Ottawa

After our tumble, we knew we would be too sore to ride for a few days (and by we I mean Joanna (me) and the bikes, Luke somehow managed to get out without injury). Luckily we were able to make it to my Aunt and Uncles house, where we could rest up and get in some good visiting time. On our first day in Ottawa Janet and Tim took us to the Parliament buildings, where we got a tour, and got to take a peek at the Cats of Parliament Hill. The Library has recently been completely restored, and it looks amazing. Before we left since the line was small we had to ride the incline elevator up to the top of the peace tower for a stunning look out over the skyline.

On day two, my cousin Erin took us to the Canadian Museum of Civilization. It was interesting that the exhibit in the Grand Hall is based around 6 West Coast longhouses, Totem Poles, and BC landscapes. We traveled over a large portion of the country, and felt like we were right back at home. The exhibit, and the rest of the museum were pretty amazing. It had a special exhibit dedicated to horses and the horses impact on human civilization around the world. By the way, this place is huge...

The weather network was calling for rain the next day but when we awoke it was looking pretty good so we took our chances and made the trek via mini van to Upper Canada Village. The day turned out perfect, sunny, hot, and not busy at all. Upper Canada Village is a National Historic Site that contains and re-enacts an early settlement along the St Lawrence River. It has a cheese factory, homesteads, saw mill, thread mill, doctors office, tin man, blacksmith, flour mill, bakery and others that I`m sure I am forgeting. Each building has characters working to make the experience feel authentic, and they do a great job of it. There are also bulls, cows, chickens, pigs, etc., and horse-drawn carriages that will give you a ride through town.

The next day Luke and I went to the Canadian Museum of Nature, which felt a little less like museum, and more like zoo... Again, the exhibits were great, of course. It covers everything from the first life on earth, to the geology of the country, to modern

environmental concerns. There is one section full of all sorts of live insects and slimy little creatures, which was a little creepy, but fun to see.

On June 30th, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip made an appearance in Ottawa, and Janet and I left the house bright and early to get a good spot to see them. Luke was having some back pain, and decided to skip the Queen and stay home repairing the bikes. I wasn't about to complain! The Queen was there to unveil a statue of jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, cast in bronze sitting on a bench beside a grand piano. The statue was beautiful, as of course was the Queen herself, in a blue dress and matching hat.