One of the popular tourist destinations in Canada is Niagara Falls and summer is the perfect time to visit. Although you can also visit the American side, the Canadian one is definitely better with its popular Horseshoe Falls. Niagara Falls (the town) is also home to casinos, resorts, multiple restaurants and so many activities. Here is a list of everything you won't want to miss on your long weekend getaway.
Go behind the falls
If you're going to visit Niagara Falls, you have to see the falls from the top, the bottom, the side and you can even seem them from the back! At Journey Behind the Falls, you can go down an elevator and walk in the 130 year old tunnels carved in the cliff behind the falls. It is the closest you can get to the impressive and powerful Horseshoe Falls. You will also find signs explaining how they are stopping the erosion of the cliffs, the amount of water going down the falls every year and stories of people going over. For more information, you can visit their website here.
Go Kayaking
One of my favorite activities that we got to do on our weekend in Niagara was to go kayaking on the Niagara river near Fort Erie. It is far enough from to falls to be completely safe and the weather was perfect for a long ride. We rented the kayaks on Airbnb from a local and had a great experience. The water is absolutely gorgeous in that area and it felt good to be away from the crowds for an afternoon.
Take a boat ride to the bottom of the falls
One of the classic activities when visiting Niagara Falls is to ride a boat to the center of Horseshoe Falls. You should know that even with the very sexy red poncho, you will get wet, but it is definitely worth it! There is no view more impressive than to be surrounded by one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
go on a hike
Wether you love hiking or not, you will love this one! At Niagara Glen Nature Center, you can walk down the stairs to the bottom of the cliff where you will find about 5 km of trails by the river. The views are beautiful and you can also look at fossils or even climb the boulders.
visit the quaint village of niagara-on-the-lake
You know those villages in Hallmark movies where all the houses are painted different colors and have flowerpots in the windows, where there is an old bookshop next to the patisserie? That's what Niagara-on-the-Lake is like. I loved it! There are plenty of cute restaurants and a park by the water. I could have walked around the few streets of the village over and over again and still been happy because of how pretty everything was.
Go to ripley's believe it or not! museum
On Clifton Hill, in the town of Niagara, you'll find wax museums, go karts, 4D movie theaters, and lots of other activities, but one of my favorites was Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. We spend half a day walking around the museum and looking at all of the different exhibits. From statuettes made of real human hair and teeth to life size pictures of the tallest man on earth and everything in between you definitely won't get bored at Ripley's.
visit the vineyards of niagara-on-the-lake
There are so many vineyards to visit in Niagara-On-the-Lake that we rented bikes and spent a whole day cycling from one to the other. My favorites were Trius with its beautiful different tasting rooms and many kinds of bubbly wine and Jackson Triggs where we had the best service. Let's just say, by the end of the day, both of us were pretty bubbly!
treat yourself to a fancy dinner
I think you could eat at a different restaurant everyday for six months in Niagara Falls. With all of these options, why not treat yourself to a good one? We had dinner at Table Rock with a beautiful view over the Falls and at Weinkeller which was absolutely delicious and totally worth the price! I would recommend both of them.
go see the waterfalls illuminated at night
Every night, the falls are illuminated in multicolored lights and change colors every few minutes. It's beautiful and a good place to admire the view is from the top of the Skylon Tower. You'll have a 360 degree view over Niagara.
One thing's for sure, you'll have plenty to do!
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Every time someone asked where I was going on vacation this summer and I answered excitedly "Delaware", I got weird stares and lots of questions: Why Delaware? What is there to do in Delaware? Isn't that a long drive from Quebec? Why don't you go to Maine instead? Apparently, visiting a state that people don't usually visit confuses a lot of people and our trip actually has a pretty interesting back story, so here it is!
This story begins in March 2017, while my friend Amy and I were getting ready to leave Vancouver Island to visit California on a two-week road trip. Driving to California would take us two days and about 22 hours of driving on pretty boring interstates: we needed to think of games to keep us entertained! So I started researching and found plenty of car games that you can find here. One of those activities was to print a map of the United States and try to find a license plate from every state. Let's just say this little game quickly became an obsession after being stuck in traffic for 5 hours in Seattle and, not only did we play during the whole two weeks in California, but kept the game going on every road trip we went on that year.
After our two weeks in California, we were missing 18 states, but by the end of the year, we were missing only four.
