The invasion of Ottawa
July 25, 2005.

A typical drivers meeting, under a ZipDee awning, planning strategy.
<------ Influenced by the intoxicating aroma of cedar, we left Huntsville's "Muskoka" country through the Algonquin Provincial Park, comparable in scope to our own Yellowstone and Yosemite. Quietly breeched by the 36 mile corridor of highway 60 through a small southwest quadrant, the majority of the huge park has limited access for hikers, canoers, and backpackers. Barely bruised by humanity, both the pristine lakes and wildlife ignore our presence, leaving us ill prepared for the assault on the nation's capitol.

A city of one million, Ottawa is virtually free of crime, recording only five capital murders in the entire year of 2004. By contrast, our District of Columbia, the blight of urban torture inside the beltway, has as many casualties before the last bowl game is complete on New Year's Day. Both cities, however, have beautiful architecture, monuments, museums, and exhibit the excesses of government spending gone mad. With its manicured parkways, riverfront, Rideau canal, European flair, and a saturation of friendly and peaceful Canucks, Ottawa wins.
Score this, Canada-1, U.S.-0.

Our Grey Line tour of the city allowed this unique opportunity to enjoy the lower level of the double deck bus.
The voyeur papparazzi caught yours truly in this compromising position. Alert: this is not the family channel.
Look, she's eleven feet tall, smiling, irrestible, and I am NOT apologizing.






Here we have our own photographer extraordinaire, Tucker Yee, consuming and being consumed by the world's largest ice cream cone.












The caravan is taking on a life of its own. Routines are established, friendships nurtured, an amorphous mass of cold honey forging eastward every three days. Crossing a rise and looking downward through the morning mist, my view is of a reticulated silver caterpillar, each segment defined by large red numbers, slowly inching its way over a path of asphalt toward the sea.

Oh Canada ? Ahhhh, Canada !!