Rideau Falls and Rideau Falls Park are situated near downtown Ottawa at the point the Rideau River emptys into the Ottawa River. The entire Rideau River and the associated Rideau Canal and its system of locks provide fascinating viewing of the waterways of Ottawa. While Rideau Falls is not quite as picturesque as Ottawa's Hog's Back Falls (see www.pbase.com/worldhoppr/ottawa), it is certainly worth the short drive to see. Accordng to the travel brochures, Rideau Falls is spectacular when lighted at night. Unfortunately, I was not able to be there for the lighting and had to settle for pictures I could get on a chilly, overcast day in May 2008. As the rain started in earnest, the flowering trees supplied a beautiful "goodbye" as I left the falls and exited Rideau Fall Park.