Anna's Awesome Adventures!!!: Eastern Trip -- Day 3

We had a very full, active day! I decided to bullet point everything we did since there were so many places we went and things we saw!

My parents and I woke up at 7:15 to go running (my mom walked) on a nearby trail. It was such a lovely sunny morning, the trail wound through trees and past marshlands, and it was a great way to start the day. When we got back to the hotel, we grabbed a quick breakfast of turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, muffin, cinnamon roll, banana, and orange juice.

We went to church at St. Luke Evangelical Church. That's something we never get to do on ski trips, just because the service times don't usually work out with our schedule. It was nice to meet everyone -- they were quite welcoming and interested in our travels.

We drove across the Ottawa River into Gatineau, Québec, to the Parc Jacques-Cartier. We had lunch in the shade (tuna wrap, cheese stick, Rice Krispie treat, apple-peach juice, water) before enjoying an amazing floral exhibit called MosaiCanada150. Canada is turning 150 years old in 2017, so this massive collection of flowers (32 "entries" total) highlights their history and culture. There were animals, including Canadian horses, muskoxen, and foxes; a locomotive; a giant piano; "Mother Earth: The Legend of Aataentsic," with striking facial features and a waterfall coming out of her hand; and lots more.

Back across the river into Ottawa, we enjoyed a couple hours at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. From the earliest, primitive airplane to modern helicopters and jets, there was an incredible amount of history and information. My favorite was the Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador, a massive yellow helicopter used for search-and-rescue missions. It was huge!

Québec called us again, so we drove back over to take a lovely hike in Parc de la Gatineau. We walked about three miles through forests, to a waterfall, and by a lovely overlook that looked way down into an agricultural-rich valley.

Final time (for today) to cross the river back into Ottawa! We walked right up to the parliamentary building (Ottawa is the capital of Canada), which has beautiful architecture. The surrounding setting is lovely and peaceful, too, with large green lawns and a nice view of the river and other parts of the city.

Dinner was at D'Arcy McGee's Irish Pub. We shared spinach & artichoke dip for an appetizer, and I had chicken tacos with tortilla chips for my main dish -- good food to end a good day. We're staying in the same Holiday Inn tonight.