It was another gorgeous, albeit somewhat cool, day (8C) in the nation's capital and we opted to take full advantage of this fall weather and headed to Petrie Island for a walk.
Petrie Island is a nature reserve situated northeast of Orleans. It's also incredibly handy for us and only a short drive from the condo. It's equally accessible via the Ottawa River bike path and one of John's favourite destinations.
Petrie Island offers a quiet, natural solitude with magnificent views of the Ottawa River and Quebec. It is also has a wide, impressive sandy beach that wraps around the eastern tip of the island.
Heading westward (toward the trees on the left in the above photo) there are picnic areas and walking paths to admire the native flora and fauna.
Of course, I insisted on a selfie which always results in what can best be described as a kerfuffle!
Dotted all along the shoreline are wooden seating areas to relax and enjoy the view.
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| Ottawa River looking east |
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| Ottawa River looking west |
The peak of colour for the fall leaves may have passed, but there is plenty of food for both humans and wildlife alike. I just wish I knew more about foraging...if I did, these grapes might very well have been picked and made into jam.
We explored the entire island, starting from the parking lot and beach area in the east and then following the various paths that crisscrossed the island. It was great to see like minded souls of all ages out and about today. Some folks had gathered for a picnic lunch. Others were fishing, couples sat contently in the sunshine, while kids searched for turtles, squirrels and other critters.
As luck would have it by the time we reached the end of the path on the western side of the island the skies cleared, the sun came out and I no longer needed my gloves!
We discovered another unique resting place along the river and of course we had to try it out.
These two trees were massive and we could only imagine how incredible and abundant the Canadian forests must have appeared to the first settlers.
It was a lovely 90-minute walk and like the Canadian geese we said goodbye to Petrie Island and headed home.
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