Now, 5 years later, I have played this game way too many times to count, including on a two-week road trip in Utah, Arizona and Nevada in 2018 where we were missing only one : Delaware. So in almost 6 years of playing, the only state that we have never found is Delaware. There are only two conclusions that can come from this: either Delaware is a myth and only exists on paper, but no one actually lives there, or, it is so incredibly beautiful that once people arrive, they never want to visit any other place ever again. Let's just say, we were curious to find out!
So fast forward to the summer of 2022, Covid rules are starting to ease up, the borders are finally open, we have a long weekend in Canada for July 1st and a few extra vacation days, it seems like the right time to finally discover what's up with Delaware. We stopped on the way for a night in New York City where we had the chance to see The Lion King on Broadway, a day in Philadelphia where I had never been before, and then made our way to Delaware.
And wouldn't you know, after two whole days, in New York and Philadelphia, of looking, once again, for a Delaware license plate, we finally found it on a walk near our Airbnb in Philadelphia. Just a few hours before actually visiting the state! I don't know whose car that is, but thanks for visiting Phily!
We arrived in Delaware on July 3rd with no expectations. We knew there would be beaches as we were staying at the Delaware Seashore State Park campground, but we didn't know much else and we were excited to visit during 4th of July weekend as it was Amy's first time in the States for the 4th and my first time outside of Disney World (which I don't think is a fair representation of the holiday).
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised! The beaches in Delaware stretch for miles, the sand is soft beneath your feet and the coastline is really beautiful. The waves were pretty intense though, and the beach towns are clearly not meant for so many people to visit at the same time as the street lights are set for little to no traffic.
We spent the afternoon at the beach just enjoying the sunshine and warm weather, but in the evening is when it got interesting. Obviously, we knew there would be fireworks for July 4th and I guess it makes sense if people go back to work on the 5th that they would need to leave in the afternoon of the 4th to go back home, but we weren't expecting fireworks on July 3rd too! Starting at about 8 PM, all around Rehoboth Bay and Indian Bay and even in New Jersey, on the other side of the Bay of Delaware, there were fireworks going off until at least 10 PM when we went back to our campground and stopped watching. I had never seen so many firework displays going off at the same time, it was just incredible! Americans clearly have a big fireworks budget for 4th of July!
The next day, we explored Rehoboth Beach, went souvenir shopping and spend the afternoon at the beach near our campground before driving to Dewey Beach where we knew there would be official fireworks for 4th of July. And once again, for the second night in a row, we were treated to a 360 degrees fireworks show. Before and after the official fireworks, people were lighting them on the beach beside us, on the other side of the bay, on boats over the water, literally everywhere! But this time, although we didn't bring our own fireworks, at least we were part of the celebration as we had 4th of July cupcakes and red, white and blue glow stick bracelets. It was fun seeing the excitement and the pride that the American people show for this holiday, even though I think it's a little too political and it's kind of ironic to be so proud of their freedom when they are trying to control half of the population, but that is just my opinion as a Canadian looking at it from the outside. I personally don't even celebrate Canada Day so it was a bit of a shock to see how big a deal Independence Day was in the USA, even if we see it in movies and on TV.
I really hope one day I get to visit Delaware again as these few days barely scratched the surface of what there is to see. Even driving through the state on our way back to Canada, I wish we had time to stop at Cape Henlopen State Park to bird watch or go pick some peaches and cherries in one of the many orchards. I also wish we had time to learn some of the history of this first state that I'll just have to Google. For being the second smallest state and one that nobody seems to visit, I found a lot to love in Delaware.
Although it definitely exists and it is truly beautiful, I don't think people stay there forever without visiting other states so we'll need to look for another reason why we never found this license plate on our travels ;) other articles you might enjoy
In January 2018, I left freezing and snowy Canada for a two-week vacation in the jungles and on the beaches of sunny Costa Rica. It proved to be exactly what I needed and if I could have, I would have stayed an extra month! Costa Rica has so many options of activities that you could easily stay for a whole year without running out of things to do.
Even though Costa Rica is a tiny little country compared to Canada or Mexico, the roads are mountainous and it takes a while to go from one town to another so we tried to spend at least a few days in each town so we wouldn't be spending most of our trip on a bus. San Jose - Arrival day and day 2
On our first day in Costa Rica, we landed in San Jose at about 1PM. By the time we made it to our hostel it was almost 3. We had nothing planned for our first day since we knew we would be tired from traveling and didn't know if our flight would be delayed or if it would take longer than planned to arrive at our destination. We spent the afternoon and part of the evening walking around town. We bought some snacks and lunch for the next day and spotted some nice places we would like to spend some more time at the next day. We went back to the hostel, ate some nachos, talked with our host to plan the rest of our time in San Jose and went to bed early to get an early start the next morning. It took two minutes after our arrival for our host to let us know that there were pineapples and bananas in the backyard and we could take what we needed: I was already in love with Costa Rica!
