vacation highlights: montreal and ottawa

Ahh, travel. It is something that means a lot to me but is also something that is difficult for me. I am not very good with change...even if it is temporary change. At the same time, I love seeing interesting places and making memories with people that I love. That means that travel is part of my life despite my discomfort. (And all of the added discomfort caused by the pandemic.) Recently, an anniversary tag was shared here on the creation of beauty is art. and I mentioned that we would be taking an anniversary trip to Montreal and Ottawa. Want to know how it went? Here are some of the vacation highlights.

Day One. The first day of our anniversary vacation was a travel day. It took longer than anticipated to drive from our home to Montreal, thanks to the various stops we made to grab food and stretch our legs. However, we arrived at our hotel, and still had enough time to walk around for a few hours and explore the area. We walked by Saint Joseph's Oratory (which was huge) and decided that we would tackle that the following day. We also walked to a nearby shopping mall and checked out restaurants in the area. We grabbed something quick and easy for dinner, ate in the hotel room, and watched cable television. The latter is always exciting for me when we travel, because we don't have cable television at home. Despite the fact that we are signed up for multiple streaming services, I confess that I still miss watching a random assortment of HGTV shows. 

Day Two. The second day was a very full one. It started bright and early where we went over to the Oratory. That place was massive and it provided incredible views of Montreal. We were able to walk around there and see the sights. After spending a few hours there, we drove to the Biosphere. Unfortunately, once actually got to the Biosphere, it started to thunder, lightning, and pour down with rain. We were still able to go inside at least, though it wasn't very interesting there, unfortunately. It was about seagull migration patterns within the area. At any rate, we tried to spend a lot of time there to wait out the rain, but the rain just would not stop. So, we made a run to the car, drove back to the hotel, and waited it out there for a few hours. Eventually, the stormy weather passed, and it was back to being sunny and hot. It was then that we decided to walk up Mount Royal. Truth be told, we did not expect that to be such a long walk. We tracked it and we did more than 7km. Though we were very sore the next day from all of that walking, the views were beautiful, and we were able to check that off our list. It was also our anniversary on that date, so we went back to the hotel to change, and had dinner at a local restaurant. 

Day Three. The heat warning continued in Montreal, but we did our best to soldier on and see as much as possible. It all started with a trip to the EcoMuseum. The drive there was terrible (we learned on this vacation that Montreal traffic is awful) and the temperatures were very high. The hours we spent at the zoo were fun, but the heat made it an exhausting experience as well. On the plus side, we were able to see lots of turtles, frogs, racoons, birds, and other common animals in Quebec in an open and natural setting. After the museum, we wandered around a bit, did some shopping, and relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the night. It was nice to have a bit of down time after so much walking and all of that warm weather. 

Day Four. The fourth day of the trip was easily the busiest. We visited the Olympic Park area and it all started with a visit to the Biodome. It has five ecosystems inside with different animals. My favourite ecosystem was the one with a literal ice wall. There were penguins and puffins as well! After the Biodome, we went to the Insectarium, which I hated so very much. I am not a bug person at all and the place totally creeped me out. But my husband enjoyed it at least. After that, we went to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were massive and so beautiful. We had a lovely time wandering around to see all the different flowers, wooded areas, and the China inspired section. It was remarkable. Unfortunately, the heat took away from the experience, because the heat warning was still in place. After the gardens, we went to the Planetarium. Sadly, at the time that we were there, everything was in French and we had missed the English presentations. After a long day of sight seeing, it was back to the hotel area for dinner and more HGTV. Definitely a nice night of relaxation after spending the bulk of the day sightseeing. 

Day Five. The next day was an interesting one. We packed up our stuff and checked out of the hotel. Then it was a two and a half hour drive to Ottawa. We planned to check into the hotel and do a bit of sightseeing that day, but the check in time at the hotel was much later than we initially thought. (4:00 p.m.) Instead, we had a late lunch, walked around a nearby mall (I always seem to end up back at the mall) and bought some salad and dressing so we could have a low-key dinner in the hotel room instead of going back out. Eventually, we checked into the hotel and prepared for our adventures the next day.

Day Six. We started our day off with breakfast at a nearby restaurant. My husband's brother lived nearby and he and his girlfriend came to meet us for a quick bite. It was nice to catch up and enjoy some delicious food. After that, we went back to the hotel to prepare for our Ottawa adventures. We parked downtown and walked by the Ottawa Locks, watching the boats and the water. Then we wandered by some of our favourite spots from past vacations, had dinner at a cool restaurant/bar, walked through the market, stopped by the canal, and made the most of the remaining time we had in the city. 

Day Seven. It was time to head home. After an escape from all the responsibilities of day-to-day life...it was back to the to-do lists and everything else. We certainly made the most of our last day by heading to the Agricultural Farm in Ottawa before hitting the road. We've been there in the past and really enjoyed seeing the animals and learning more about different practices. After that, we drove for a while, but made sure to stop off at The Big Apple, a tourist destination that offers a small petting zoo, a giant store with lots of baked goods, and well, a giant apple that you can take pictures in front of and walk inside. Once we got home, we were downright exhausted, and relaxed for the rest of the evening. It was a wonderful vacation and we were able to see a lot during our time away. Now that I am back into the hustle and bustle of everyday life, part of me is missing our adventures in Montreal and Ottawa. At least we were able to do something special this summer. 

Have you done any travelling lately? Have you ever visited Montreal or Ottawa?