Bring your Bike not Suits to Ottawa

Home of the Governor General.

A little time in Ottawa and I am leaving with a whole new impression. It is a city loaded with cool heritage architecture and one that is filled with activity and adventure destination. I was expecting suits and ties, snobbery and political elitism. Not the case.

The capital of Ontario rests on the shores of the Ottawa River. On the opposite shore of the Ottawa River is Gatineau, Quebec. Ottawa and Gatineau are connected by four bridges. Running up the spine of Ottawa is the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River.

Both rivers and canal have bike and walking paths following their shorelines. Ottawa, in fact, is the gateway to the historic Rideau Canal. There are four locks in Ottawa to start off the canal. A popular adventure for kayaks and boats.

The city is a vibrant sightseeing destination with old buildings, monuments, museums and guards who play their part very effectively. They are posted all around town. As you recall some where at the Parliament Buildings. Well.. I found them again at the “Unknown Soldier” monument near the start of the Rideau Canal. Then I bumped into them again at the entrance of Rideau Hall. They stood still – wax like even – not flinching a muscle. They marched on cue. They stomped and slapped the butts of their guns on the ground when they met each other or were about to change the guard. And they looked so sharp in their red coats and black fur hats. It was riveting. Man, it must of been hot for them though. I was dripping.

As always there are plenty of paying attractions, museums and so forth in Ottawa. Get the list and pick the ones you would like to see. Too many of them to see them all for most families.

If you want to know what the locals do well then here are a few of my observations.  Many of them love to cycle.  Many love to kayak and sail.  The Ottawa River shoreline is constantly decorated with sailboats. And almost every visit down to the river I would spot kayakers and tour boats. But the biggest impression I am left with is the ongoing network of connecting bike and walking paths linking parks to rivers to sightseeing destinations.

Everyday, no matter where I went I would see cyclists. I saw big ones, small ones, young ones, old ones, fast ones and some very good looking ones. Most with helmets and a few were ball capping it. When I was up at 6 AM I saw cyclists. When I was finishing at 8 PM I saw cyclists. In fact, all day in between, I saw cyclists. I ate, breathed and saw cyclists in front of me and behind me while I worked. I would hear, “On your right.”  They would shout, “On your left,” as I was taking a picture. Then there was the “Ring, Ring,” from an incoming bike bell. I had to look left and right more when crossing a bike path than I had to for crossing a four lane highway. It was that busy!

There are designated trails and roads located throughout the community. Non were better than the Ottawa River Pathway and the Rideau Canal Pathway. Plus, not once, did I witness any road rage incidents between bikes and cars. In many cases I saw a respect for each other. Maybe because many drivers are bikers. INTERESTING NOTE: I just read that over 6000 bikes were locked up during the Rush concert… meaning over 6000 people biked to the concert. Good on you Ottawa!

Besides the cycling and biking trails connecting almost every park I researched, I also visited historic sites like Rideau Hall. (Main BLOG Picture). You can imagine my surprise when I did not have to pay to visit the grounds. Not only free access, but Rideau Hall is really more like a park.

Feels like home again.. almost want to hug.

There are police of course, makes sense. There are the guards in their red coasts and black hats at the entrance of the grounds and at the doorstep of Rideau Hall. Ok, makes sense.  But it was the grounds that surprised me. There were trails leading to a Rose Garden, Trees of Dedication, Grass Lawns, a Visitor Centre, statues, Totem Pole and then to the home of the Governor General.

There is so much to tell you about Ottawa that there is no way I can include it all in this Blog. You have to wait till the OntarioEH.com website is up and fully loaded before you can fill your boots about Ottawa.

But I must first tell you about two great discoveries of mine while in the city. One was because it was in nature and the other because it was not on any literature nor was it mentioned by the tourism office when I 20 questioned them.

As most of you know I have been very city bound in my research because I was in allot of cities. Cities, usually mean allot of cement not nature. However, Ottawa has done a good job with its green space. Near Kanata, there is a large portion of wetlands and a diverse eco system  protected and enjoyed by hikers and mountain bikers. The region is called the Greenbelt. It was so refreshing to be surrounded by trees and not sky scrappers for a change.

Look what I found at the end of the Rideau River.

The second surprise occurred when I was researching along the Ottawa River on the Ottawa River Pathway. The pathway includes a 30 kilometre east paved trail section and a 30 kilometre west paved trail section. On my way to Rideau Hall I stopped in at the French Embassy to check it out. Ends up that there was a walkway leading to a couple War Memorials. So I go and check it out. Then I see a dam further ahead, where the Rideau River meets the Ottawa River. I go and check it out. Then I poke around the corner of a building and I come across a lookout overlooking two waterfalls. Ottawa missed the boat here as this was not on any maps or explained to me. Tourists would eat this up.