Thread:Betty2015/@comment-28694170-20170621133949/@comment-29088925-20170627130333

I'm so glad that you made it through safely. In time, this incident will simmer down to some added spice to the story of your road trip to Ontario. I haven't been in any driving incident that serious since I was a kid (my mother was a dreadful driver!) but even being rear-ended at a stop light last winter shook me up for a while. It's probably a good thing that you will be driving again soon so that you can get your confidence back quickly.

By the way, both my train trip out to Banff and my road trip back to Toronto continue to be cherished memories. Despite your near miss, I'm glad that you are giving yourself this experience. There's nothing like it (other than driving across the entire country) to give one a true sense of the majesty, diversity and vastness of our country's geography.

Ottawa has some crazy drivers and it's going to be very crowded when you arrive, so make sure that you are well-rested and be extra cautious. And, if you are interested in a more scenic route here than the 401 will provide, I suggest taking the #7. Just take exit 436 towards Peterborough. The #7 starts off as #115 but the route is well marked. Follow the #7 to its end; it merges into Ottawa's #417. You will drive through all sorts of lovely scenery (lots of trees, lakes and rocks) and many, many beautiful towns and at least 1 city (Peterborough). Also, after the trauma of your recent experience, you will have lots of opportunity to pull off and relax if you need to. There are even a number of picnic pull-off sites along that route.

Safe travels. 💖💖💖