Ottawa to Kingston

Flying above Ottawa, as I have mentioned before, it's clear to see how the city's three rivers determine the layout of its infrastructure. In my photo below, the Gatineau River valley can just be discerned in the distance.

Ottawa, looking north from above the Rideau River 

We are thinking of hiking the length of the Rideau River one day, a 305km trek which could take a couple of weeks at least, especially if we had a load of provisions and clothes on our backs. There is a Rideau Trail Association too that organises group walking along the trail in stages.

(My brother-in-law Phil, by the way, a keen hiker in the UK, has just published a mischievous blogpost about people who walk in groups, illustrated by one of his own drawings.)

It would be nice to sleep in comfortable beds while we're foot-slogging to Kingston and there is a choice of possible lodgings on the way, although for some of the wilder stretches they may be distributed rather far apart.

Anyway, no end of possibilities. We could cycle the length of the Rideau too, if we wished, or could rent a boat. I've heard of people who have covered the distance by canoe. Following the Cataraqui Trail, it's also possible to cycle from Ottawa to Kingston. The Cataraqui River at the southern end of the journey flows into the St. Lawrence at Kingston.