Back over the holidays, P and I took some extended time off to go back to Ottawa and visit family. We always try to go back every few months to check in with the fam, but the holidays is the only time of the year that we can stay for at least 2 weeks if not a little bit more. I’ve always said that weekends back in Ottawa are the most hectic since we spend the entire time making rounds with family, friends, and running errands—but the holidays are quite the opposite. Whenever we get more than 4-5 days, that’s when I can fully relax, sleep in, spend a day watching Netflix in the comfort of my bed, and not have to be out and about for almost 20 hours straight. I never used to appreciate home as much as after I left. As cliché as it sounds, I’ve heard similar sentiments from other friends who move out of town as well!
This year we had the pleasure of borrowing Buick’s 2018 Enclave for the 5 hour long trek back home. There’s nothing quite like in-car wifi for the long drive between Toronto to Ottawa. Truthfully, I always have a hard time falling asleep in moving vehicles for extended periods of time. It’s strange that I can fall asleep in the backseat of a taxi for a quick 10 minute ride home, but anything longer than 30 minutes and I have a hard time nodding off. The same goes for flights too. It might just be knowing that I’m stuck in the same place for hours on end that gives me anxiety, and I just can’t seem to calm myself down enough to truly relax and nod off. Thankfully for those long-haul drives, the in-car wifi is always there to make my time more productive—ie. editing photos and writing blog posts (just to name a few things that I can get done in the car).
But besides being productive in the car, the main reason why I truly love the Enclave for our long distance trips is purely because of how it handles the road in the winter time. Growing up in Ottawa, I’m used to waking up to 2 m of snow on my front yard. Toronto’s snowfall is mediocre in comparison. Not that I don’t appreciate it, because I definitely left Ottawa to get away from that atrocious amount of snow, but having a car that you’re confident about having handle the snow is always such a comfort.
Since we had a slightly longer trip than usual back to Ottawa, P and I both felt that it would be a great opportunity to explore the city a little more than we usually do. We recently stumbled upon this little platform behind the Chateau Laurier that offers beautiful views of the Parliament—coupled with a sunset, it just feels magical standing there. I promise you that it’s worth a trek in the winter, and can’t imagine how it must be to take it in during the summer.
We also took the time to explore the Byward Market after being away from Ottawa for so long. So much has changed within the past 3 years! I always loved being so close to the downtown core when I went to school at the University of Ottawa, but my life back then solely revolved around partying and shopping. Now that those days are far behind me, P and I really took the chance to walk around and get re-acquainted with the beautiful city that we grew up in.
Have I also mentioned that Ottawa has some beautiful trails as well? The number one thing that I loved to do growing up as a kid was to go hiking. I’m so happy to have gotten P into it as well, as we frequently explore the trails whenever we’re back in town. One of our favourites is Sarsparilla since it’s so close to my home and easily accessible. We often spend a few hours there each time we go back home and have recently discovered that it’s a fantastic spot to fly the drone since it’s often quite quiet. Not too many people are familiar with the trail, making it an easy place to set up our drone without any distractions.
Here’s a fun tip for anyone who loves to drone in the winter time. Set your drone up outdoors and then hop back into the car to fly it. Not only will you save your hands, but the battery from the cold as well. I was so grateful that we had the Enclave with us over the holidays as it performed great as a shelter while flying the drone.
Since we had so much time while we were back home visiting, we felt that a trip to Quebec would be worthwhile. I have an upcoming post about my top 10 favourite things to do in Quebec that I can’t wait to share with you guys. Let me know if you’d be interested in one for Ottawa as well since we go back so often!
Photography Credits: The Dunk Listt
This car was loaned by Buick, but all views are 100% honest and my own.