On day two, we went to Irazu volcano. We took the bus early in the morning so we had time to explore the park for a while and then go back to town for more exploring. We came back to town early, had a shower and then went back to the downtown area to the places we had spotted the day before. We had dinner at a restaurant, had the biggest ice cream cone I have ever seen and took lots of pictures. For more information about San Jose or to know how our visit to Irazu Volcano went, click here. La Fortuna - Days 3-4-5-6
On day 3, we took an Uber from our hostel to the bus station, and took the bus to La Fortuna. It looks really close on the map, but it's actually a 3,5 hour bus ride! We arrived in La Fortuna in the middle of the afternoon and walked to our hostel to drop off our bags. We spent the evening walking around the small town and looking at all the different restaurants, souvenir shops and tour companies. Since there were so many activities we wanted to do in La Fortuna, we compared prices and offerings before choosing Red Lava Tours for our activities. We booked with them for a hike around the Arenal Volcano, a hike in Rio Celeste, the Jeep-Boat-Jeep tour to Monte Verde and the ziplining in Monteverde, but more on that later.
On day 4 was our hike around the volcano. We had to be up early again because they were picking us up at 9:45 AM. We stopped by the Red Lava office to pick up our lunch and then we were on our way. Since we were a pretty big group, they split us into two groups of about 12. Our tour guide Emanuel was great. He explained a lot about the insects and trees and snakes we saw along the way and then gave us some information about the volcano. We stopped for lunch by a river and had time for a quick swim. Since it was very humid, we jumped at the chance to soak in the shallow refreshing water. We continued our hike through the jungle, walked on some hanging bridges and made it to the view point for sunset. We had an amazing view of the Arenal Lake and Volcano. Before they brought us back to our hotel, we had to stop by the hot springs. While relaxing in the warm water, Emanuel brought us a drink and some lava mixture to make a mask and exfoliate our face. What a great day!
On day 5, we went to Rio Celeste. The park is outside of the town and about an hour drive away. During the drive, our guide Mauricio spotted some monkeys and sloths and we got to observe them in their natural habitat for a while before getting back on the bus. When we arrived in Rio Celeste, it was cloudy and very humid. We started hiking, but the trail was very muddy. At first, we were trying to step around it, but at one point we all accepted and embraced the fact that we were going to be covered in mud by the end of the day. We had so much fun running around that it didn't really matter in the end. The hike was worth it anyway because the river and the waterfall are absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me a little bit of the lakes in Banff, but without the snow obviously. The water was a pale, milky shade of bright blue. After the hike, we stopped at a small restaurant on the side of the road and had a delicious Costarican meal. Usually on this tour, you get to go for a swim in the river, but since it started raining during our hike, our guide told us it would be dangerous to swim as the current could unexpectedly get stronger. Instead, we asked if it would be possible to be dropped off at the hot springs and they agreed! So for a second night in a row, we got to soak in the river and relax. We stayed there for hours looking at the stars and the moon and just enjoying the moment.
