Task 7:Ottawa

Due to the extended winter, my "To Do list" for 2014 was temporarily put on hold (kinda, I have been working on some of the longer term things).  Now that the sun is shining, it is time to get back to business.  The next completed task: Go the the Tulip Festival in Ottawa, Canada.  I have heard it is absolutely beautiful.  Maybe.......extended winters can throw things off a bit.

 

When we first arrived in Ottawa we headed up to Parliament Hill.  Beautiful, completely amazing buildings.  Not a single tulip in bloom and slightly overcast.  Bummer.  It actually became a joke that night as we walked around Parliament, as we took pictures of Little Man smelling the tulips that had not opened yet.  I am sure next weekend it will be stunning.  

 While the tulips were a bit of a wash the first day, not all was lost.  Friday was the equivalent to our Memorial/Veterans Day in Canada and we were in the capital city, at what is essentially their White House (which by the way is much easier to walk right up to). We were late enough that we missed all the pomp and circumstance, but not late enough that all the military vehicles were on the main lawn for you to walk right up to and check out.  Not only did we get to check all of them out, we picked a restaurant across the street for dinner and the boys were able to run out and watch the Chinook Helicopter take off. Little Man went to bed happy. 

 The following day I decided to make the most of it and went for a morning run along the canal a block away from our hotel.  Best decision ever! The canal was amazingly beautiful along with the weather that day. They have a pedestrian path and a rec path (on both sides of the canal).  Anyone who has ever run or biked in a tourist area will totally get that amazingness of this.  There were tulips and daffodils in bloom all over the path.  I got back to the hotel and actually did some research to see if there is a marathon in Ottawa that runs along the canal.  There is (I might have to retract my Vermont City statement of never wanting to run another marathon).  Needless to say, I came back from my run and pretty much pushed the boys out the door and into a beautiful day. 

 After my amazing run we spent the morning riding the tulip shuttle from one cute neighbourhood to the next.  Don't be fooled by the picture below, Little Man was less than thrilled by this part of the trip.  Thankfully there are these wonderful lolly pop vendors dispersed throughout the tulips.  A child can not complain when he is sucking on a lolly pop.  Thank you, Mr. Lolly Pop man. 

 After letting the slightly annoyed six year old hang out in the hotel pool for an hour, we were ready to set our sights on other parts of the city and walked to the Byward Market.  This place was amazing and I regret that I was not able to get a good picture of it.  It is four blocks of markets that open to the street, farmers selling their products in the street and restaurants.  It was simply amazing. If I lived anywhere near a place like this, I would be there every day.  I totally fell in love with the market.  

Despite the tulips on Parliament Hill being a total wash, the trip was amazing and I have already planned out a summer and winter trip.  In the summer, the locks are open to boat travel and there is a changing of the guards at Parliament Hill.  In the winter the canal becomes the worlds largest skate trail and Ottawa is home to the Ottawa Senators.  I can't wait to return.