Independent Arrivals/Colonel By - Founder of Ottawa and Builder of the Rideau Canal

Arrive To: ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN: Independent arrivals to the hotel; check-in after 3 p.m.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel followed by orientation. After dinner we will have introductions and review the week's schedule.

Evening: PRESENTATION: Colonel By, the Founder of Ottawa and Builder of the Rideau Canal. A presentation will acquaint participants with the history of this important waterway. The canal celebrated its 175th anniversary and was designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2007. Following the War of 1812 surveys were carried out to identify a second, safe, route from Montréal to the Great Lakes. Learn about Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers who was tasked to oversee the making of the route into a navigable waterway, known as the Rideau Canal.

Lodging: Novotel Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Kayaking: Introduction to whitewater kayaking. The course is appropriate for beginners and the water is Class I - II. For the more adventurous there is an option to descend the rapids and paddle through the tunnel. All necessary gear (including wetsuits) is provided.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: KAYAKING: Whitewater kayak instruction starts right in downtown Ottawa at the "Pump House". The Pump House is a tributary of the Ottawa River, an introductory session will covering strokes and maneuvres, wet exit and bow-roll, and instruction on Whitewater Class I- II rapids. Then embark on a trip that takes us past the Parliament Buildings, the Rideau locks, National Arts Centre, the MacDonald Bridge and Rideau Falls.

Lunch: Box lunch.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Canadian Museum of Civilization. Explore Canada's cultural and architectural treasures with a guided visit to the Canadian Museum of Civilization with the museum's curatorial staff. Explore the history of Canada's Aboriginal peoples, learn about their fight for cultural survival and admire the wealth of their contributions to Canadian society. Experience a remarkable journey through 1,000 years of Canadian social history.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: Free evening to explore Canada's capital on your own.

Lodging: Novotel Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rideau Canal: Kayaking Chaffey's Lock to Jones Falls/Lockstation and Blacksmith Shop/Geology of the Rideau

Note: Kayaking: Approximately 20 kms/12 miles. Depart from Chaffey's Lock through Sand Lake and Opinicon Lake. Paddling back to Hotel Kenney, we pass through a rich diversity of ecosystems and historical points of interest.

Breakfast: At hotel

Morning: TRANSFER TO RIDEAU CANAL: This morning we pack up and leave the city behind on our way to our first paddling adventure on the historic Rideau Canal. Arrive mid-morning for an introductory flatwater kayaking session and paddling.

Lunch: Box lunch.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Jones Falls Lockstation. Take a walk to the Jones Falls Lockstation and visit with the blacksmith in the original shop and visit the lockmaster's house restored to 1840s period with diary of lockmaster. Jones Falls is comprised of four large locks (the largest on the Rideau), and was the third largest dam in the world at the time that it was built.

Afternoon: KAYAKING: Depart from Chaffey’s Locks to Jones Falls. The lockstation has a single lock and a swing bridge. In 1820, brothers Samuel and Benjamin Chaffey erected a sawmill here and started building other mills, by 1826 they had a sawmill, grist mill, carding mill and distillery in operation. Paddling back to Jones Falls we pass through a rich diversity of ecosystems and historical points of interest. A very scenic section of the Rideau with dozens of back bays and many miles of shoreline to explore. These lakes have many islands and winding shoreline and so can be paddled even when the wind is up. We continue on to Jones Falls and the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: PRESENTATION: Geology of the Rideau Region. A lecture will focus on the geology of the Rideau corridor. The Precambrian rocks in the Rideau region form part of what is known as the "Frontenac Axis", a narrow section of the Canadian Shield that links the Laurentian Plateau with the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

Lodging: Hotel Kenney

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Kayaking: approximately 18 kms/12 miles. Venture onto the Rideau Canal and kayak from Upper Brewers Mills to Jones Falls. A hike up Rock Dunder offers a stunning panoramic view of the forests and back lakes of the Rideau Valley.

Breakfast: At hotel

Morning: KAYAKING: Upper Brewer's Mills to Jones Falls. Depart by kayak from Upper Brewer's Mills en route to Jones Falls. At Brewer's Mills there is a set of two locks, constructed to bypass the mills at this location and leave them intact. The defensible lockmaster's house on the top of the knoll was built in 1842 (today leased to a private owner). The hydro generating station below the dam was erected in 1939. Paddle through Cranberry Lake, Seeley’s Bay, Whitefish Lake and Rock Dunder (the highest point of land in the area); and stop at Morton Bay, a protected, pristine bay with high cliffs of granite. This is some of the most captivating scenery along the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lunch: Box lunch.