On day 6, we went to La Fortuna waterfall. I have to say it. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life and you absolutely have to go if you visit Costa Rica. We walked to the park and it's about a 5 kilometer walk from town on a paved road, but it is a hard walk, You are going up the whole time and it is hot and the sun is beating on you, so if you decide to walk bring a lot of water and lather on sunscreen a few times along the way. It took us about an hour to get there. Entrance to the park is 15 USD and then you get to walk down about 500 steps before getting to the bottom of the fall. It was a rough week of hiking for us, but so worth it. You get beautiful views of the fall on the way down and there are water fountains where you can refill your water bottles and splash some water on your face. Once you reach the bottom, on the left there is a little path that leads to a little beach where you can swim in the river. The water is freezing cold and there are fish so I didn't swim, but I did put my feet in it and it was refreshing enough for me. We stayed there for about an hour, soaking in the sun with our feet in the water and taking pictures. Then we went to the actual waterfall to take pictures and it took my breath away. It is very high and surrounded by lush jungle on every side and the water at the bottom was almost as blue as Rio Celeste. It was incredible! Monteverde - Day 7
On day 7, we were leaving La Fortuna on the Jeep-Boat-Jeep tour and heading to Monte Verde and then we had a reservation for the zipline in Monte Verde. The Jeep-Boat-Jeep tour was convenient for us because otherwise we would have had to take the bus back to San Jose and then another one to Monte Verde, but it was not the best tour we went on in Costa Rica. First, the Jeep is a bus. Second, the bus is not made to climb up a mountain. So, to make the story short, our bus broke down while going up a hill and we got stock on the side of the road for about an hour and a half waiting for another bus to come pick us up. We told them we had reservations for the zipline and they told us we would make it in time, but they were in no hurry. They even stopped at a little corner store on the way to get some lunch and our driver and guide were taking their sweet time. When we understood that we would not be making it on time to our hostel, we asked if they could drop us of directly at the zipline and they said no worries, but still dropped us off at our hostel even when we reminded them. So was it fun? Not really. Was it still convenient even with all this trouble? Definitely! The 4 hour drive to San Jose and then 5 hour drive to Monte Verde would have been infinitely worse. When we arrived at our hostel, we asked our host where the office was for the zipline and went to their office. They were really nice and scheduled us on a later tour. After this not so great start to our day, the bus from the zipline company picked us up on time and the ziplining was amazing! Check out my article about my experience here. That night, we went to the town to get dinner at Sabor Tico. The food was delicious and pretty cheap. We later went to the Tree House for a drink and that was expensive, but the restaurant is really a tree house around/in the tree and there was a live band so it was fun.
MAnuel Antonio - Days 8-9-10-11-12
On day 8, we were once again up very early since we had to walk to the bus station with all of our bags for our 5:30 AM departure. Yes, 5:30 AM... We took a bus to Puntarenas, then another one to Quepos and then the city bus to Manuel Anotnio. It was a long day, but we arrived in mid afternnon at our hostel in Manuel Antonio. We had a nice swim in the pool and then went to El Wagon for dinner for delicious wood oven pizza.
On day 9, we headed to the beach and we were ready for some sunshine and heat after the cold and wind of Monte Verde. We spent the whole day swimming and jumping in the waves and laying on the sand and reading. It was amazing. After a whole day at the beach, we took the bus back to our hotel (we could walk about ten minutes to the beach, but we were exhausted and the bus ride was about 30 cents). That night, we went to the grocery shop and made dinner before going into the town of Quepos where we got chocolate gelato and mango sorbet and walked around the town and marina. Day 10 was spent at Manuel Antonio National Park. We spent the morning hiking in the park and the afternoon on the park's beautiful beaches. We saw about 30 monkeys either in the jungle or on the beach and even though it was pretty hot for a hike, I was proud that we managed to hike at least a few trails. You really have to be careful with your bags in Manuel Antonio, especially if there is food in them. The monkeys are little thieves! That evening was spent at the restaurant El Avion that overlooks the ocean and where we had an amazing view of the sunset.
Day 11 was spent in the pool at our hostel. We were tired from the day before and a little bit sunburnt so we tried staying in the shade at the resort. But for the evening, we had something special planned! At about 4 PM, they came to pick us up for a parasailing ride. They brought us to the beach and harnessed us to the boat and then two seconds later we were flying again! I think, this whole trip, I spent more time either swimming or flying than on the actual ground. We were in the air for about 15 minutes before we started going down and then we were droped in the Pacific Ocean. It was an amazing experience and I hope to do it again someday! We had a beautiful view of the region. We could see our hostel and the park and the cliffs and beaches around Manuel Antonio.
On day 12 we went back to the beach for our last day in Manuel Antonio. We tried surfing, but I am terrible at it and it fell on my head so I decided it was not for me and that swimming was better. I'll take a lesson next time! We took so many pictures it's crazy, but we had a lot of fun swimming and playing in the waves and we were treated to once again a beautiful sunset. San Jose - Day 13
On day 13, we took the city bus from Manuel Antonio to Quepos and then got on the bus to San Jose. It took about four hours to get to San Jose. We then took a taxi to our hostel a little bit outside of the city. We took it easy that night and went to the hostel restaurant for pizza bites, cheese sticks and nachos. Our hostel had a sauna so we tried that and then went to bed early.
Goodbye Costa Rica - Day 14
Day 14 was departure day. I was so not ready to leave and would have rather stayed at the beach, but apparently I had to go back to work. We had an early flight so we had to take an Uber at about 5 AM and when we arrived in Montreal, it was -1000 degrees and we were miserable. I can't wait to go on another adventure!
