I was able to escape my small hometown to Ottawa, Canada for the weekend of Canada Day and it was terrific. This Canada Day celebrated our 151st birthday of being a country that supports and promotes freedom for all. It was full of different events in parks, and museums. The biggest bonus that I enjoyed was that all the buses were free so we could get to all of the events and not be worried about parking. The only problem I had with the whole day was the significantly high humidity. But Ottawa did the best they could with water stations and paramedics all over the downtown core.

Overloaded senses on Canada Day

My hometown doesn't exceed 3,800 people through most of the year, so being in the capital of Canada always excites me due to the number of things going on at one time. After a morning coffee at my sister's place, we left for a day full of adventure with three water bottles and some snacks. We hopped onto the bus that took us to the Canadian Museum of Nature, which had free admission for Canada Day. All I could say was "wow," when I entered the building as the air-conditioning felt so amazing after being out in the sun for five minutes. It was 42 degrees Celcius outside and it was very humid.

The museum was packed pretty tightly at the first exhibit that we entered, but as we all funneled through, the crowds became less intense.

The museum is amazingly designed and throughout. I found that everything was placed beautifully to allow multiple people to read the information boards. The displayed specimens were placed out well enough to let everyone take pictures of them. It is a definite place to visit if you ever find yourself in Ottawa.

The main event in Ottawa

All the buses had pamphlets on them to let everyone know when it was the best time to head to the fireworks, especially if you were going to Parliment Hill. We, unfortunately, didn't go to Parliment Hill for the fireworks. Instead, we went to the park down the street from Parliment Hill. The streets around Parliment Hill and the park were all blocked off, so everyone was walking in the streets in every direction.

The diversity and unity of that night were beyond expectations; everyone was in a great mood and spirits were high.

We stopped by a vendor who sold freshly-made lemonade, and it was wonderfully refreshing while we waited for the fireworks to start. While waiting for the fireworks, we were able to see the peaks of Parliment Hill and the Canadian flag swaying in the wind above all of her citizens and visitors.

I was able to take many pictures of that moment and the fireworks that were spectacular, but not too long. It was so hot being in the crowd of people watching the fireworks that I was glad that they weren't too long. Before, during, and after the fireworks, they had a concert going on in the park, and it was lit.

I told my sister to hold my bag while I went into the moshpit after the fireworks to experience it for the first time. After all the fun was had, we waited for the groups of people to dwindle down before we grabbed a bus that wasn't too packed, for our trip home.

I would highly recommend that all Canadians take the opportunity to attend the Canada Day celebrations and that visitors to the country participate as well.
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