Exploration and Remembrance

DW and I hadn't stood in that room more than 31 years.

In searching for a place to go for a hike, DW stumbled upon an interesting adventure at the Mackenzie King Estate, in Gatineau Park. We've been to this popular destination many times over the years but hadn't been there for an event since July of 1994.

That event had been our wedding.

But for this event, for which we had to make a reservation, was an escape-room style of activity that would see us exploring parts of the estate that we haven't seen before and have us return to a couple of spots where we celebrated our union—one place that we hadn't seen since that joyous day. DW discovered this adventure last weekend and booked us in for this past Sunday.

At the Moorside garage, you are given a backpack that contains various items that you need to complete your quest, such as a garden trowel, a notebook, and various other items. The backpack has three small pockets on the back, all held closed with combination locks that you unlock by following various clues.

You also have a clipboard with a crossword puzzle that you'll also fill out as you successfully complete tasks.

While we've been to the Moorside property, the gardens, and the abbey ruins countless times, we had never been across the road at the Kingswood cottages and Kingsmere Lake. If not for this quest, I may have lived my whole life without having explored this side of the estate.

Although many of the clues and components of this challenge are designed for families with kids, some of them are actually quite challenging. At times, we could have used Kid 1, who is a whiz at escape-room puzzles. We asked her to join us but she's at that age where she doesn't want to do much with her parents.

We've all been there.

At one point in the quest (I'm trying to not give anything away), we found ourselves at the old archway that used to be the entrance to a bank in Ottawa. This was the spot where DW and I held our wedding ceremony. No visit to the Mackenzie King Estate is complete without a stop here.

For many years, the house at Moorside was used as a tea room, where the public could sit at tables and have various refreshments. In late 1993, as DW and I were choosing venues for our wedding reception, dinner, and dancing, we reached out to the NCC to see if we could book it.

The person on the other end of the phone line had to call us back, as they had never rented the space for a wedding before. DW and I were shocked: how could we be the first?

While countless people had asked permission to use the grounds for wedding photos, no one had ever tried to reserve the tea room. We were the first.

When we were called back, we were told that we could rent the place under a few conditions: first, the estate was open to the public and we couldn't stop anyone from visiting the archway ruins or standing in attendance through the ceremony (we had some curious spectators that stood back, away from the ceremony but no one chose to stand in the archway for photos while we were there).

Second, the tea room was open to the public until 4:00 so we weren't allowed access until the last customer was gone and the staff had time to prepare the room for our dinner. We also had to use the caterers for the tea room, as they were under contract as the sole company to provide food service.

This was fine by DW and me.

We were invited, one evening before the wedding date, to choose the menu for our special dinner. The kitchen staff had prepared several options for us to try and they were all delicious, so after our choices we knew that our guests would be in for a treat.

It was one of the most memorable meals we've ever had.

This weekend, for the escape-room quest, DW and I found ourselves back in the room where we had that meal more than 31 years ago. This time, it looked very different because there is presently no tea room with service. The room is largely vacant.

But when DW and I stood in that room, we envisioned that day, with the head table and various other tables around this main hall and the two other side rooms. We remembered the dancing. We remembered the starry sky and the gentle breeze that kept even the mosquitoes at bay.

We completed the quest in about two hours (they give you three) and then returned the backpack, clipboard, and all other items to the starting point before getting in our car and heading out of the Gatineau Park, which had already started showing signs of autumn foliage (this was the last full day of summer).

It had been such a lovely day. We were able to explore new parts of the Mackenzie King Estate and learn more about our tenth prime minister whilst journeying back to a time when this place was held special just for us. I highly recommend taking this free adventure.

Happy Wednesday!