Travel Blog

Ottawa , Ontario , Canada is having a really fantastic summer. Lots of warm weather ideal for swimming and boating and other outdoor sports. We spent one day this summer on the Ottawa river with friends of ours on their boat, traveling along the river and taking in the wonderful scenery.

Their boat is docked at the Rock cliff boat house just down the hill from the Governor Generals estate. We parked our car in the parking lot after driving down the precarious gravel road with one 180 degree switch back. Nothing to worry about there are lots of barriers to prevent you from coasting into the river! But you definitely need to be careful since it is pretty much a one lane road.

Ottawa River Boating

Our friends had the boat gassed and ready for us. We departed for a leisurely ride up the river. We passed the prime minister’s home, the french embassy, the mint and of course the parliament buildings. If you have never had the chance to view all of these sites from the river, it is well worth it. You see all of these historic places from a different angle.

Next we headed back down the river to the mouth of the Gatineau river. It empties into the Ottawa river just across from the Governor Generals residence. There is a water way that takes you into the Lac Lemay casino off of the Gatineau River, which we followed.

Lac lemay Casino

This is a beautiful canal that leads you into the lake that almost surrounds the casino. We docked at the boat area of the casino and headed in side for a drink and a little gambling. We were a bit concerned about our attire, since we were dressed for being on a boat, however there was no problem. I think they were glad to take our money.

We had to leave before it got dark. Our host was a bit nervous about traveling on the water at night. We ended up at their place for a barbecue, cards and a swim in our pool later that night. A really great day and evening!

If you have been on the Ottawa river or have comments about your travels to the casino, feel free to leave comments. Enjoy the pictures of the Ottawa river.

For more posts about the Ottawa area, click here.

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