Canadian Capitals 6/15/19 (Toronto to Ottawa)
Bags out at 7:30am and on the bus at 8:30am. Sleeping was better as the Raptor celebrations are on hold until Monday's parade. Upon boarding the bus, we were greeted by a small bag of treats on our seat. The Fairmont provided us with macaroons and the recipe dating back to the hotel's opening in 1929.
We left Toronto and merged onto the Trans-Canada Highway that spans from Vancouver to Halifax and travels through all ten provinces. The road is highly traveled as runs close to the US border; over 80% of the population of Canada lives within 100 miles of the US. Today was our longest bus day and Gen provided a lot of information regarding Canada, including the government, history, health care, taxes and education.
We took a mid-morning break at the Big Apple. Devoted to all things apple, it has food items, a petting zoo and souvenirs. Fresh apples, donuts and sweets are prepared in full view behind glass windows. Gen treated us to apple donuts after we reboarded the bus.
On our way to our lunch cruise, we passed through the town of Kingston. Know for the number of prisons in town, it is also home to the military college. It sits where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. Traffic was very heavy in town as they were have their annual Gay Pride parade and the Main Street was blocked. We detoured around, traveling on Tragically Hip Way and passing a farmers market.
We later learned that Tragically Hip was a local rock band from Kingston, Ontario that produced nine albums that reached No 1 on the Canadian charts. The lead singer, Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2015. The band's last concert was held in Kingston in August 2016 and globally broadcast on television, radio and internet.
The highlight of the day was to be a 2 hour boat tour of the 1000 Islands departing from the small town of Rockport. However, the weather did not cooperate and the touring portion of the trip was cancelled. We enjoyed a buffet lunch onboard the boat tied up to the dock. The water levels were very high due the release of flood waters upstream. Additionally stiff winds were creating white caps on the river.
Continuing on to Ottawa, we followed the river for a while before turning onto the highway. Ottawa is not a very large city given that it is the Federal Capital of Canada. The city does have a lot of green space and parks and the ever present traffic.
We dined at a tapas bar called Play which was within walking distance of our hotel and directly across the street from the US Embassy. We enjoyed 3 tapas plates - grilled halloumi, gnocchi and fresh ricotta before returning to the hotel.
CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW PICTURES
Pictures 6/15/19
We left Toronto and merged onto the Trans-Canada Highway that spans from Vancouver to Halifax and travels through all ten provinces. The road is highly traveled as runs close to the US border; over 80% of the population of Canada lives within 100 miles of the US. Today was our longest bus day and Gen provided a lot of information regarding Canada, including the government, history, health care, taxes and education.
We took a mid-morning break at the Big Apple. Devoted to all things apple, it has food items, a petting zoo and souvenirs. Fresh apples, donuts and sweets are prepared in full view behind glass windows. Gen treated us to apple donuts after we reboarded the bus.
On our way to our lunch cruise, we passed through the town of Kingston. Know for the number of prisons in town, it is also home to the military college. It sits where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. Traffic was very heavy in town as they were have their annual Gay Pride parade and the Main Street was blocked. We detoured around, traveling on Tragically Hip Way and passing a farmers market.
We later learned that Tragically Hip was a local rock band from Kingston, Ontario that produced nine albums that reached No 1 on the Canadian charts. The lead singer, Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2015. The band's last concert was held in Kingston in August 2016 and globally broadcast on television, radio and internet.
The highlight of the day was to be a 2 hour boat tour of the 1000 Islands departing from the small town of Rockport. However, the weather did not cooperate and the touring portion of the trip was cancelled. We enjoyed a buffet lunch onboard the boat tied up to the dock. The water levels were very high due the release of flood waters upstream. Additionally stiff winds were creating white caps on the river.
Continuing on to Ottawa, we followed the river for a while before turning onto the highway. Ottawa is not a very large city given that it is the Federal Capital of Canada. The city does have a lot of green space and parks and the ever present traffic.
We dined at a tapas bar called Play which was within walking distance of our hotel and directly across the street from the US Embassy. We enjoyed 3 tapas plates - grilled halloumi, gnocchi and fresh ricotta before returning to the hotel.
CLICK THIS LINK TO VIEW PICTURES
Pictures 6/15/19
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