Cross Country Adventure 2022 (day 24)

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Cross Country Adventure 2022 (day 24)

Camping du Parc national de Plaisance, Plaisance, Quebec, Canada

9 August 2022

Petite-Nation River Falls

Marc- A day to take it easy and visit with our friend Marie. We started out by visiting the Petite-Nation River Falls nearby. These magnificent waterfalls are higher than the falls at Niagara and surrounded by a forest. There was once a village of North Nation Mills at the falls to exploit the water power for two sawmills. The village is long gone but a small museum remains.

We then went over to Gatineau and Ottawa to explore on foot. We parked in Gatineau and walked over the Alexandra Bridge with its wonderful views of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. We walked up along the Rideau canal’s 8 locks to visit Parliament Hill and parts of the downtown. Several of the Parliament buildings are being restored such that Canada’s government is temporarily moved elsewhere nearby. A usually busy Spark’s Street (pedestrian only) was rather quiet. It appears that many of the local bureaucrats are working remotely. On one part of the street a movie company was filming a Christmas movie. It did seem out of place but the props worked well. We next went over to the Byward Market, and this was the busiest part of the city we saw. After a lunch of poutine we headed back to the campground.

Kayaks can be rented at the Campground to visit the Falls but it is three miles upstream and the current is formidable.

Native son Maurice "Rocket" Richard (famous player for the Montreal Canadians hockey team) in Gatineau, Quebec.

Ottawa the city on the hill (view of Parliament).

Alexandra Bridge connecting Gatineau to Ottawa (began being built in 1898, opened in 1901, originally was a horse carriage and railroad bridge that now has 2 lanes for cars, 1 for bikes and 1 for pedestrians).

Rideau Canal locks

Engineer By who designed the Rideau Canal.

Parliament Hill buildings

Ottawa architecture.

President Obama is still popular here.

Notre Dame Church.

Filming a Christmas movie on Spark's Street in August.

Marie came over to visit and brought a wonderful salmon dinner. After dinner we went on a hike through the marshes and saw some wildlife: muskrat, frog, Green Heron, Blue Heron, Marsh Wren, Peewee and a beaver home (thanks to a very observant Marie).