Afternoon: KAYAKING continues: The Rideau River is generally a slow moving river; the only appreciable currents will be from the outflow of the canal weirs during times of high water. The main hazard are these same weirs. These are well marked on the upstream side and paddlers should avoid getting too close. Zebra mussels are present. Aquatic vegetation growth is present in most sheltered areas and wildlife is abundant.

Dinner: Dinner at the Hotel Kenney.

Evening: Free evening to relax, hike the nearby trails, go fishing or just enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Lodging: Hotel Kenney

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Kayaking: Approximately 10 - 15 kms/6- 9 miles. Today we launch into the Admiralty cluster of islands, an ancient mountain range that now provides a stepping stone corridor for many migratory species travelling between Canada and the United States, wandering among the islands according to wind conditions and group interests. A beautiful island lunch is served on a National Park Island leaving you plenty of time to relax and explore.

Breakfast: At hotel

Morning: KAYAKING: Gananoque and the 1000 Islands. We head out from Gananoque to explore the 1000 Islands. The thousand Islands actually number 1865 in a 50 mile span between Kingston and Brockville. Some are not much more than rocky shoals, while others are very large. The islands were formed almost 12,000 years at the end of the last ice age. Three previous ice ages also contributed to the formation - a connecting bridge between the Canadian Shield to the north and the Adirondack.

Lunch: Shore lunch on one of the islands.

Afternoon: KAYAKING continues: Gananoque and the 1000 Islands. We continue kayaking through the 1000 Islands. Two thirds of the Islands are in Canadian territory but the total acreage of the Canadian and American Islands is roughly equal. European settlement of the islands began around 1783 with the arrival of the United Empire Loyalists, who moved from the United States after the American War of Independence in order to remain loyal to the British Crown.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: PRESENTATION: The Gilded Age. The beauty of the 1000 Islands area and the Islands' accessibility to prosperous urban areas such as New York, Boston, Montreal and Toronto led to the development of the Islands as a prime summer vacation area. Many of the area's first visitors were American governors, senators, presidents and legislators. Learn about this period, known as the gilded age, when many opulent homes and mansions were built in the area. The most famous was Boldt Castle, built by Mr. George C. Boldt, the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Lodging: Gananoque Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

1000 Islands: Kayaking - Rockport Islands/1000 Islands Cruise/Farewell Dinner/Kingston, the 1000 Islands and the Rideau Canal

Note: Kayaking: Approximately 8 kms/5 miles in the morning. Explore the scenic 1000 Islands waterway from Gananoque. The 1000 islands are a natural place of wonder to explore on the water, with breathtaking vistas and captivating wildlife close enough to touch. The Gan waterfront is the jumping off point for many 1000 Islands activities/tours.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: KAYAKING: Rockport Islands. Today we set out from Rockport by kayak to further explore the picturesque 1000 Islands. The influx of visitors wanting to see the Islands grew as word spread about its beauty and many opulent homes and mansions were built in the area. Names such as Pullman, the inventor of the railway Pullman car, John Jacob Astor a financier of New York City, and Helena Rubenstein, of cosmetic product fame, were all known in the area at that time having built luxurious summer homes in the 1000 Islands.

Lunch: Box lunch on the cruise.

Afternoon: NOTE - A passport is required for this cruise. You will be leaving Canadian waters and landing on US soil. EXCURSION: 1000 Islands Cruise. Enjoy an enchanting and scenic cruise through the Thousand Islands including Zavikon Island, Millionaire's Row, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the 1000 Islands Bridge. Participants will disembark at Heart Island, home of the famous Boldt Castle for a two hour historic tour. Here, our local historian will share the story George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world famous Waldorf Astoria, who set out to build a full size Rhineland castle in Alexandria Bay, on picturesque Heart Island. The grandiose structure was to be a display of his love for his wife, Louise.

Dinner: FAREWELL DINNER: Special farewell dinner at the Inn.

Evening: PRESENTATION: Kingston, 1000 Islands and the Rideau Canal. Learn about Canada’s first capital, Kingston, located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, the terminus of the Rideau Canal and where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands. Discover the history of this region - the first native people who came around 7000 years ago and the early explorers who made use of the St. Lawrence River as a highway to the interior and the Loyalists and Europeans that followed.

Lodging: Gananoque Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: TRANSFER: Transfer to Ottawa for independent departures after breakfast. Approximate arrival in Ottawa is 12:00 noon. Drop off at the Ottawa airport and downtown.

Meals Included: Breakfast