Summer Solstice in Ottawa

And there were three.

Today, Zach, Connie and I left Oakville at 7am toward Ottawa. The traffic was very busy on the 401 – Brian told us if we didn’t get away before 7, we should wait until after 10am. The traffic wasn’t quite as bad as Chicago but close. However, we made the best of it and cleared the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) at about 845am.

Once on the open road, I began to relax. I think I’m getting old as I never used to stress about driving in heavy traffic but I could feel the tension in my shoulders ease once things opened up a bit. Connie had a great time chatting with Zach about music, plays, movies, family and his attendance at UBC Vancouver this fall.

At about 930, we stopped at an ONroute off the 401 and grabbed a coffee and a bite of breakfast. The ONroute facilities are great and once again, BC could learn from Ontario. The one we stopped at had Gas, Diesel, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Burger King, among others. Soon after we were back on the road again.

We arrived at the Campsite just outside of Ottawa at about 1:30pm. It is a beautiful spot and reminds me of BC Parks, except there is power and water. After setting up we had a quick snack and then drove downtown (about 20 minutes).

Zach was kind enough to drive and give me a break. We parked downtown at about 3pm and then Zach took over. He was in Ottawa last year at this time for the Jazz Festival so he knew his way around. We stopped by the Parliament Building, which unfortunately is under construction, walked along the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal and through an open Market, where we ate dinner.

After dinner we headed back to the campsite and stopped on the way to get gas and groceries. We arrived at the campsite at 8:30pm unpacked and got ready for bed. All three of us were exhausted having had too little sleep this past week. We hope to sleep in a little bit tomorrow morning before heading out to Quebec City.