Folklore tells that, if you entered a covered bridge making a wish, and held your breath until you walked it through, your wish will come true.

I got curious about covered bridges a few years ago while my family and I lived in the beautiful province of New Brunswick, Canada. The moment I saw my first covered bridge, at Fundy National Park, it was love at first sight!! The magical feeling that you get, walking through one is something that I like to chase again and again. The architecture makes me feel like I’ve traveled back in time, to a time when life was simple. Every time I visit a covered bridge, I feel that it has a story to tell; and then, I am on a quest to find out more about it. It’s like I want to get to know this in-person. And that’s how my dear friends, the hunt for these olden gems began.

This past week we drove out to Ottawa to attend a family event. Of course, while planning the trip, I made sure that I included searching for a covered bridge in the area.

To my excitement, there was one within 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa. I came across this beautiful bridge on the shores of Gatineau river -The Wakefield Covered Bridge.

Originally built in 1915, to serve the village of Wakefield. The bridge was burnt down by vandals in 1984. But the community got together and rebuilt it in 1997 using its original pillars. This is one of the newest bridges I’ve seen to-date, but the beautiful architecture and the calming atmosphere takes you back in time nevertheless.

Road tripping is a fun activity we all enjoy as a family. Going out with two young kids in winter needs some extra planning, especially if you are traveling to a new place. Knowing the weather conditions for the day is key. I always have a bag of extra clothes in the car for the whole family. This includes extra sets of socks and gloves. This way i don’t need to worry about them breaking into a snow ball fight out of nowhere. My kids can go through a whole bag of apples in a day, so I pack lots of fresh fruits and veggies – sometimes cut into bite-size bits. This reduces their urge to think about indulging in cheesy pizza. And finally, some good tunes in a playlist for the kiddos and we are all ready to explore.

While I document these precious memories for our family, I figured it’s about time that I shared it with others who were curious as well. Road-trips don’t always come with a hefty cost. In fact, most of our trips are quite low budget. There’s always something that’s beautifully interesting waiting to be explored by us busy humans quite near by. Lets get out and explore!