When we pulled out of the hotel at Flint, Michigan, the 582 mile drive to our next destination didn’t feel as thought it would be too daunting. The route would take us almost immediately into Canada and into an area that was almost entirely new to me.
Unfortunately for me, I looked at the map but didn’t do much other advance preparation for our entry into Canada. We had our passports ready, but not much else. So “note to self” for future Canadian excursions:
- Download the Canadian maps onto the GPS prior to hitting Canada. Your lack of doing this meant that you had no GPS in Canada.
- Look into an international data plan before hitting the border. You rely on your phone too much not to have data, and look at #1 above — that meant you had no phone GPS either.
- Get a paper Canadian map! (See #1 and #2!)
- Get Canadian cash.
So even though we were ill prepared, we managed to find our way along the route. Highlights of the journey included running into some of Adam Lambert’s most fanatical fans, creeping through Toronto’s pretty wicked traffic, and stopping at numerous OnRoute facilities (which are extraordinarily clean but had us feeling an odd sense of deja vu!). For some reason, the drive seemed to truly drag. Since we had no directions/map/gps, somehow we found our way to our hotel — the amazing Le Westin Montreal. I give this hotel high marks for location, staff friendliness and a bed that is even better than my one at home!
While in Montreal, we had picture perfect weather. The highlights of our visit included:
- Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal — Go at night for the lights and be sure to attend Mass if at all possible. Sit in the square to enjoy the ambiance. Plan for an extended visit and tour if you have time – it’s a masterpiece!
- Poutine for lunch at La Belle et La Bouef – great restaurant, terrible dish. Next time I’ll stick with “la bouef” since our burgers were delicious.
- An open air festival and shopping on Saint Catherine Street – This place is amazing. You’ll see blocks full of upscale shopping and just about the same amount underground for inclement weather visits. We were lucky that the day we visited was also the Just for Laughs comedy festival so everyone was in a great mood.
- Evening along the Old Port of Montreal, including a walk along the St. Lawrence River and nighttime fireworks.
- A pilgrimage to the Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal – For me, this was a lifelong dream. The Oratory has been on my wish list for years. I was able to visit very early Sunday morning and had the amazing sanctuary and gardens nearly to myself. I will likely do an entire post devoted to the Oratory, but for today I will simply say “Go!” You really must experience this amazing place for yourself.
While I could have spent an entire week in Montreal, you can see a good amount of the city in a few days. We parked the car and largely left it alone — in retrospect, I should have taken public transportation to the Oratory. Montreal is highly walkable. I can’t wait to go back for another visit soon!
Continue to check in regularly for additional installments my ongoing “Epic Road Trip” series. Next up: The Catskills!
About Lisa M. Hendey
