Onward to Ottawa

The small town of Montebello is the site of the largest log cabin in the world, built in 1930 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad; it is now the Fairmont Chateau Montebello, complete with marina facilities. This is a wonderful stop along this portion of the Ottawa River. The river is much like a large lake with beautifully wooded banks dotted with homes and the occasional cathedral with its spires reaching toward the sky. As we neared Ottawa the number of boats began to increase. When one arrives by boat to this fascinating city the entrance is through a series of eight step locks, often called ”the giants staircase”, which raise the boat 79 feet from the Ottawa River below to the beginning of the Rideau Canal in the heart of downtown Ottawa. To arrive at the bottom of these locks and look up to see them as well as the Parliament building on the hill above is an awesome sight.

We had a phenomenally beautiful day for our cruise into Ottawa and up the step locks. What a thrill! Our day in Ottawa turned out to be rainy, we took a tour of the city which allowed us to savor a taste of all that this incredible city has to offer.