NH to Ottawa, PEC, and 1000 Islands
 

I'm planning a 9-day trip in the beginning of September for myself and husband. We'll be driving from Manchester NH to Ottawa for 3 nights where we're staying at the Westin on the Rideau Canal. First question - Do we want to stay 3 nights in Ottawa? Besides the Museum of Civilization and Museum of War, Parliament Buildings and Byward Market, are there other must-sees?

We enjoy wandering around towns/small cities, good but not fancy restaurants, and driving through beautiful scenery.

After Ottawa, we're open - what are the great places to stop at as we start to head back towards NH?

Thoughts so far include -
Prince Edward County
1000 Islands
Saranac Lake or other Adirondack town

How long in each place and what town to stay in PEC and 1000 Islands? Lodging recommendations requested as well.

Should I make reservations for beginning of Sept or will I find vacancies in most lodging? Also, is it beginning to get cold at that time?

Thanks, Sonia

Three nights is a nice amount of time in Ottawa (I usually stay 3 or 4 nights when I visit). The Byward Market area is full of restaurants (most are casual to moderate), sidewalk patios, and little shops - great for wandering. If you like art, the National Gallery is another worthwhile museum in that area. Also downtown is the Canadian Museum of Nature which is undergoing renovations, but has a couple of its new exhibit halls up and running. Across the river in Gatineau Quebec is a popular Casino. Also an enourmous park on the outskirts of town - Gatineau Park with scenic drives and outlooks, walks, picnic areas, forested wilderness sections, etc.

I sometimes visit PEC in the spring for birdwatching. It's quiet and pastoral, and is starting to develop a wine industry. The 1000 Islands are nice for a couple of days, especially if you take one of the scenic boat cruises (out of Gananoque or Ivy Lea). But I would stay in Kingston - a few miles away from the Islands but a nice small city with lots of shops and restaurants in the downtown waterfront region.

Another option from Ottawa is to head west before starting back south and visit Algonquin Park. This is a large wilderness park - forested hills, many small lakes, granite outcrops, lots of short to moderate nature walks and a very nice Visitor Centre/Museum. There are a couple of resorts right in the park, as well as resorts, hotels and motels outside - mostly on the west side (Dwight and Huntsville).

September, after Labour Day weekend, things get quieter. Weekdays you probably don't need to pre-book, but weekends could still be a little busy in some of the more popular places. Temperature? Unpredictable in September, could be quite warm, or could be starting to get cool, especially evenings. Bring clothes that allow layering (t-shirts, sweaters, light jackets).

Thanks, Mat106. I'll add those Ottawa options to our itinerary. How far is Algonquin Park from Ottawa?

What is a good town to stay in in PEC? I think we may just spend one night there between Ottawa and the 1000 Islands, if that route makes sense.

The largest town in PEC is Picton, and it's not large. All the others are even smaller towns and villages. Not a really huge choice of accommodation - I remember a motel right in Picton. We've stayed in a B&B on the Picton outskirts with a view over the bay and a good restaurant across the road. There are a number of other B&B's spread around PEC, a few in more "countryside" settings and located right on the water, which looked very pleasant. The "points" jutting out into the water (you'll see them on the map) are nice, off-the-beaten track picnic destinations (bring your own chairs/blanket). There's also accommodation near Sandbanks Provincial Park, which has an extensive sandy beach and natural areas.

PEC is actually past the 1000 Islands when coming from Ottawa (unless you do Algonquin first - which is maybe a 3 hour drive west of Ottawa, then you could go south to Picton, then east to the 1000 Islands).

We go to Prince Edward County regularly to do winery touring. We stay at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Belleville and it has never disappointed. The hotel is reasonable and is near the highway and across the street from a shopping mall. We drive down from Belleville to Waupoos, Wellington, Picton and Hiller in the County to tour the wineries and have lunch. Another fun place in PEC to visit is Lake on the Mountain.

Apologies, it's spelled Hillier