ReNe: ottawa road trip

Ottawa, 16-19 Dec 2010

We've been in Canada for over three years and we even have a Canadian in the family, so we thought it was high time to visit the Canadian capital. I found a really good deal at Minto Suites Hotel: three nights for the price of two, which worked out to only $60 a night! As you can see from the photo below, that's a fantastic rate for a very good room. (This was a winter promotion and the usual rack rate is much higher, closer to $200.)  Even the crib and high chair were free upon request. Even as I type this, I'm once again struck by how good a deal it was and am raving about it to Mike.

The best part of the room was the kitchenette. With a picky eater for a toddler, this was extremely convenient.  Not to mention the amount we save by not having to eat out all the time.

Day 1 (16 Dec, Thursday)

We set off at almost 11am and reached Ottawa around 5pm. The distance wasn't far, about 450km, but we took a couple of longish breaks for Ryan to come down and run around. Those were quite time-consuming. The scenery was initially rather boring -- flat open lands, mostly -- but it got a little rockier and more interesting as we neared Ottawa. It also started snowing just as we left the boundaries of Toronto. In fact, it practically snowed the entire time we were there and only stopped when we re-entered Toronto.

As it was a Thursday, the Canadian Museum of Civilizations had free admission from 4-8pm, so after we checked into the hotel, we brought Ryan there to let out some energy after a day cooped up in a car seat. He loved the children's museum section.

Ryan was really into buses at this point in time and love this brightly decorated bus from Pakistan. 

Day 2 (17 Dec, Friday)

First stop, Parliament Hill. It was very difficult to find a parking spot. Eventually we gave up and drove to Byward market instead, which was beside Parliament Hill and the second stop on our itinerary. After parking at a multi-storey lot at Clarence Street, we realized that it was in fact quite close to Parliament Hill and walked over. The guided tour was 45mins long and we didn't think Ryan would stay quiet for that long, so we simply went up the Peace Tower.

The Canadian Parliament was quite welcoming towards visitors. There were security checks, of course, but the gates and grounds were open and the guards were friendly. The buildings are quite remarkable, and with a coat of glistening snow on the copper-green rooftops, overlooking the Ottawa River, made for a very picturesque scene.

From the Canadian Encyclopedia:

As the seat of Canada's federal government, the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa are a remarkable and visually striking complex of buildings located on a promontory overlooking the Ottawa River. ... the picturesque Gothic Revival style was chosen because it was thought to best represent parliamentary democracy. ... Officially opened on 6 June 1866, the original Centre Block and the two administrative blocks were exceptional examples of highly developed Victorian Gothic revivalism in Canada. ... Each of the Parliament Buildings was designed to incorporate Gothic elements, including pointed arches, lancet windows and tracery, spires with crockets and rubble-course stonework. 

Canadian Parliament Hill, Peace Tower. 

Canadian Parliament, Memorial Chamber.

Then it was onto Byward Market for lunch. It is a very famous tourist destination but I suppose we didn't quite know what to do once we were there. We found it quite touristy (in other words, a bit of a tourist trap like St Lawrence Market in Toronto), though still a pleasant place to wander around for a bit, but not as interesting as, say, Kensington Market (in Toronto).

 Day 3 (18 Dec, Sat)

A lazy morning. Also a wasted one. Ryan, for some unknown reason, woke up in a bad mood and was crying and crying. We finally left past 11am and reached the Canada Science and Technology Museum about half an hour later. By the time we parked (11:40pm), Ryan was fast asleep, and he remained asleep until 1:40pm. The museum was all right, a little small, though that makes it easy to navigate. When Ryan woke up, his eyes just popped open when he saw that he was in an interesting place and he demanded to let down to go play immediately.

A side note: Ryan kissed us for the first time today! We've been trying to teach him how to kiss and till now, all he's been doing is pressing wet open lips against our cheeks, but today, he managed a proper kiss!

Playing with the model cars at the Canadian Car exhibition.

Day 4 (19 Dec, Sun)

A quick visit to the Canada Agriculture Museum in the morning before we headed back to Toronto. I thought Ryan would love it since he's crazy about cows. He liked it well enough but he wasn't that impressed. I guess cows are more interesting in books and on screen? Or perhaps because they smell in real-life. Unfortunately the cows and other farm animals were all indoors so the smell was rather concentrated. Fortunately it was winter and the cool temperatures helped. 

In summary, an interesting, informative and easy trip. Not too expensive as it was low season and the only attraction we paid admission for was the science museum. Ottawa is, as someone put it, a 'government city'. Lots of important buildings, grand and meaningful, a little stuffy. Lots of traffic and workers during the day and quite quiet at night. We also got a taste of winter driving; the roads were very snowy and slushly and the ABS activated quite frequently.