Canadian Thanksgiving

This three-day weekend visit with Alexandra and Peter has been lovely. Today is Canadian Thanksgiving Day! After we take them to breakfast, Ian will drop them off at home and then he and I will begin our drive to Minnesota. Today, we will drive about eight or nine hours to Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced: Sue Saint Marie), cross the border into the US and check into the Hampton Inn.

Yesterday the four of us went by car into neighboring Quebec and drove through its Gatineau Park. We also visited the city of Wakefield with its covered bridge and learned during lunch that there is a steam train that runs between Wakefield and Hull (across the Ottawa River from Ottawa). During the non-winter months it runs several times a day back and forth and has a popular dinner train. After lunch we drove further east to the village of Montebello and visited the Chateau Montebello, which is a large hotel complex. Its main building is the world's largest log cabin. We also drove along the road that winds through its 18-hole golf course. The fall colors were spectacular. I am sure there are more to see as we drive back to Minnesota.

We will see Alex and Peter again on December 23, when they fly to Minneapolis to spend Christmas and New Year's with us. They will return to Ottawa on January 4, as school restarts for them the following Monday.

We should be back in Minneapolis tomorrow (Tuesday) late afternoon or early evening.