on the wing was a real challenge. A horse carriage ride through the 100 acre gardens gave us an overview of assorted horticulture grounds. There is a valley of wine vineyards leading to a charming resort town called Niagara –On-The-Lake. It is a bit like Carmel by the Sea with all its quaint shops and restaurants.

Red Cardinal on Archer's patio

 We have bypassed Toronto in order to take in several recommendations for some grand sites along the St. Lawrence Waterway and Ottawa the capitol city ahead.

On the Road from Thunder Bay to Orillia,Ontario

The northern route along Lake Superior from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced ‘Soo’ meaning rapids in French) to Orillia has by far some of the most beautiful scenic views of boreal forest, rolling hills, and grand vistas of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. It is no wonder the early fur traders and voyageurs took to the waterways for their passages in canoes. 

Colorful wildflowers seem to be in full bloom by the roadsides everywhere. Thunder Bay had a memorial statue for Terry Fox, the courageous one-legged runner who attempted hopping Canada 3,339 miles for cancer research, before he died of the disease a year later in 1981.If that doesn’t inspire you than we don’t know what does.One can’t pass WaWa without seeing its famous WaWa goose.

An early start the next morning found us turning out at Kathy’s Cove enjoying our breakfast of blueberry pancakes and eggs at a picnic table blissfully overlooking Lake Superior. It was a given we’d all get our feet wet for some fun.


JR teaching Yukon how to swim in Lake Superior.

The ‘Soo’ canal locks on the Canadian side between Lake Superior and Lake Huron were closed for construction work. At the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site we were able to enjoy a private tour with Jacqueline our guide. Here the Canadian locks are for recreational vessels while the USA side of the locks are for commercial vessels. Lake Superior is the highest of the Great Lakes above sea level by 600+ feet which explains the need for the lock system between the lakes for ships to pass through different water levels. There are a total of eight canal sites along the St. Lawrence Waterway with a total of 47 locks from the Atlantic to Lake Superior. 
 Each canal has its own set of locks which allow for vessels to pass around water rapids. 
 After the tour we did a walk in the down pour of warm summer rain along the St. Mary River boardwalk.

JR inspects a photo of the Sault Ste. Marie Lock being built. 

Travels along the smooth road on Hwy 17 east passed beds of water lilies blooming at Georgian Bay on Lake Superior. Approaching the township of Sudbury we turned southbound on to Hwy 69 where JR spent most of the day challenged by strong side winds while driving before reaching Parry Sound for the night.

We caught an early sunrise drive in order to attend the Thirty-third Annual Orillia Scottish Festival. This gave us a wonderful chance to see a parade of pipes and drummers marching in full dressed kilts with their various legions and clans. The event was celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Canada’s Navy. 

 The Scottish festivities included individual bag pipes, pipe bands and drum competitions, Scottish country dancers, entertainers, and vendor booths. It made for a delightful Saturday afternoon at Couchiching Beach Park down near the marina in the cool breeze. It was quite fun and something to see with over two hundred massed pipes and drums all uniting on a grassy field to perform 
together. 

                                          Country Dancers making merry to the sound of bagpipes.

                          Twenty Scottish massed pipe and drum bands perform on the green at 
                          Orillia's Scottish Festival. It was a spectacle to behold.

Bonjour from Ontario , Canada July 12, 2010

Hooray, Yukon would like to report about the latest travels.“After leaving Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba we crossed into Ontario and headed south at Kenora through the Lake of the Woods. I got a chance to view miles of beautiful lakes sitting up on the dashboard on the drive to Fort Frances. It got real exciting as JR and I watched Christa drive the motor home for the first time getting us part of the way to Thunder Bay. She even let me help her drive a bit. We spotted a grouse and a red fox while she was driving. JR took over at the steering wheel the rest of the drive to Thunder Bay on the edge of Lake Superior. Boy it sure was a long 525 km (410 miles) on the road that day.

I really had a great time in Thunder Bay at Old Fort William with the two of them enjoying the rendez-vous of the voyageurs arriving at the fort in the year 1886. There were French dancers, fur traders, the North West Company proprietors, trade craftsmen, Indians and rebel rousing with the voyageurs who transport cargo by canoe along the rivers from Montreal and Quebec to the fort.In the gentleman’s quarters I played a game of chest. There was so much to see and do at the fort. Christa was invited to dance with one of the voyageurs. I had fun bouncing around with her dancing to fiddle music. A high point was the grand welcome for the voyageurs coming down river and off loading cargo. The fort greeted them with the firing of the cannons, a welcome with the bagpipes, and toast from the North West Company proprietors. The youngsters at the fort joined in helping bring in the canoe and the cargo with the voyageurs.”
Tune in again for more updates.
Au revoir, Yukon 

                                    Fort William French dancers and fiddlers doing a reel

                                 Voyageurs loading trade goods up river to Fort William

  

Loading the canons to welcome the voyageurs canoe coming down river

                                 Boom... We've spotted the arrival of the voyageurs canoe

 

The birch bark canoe arrives at Fort William with cargo

 

    Bagpiper Sir McKenzie and the Northwest Company arrive

to welcome the voyageurs at the river

"Salute... We honor your long voyage and drink to you.

Welcome. Come dine with us tonight in the gentleman's hall."

 

                                   Fur skins traded from the Ojabawa Indians will be carried back
                         to Montreal by the voyageurs and sold by the North West Fur Company.

  

Ah, yes... We are getting richer with every voyageur canoe that comes

to  our fort. Time to celebrate. Let's go inside and make merry!

The voyageur interpreter asks the young lady to be his dance partner

 

Yukon enjoys himself in Christa's  backpack while the fiddlers play

a lively reel tune. These folks know how to make rivalry with their feet.