Road Trip Canada

Our first road trip outside Europe, was in Canada. We rented a car in Chicago and we drove all the way through Quebec City. Well, Rui drove. I was the one enjoying the views and trying to spot Starbucks along the way. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.

The highlight in this trip was Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls

The nicest thing about Niagara is obviously the falls. The city itself is awful. It's a tourist trap. There is nothing interesting about it. Unless you are a fan of Ripley's museum and you are crazy about dollar shops. 

Go early, take a boat tour and leave ASAP.
The ticket includes a poncho that is very useful.

Niagara Falls

After visiting the falls, we drove around some small cities. They were charming. And in each one there was a war reenactment going on. After the 2nd one I got bored. Apart from that, there was nothing exciting to see or do.  

Montreal's skyline

Montreal's street art

Montreal is a cool and modern city. 

Downtown has a few things to see, namely a chunk of the Berlin wall. And there are a bunch of outdoor activities during the summer. We went to a flee market in a crowded park where locals were sunbathing and picnicking. But it hardly justifies a flight or a long drive. 

Poutine

We found Quebec City a cute city with old cobbled stoned and narrow streets, walled fortifications and centuries - old buildings.
The chateau Frontenac is gorgeous. It sits above the village and has great views of St. Lawrence river.
But in some areas it feels like being in Disney World. There are many shops selling silly "wanna be" medieval souvenirs.
We tried Quebec's signature food, poutine. A messy pile of fries, gravy and cheese curds... Not my fave dish for sure. 

View from the parliament 

I've been in Ottawa twice so far. It's one of those places that you can easily skip. The parliament is the main attraction. And there are a couple of interesting museums, the National Gallery of Canada and the Museum of History. 

Toronto

Toronto has some architectural resemblances with Chicago. And the hipster vibe recalls me Portland.

It's home of one of my fave museums, the Royal Ontario Museum. It hosts an impressive collection of Native American very detailed and tall totems.

One Thousand Islands

Overall I wasn't impressed with this part of Canada. I guess the best thing about it is the nature. The cities aren't outstanding if you are visiting from the US like me.  If you are interested in exploring large cities, you can get much better in Chicago or NYC. Or even in DC. There is nothing spectacular about Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa.