[Snowshoeing] Walking on the snow (@ Gatineau park)

We tried snowshoeing with kids for the first time last Saturday,

We wanted to make sure that kids would like snowshoeing before we buy them their own pairs of snowshoes.

We crossed the bridge between Ontario and Quebec to go to Gatineau park (Le Parc de Gatineau in French).

Gatineau Park is the Capital’s Conservation Park.

It's located in the National Capital Region which includes Quebec's Outaouais region, just north of Ottawa, Ontario. 

The park is a 361 km² of land to the west of the Gatineau River. 

The official website is here: 

I love every season of Gatineau park.

It offers beaches, camp grounds, picnic areas, and hiking & snow trails.

You can also visit Mackenzie King Estate, where you can see the life and times of Canada’s 10th prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. There is a restaurant too, where you can enjoy the park and afternoon tea.

It's beautiful in every season,

but especially in the winter.

We left (relatively) early in the morning,

we dropped by Tim Horton's to buy breakfast for the three men of our household.

I only had a large steep tea, with a milk and a cream of course, since I already had my breakfast at 5 over the Women's final of the Australian Open, between Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.

(BTW, Azarenka wone the championship easily in striaght sets.)

I am a black tea (with milk+cream) person. :)

I don't drink coffee.

Yesterday was the first day of NHL All star game.

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the Gatineau park.

We rented snowshoes and walked on our boots, to a short trail.

We arrived the beginning of the trail as soon as we crossed this small bridge.

The stream under the bridge was completely frozen.

Mr.D tied boys' snowshoes before he did his own.

That is why Mr. D was behind us, only for a couple of minutes though.

Remi enjoyed walking on the snow right away.

And it was the same with Pablo.

He was not afraid of going off the trail!

I didn't worry about Remi, as he is pretty active and patient in most things while Pablo is only 5 years old and has shown impatience and whining in a few occasions.

We crossed a few family with kids/toddlers on the sleds.

I'd love to know what kind of animals leave these kinds of pawprints.

We will register "Animal Tracking on snowshoes" when Pablo turns 8. It's a guided program offered by Gatineau park, where you can learn about animal winter habitats and living.

(The program recommends for the adults and the kids from grade 3) where we will get to learn which animal pawprints are which.

The brothers on snowshoes.

I'm really glad both of them loved snowshoeing very much.

We are now sure that it's worth buying them their own pairs of snowshoes. 

Pablo fell on the snow a few times, but it was just fine!

Snowshoeing Remi~

I understand why he looked down all the time in the photos.

It's a strange and funny feeling that you don't sink into the snow and that is why you tend to look at your feet so often while snowshoeing.

The three guys of my life here in the photo.

Snowshoeing Pablo and his mommy.

It's a pretty good workout.

If you don't mind, or rather love walking and snow, it's an accessible nice winter activity.

After snowshoeing, we came back to Ottawa and went to Dunn's Famous to have lunch as Pablo insisted~

We parked the car about 100m away from the restaurant, we passed by Czech consulat to go to Dunn's Famous.

I order a smoked meat poutine since I wanted to have both smoked meat and poutine. 

The boys shared a big smoked meat sandwich. Mr. D ordered an Italian poutine which doesn't make sense.

How can a poutine be "Italian"? It had tomato meat sauce on top of poutine.

 On the way to the restaurant we passed by Fairmont Château Laurier hotel where the all the NHL stars were staying. The front of the hotel was busier than usual.

The boys fell asleep on our way back home!

It was a nice & enjoyable weekend morning & afternoon.

The weekend is already gone :(

I will be so busy like crazy tomorrow and tomorrow is Monday, to make it worse.:(

But still it will pass and it will be another weekend soon!

Snowshoeing