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In October of 2018, I had the chance to discover Morocco on a two-week trip that started in the city of Marrakesh. As far as first impressions go, Morocco made a great one! On our very first afternoon in Marrakesh, we had checked in for a night in a beautiful riad, gotten lost and found ourselves in the Medina, seen the Koutoubia mosque and drank our first mint tea before watching the sunset over the city from our very own rooftop patio. So far so good!
What to do
Marrakesh has a lot to offer so here are a few must see during your trip:
The Medina The Marrakesh Medina is where you will find markets, shops and restaurants. Even if you're not into shopping, visiting the Medina is an experience. It's busy, colorful, the smell of different types of spices blends with the smell of rose water, olives, leather and other unidentifiable smells. People are welcoming you from every side hoping you'll visit their shop. The alleys are narrow and seem to turn and twist in no discernible pattern. Honestly, it is hard to describe and you can't possibly understand until you see it for yourself. Jemaa El Fna square Jemaa El Fna is the biggest market place in all of Marrakesh. Not only are there fruits and vegetables to buy, like any market place, but you'll find snake charmers, fire breathers, artists, fortune tellers and henna tattoo artists. It especially comes alive at night when locals come to the square from all corners of Marrakesh. Koutoubia Mosque The Koutoubia Mosque was probably the only landmark that I knew of before we started doing research and making reservations for our trip as it inspired the Morocco pavilion in Epcot, in Walt Disney World. From the side where we entered the Jemaa El Fna square, we could see the mosque on the other side. The tallest building around and decorated with ceramics, arabesques and geometric patterns, it seems to captivate you the moment you lay eyes on it. Surrounding the mosque, there are also beautiful gardens where you can sit in the middle of the flowers and bushes to get a few minutes of shade and silence if you need a breather from walking in the busy Medina all day. Bahia Palace The Bahia Palace is probably my favorite place in the whole city. Even though it was pretty crowded with tourists when we visited, we could still take our time to explore the palace, take plenty of pictures and enjoy its relaxing atmosphere. The palace consists of multiple richly decorated rooms, fountains, interior gardens, stained windows, high wood ceilings painted in floral patterns, zellij motifs and courtyards full of orange and palm trees. It is definitely worth the few Dirhams it costs to enter. Badii Palace The Badii Palace is only a few streets away from the Bahia Palace, but while its counterpart is still richly decorated and well preserved, this one was striped of most of its decorations and left in ruins. It was built by the Almohad Dynasty in the 12th and 13th century, but after its fall, the materials were used to build a new palace in the new capital city of Meknes. It is now used as an exhibition space for the Almoravid Minbar and offers a great view over the city. Majorelle Gardens The Majorelle Gardens were created by Jacques Majorelle in 1923 and restored in 1980 by Yves St-Laurent and Pierre Bergé. It is now part of a non-profit organization and features multiple art museums and the Berber museum. The gardens in themselves are a sight to see, with their fountains, a collection of cacti and exotic plants and trees. It is definitely one of the most beautiful sights in Marrakesh, but it was so crowded when we visited, even though we were there when it opened in the morning that what should have been a casual stroll was actually chaos. Where to sleep
I definitely recommend sleeping in a riad in or close to the Medina! Depending on your budget, you are sure to find something that will work for you and still be incredibly beautiful and comfortable. We stayed in two different riads during our stay, one when we first arrived in Morocco and another a few days later when we came back from the Sahara and both were great. The first was a little bit out of the way, but still a walking distance from the Medina and the second was a hostel in the middle of the Medina. The only difference between the regular riad and the hostel being that we had a private room in the first and a shared dorm in the second. Both had pools, a rooftop patio and a close proximity to everything we wanted to see in Marrakesh. I think staying in a regular hotel would be disappointing as you would lose all of the charm of small riads.
How to get around
The first thing to know is that it doesn't matter if you have a great sense of direction, a map or even Google Maps with you, it's almost guaranteed that you will get lost at least once in the Medina. The important part is that you have the address where you want to go so you can ask someone if needed. In the Medina, there are no cars as the roads are more like narrow alleys in between buildings. Most places to visit are close together and easy to reach by foot. Outside of the Medina, there are taxi cabs almost everywhere so you can just walk up to them and ask for a ride. Always agree on a price before getting in!!! No matter what you wear or how you act, we all look like tourists and, if you don't agree on a price before hand, you can't negotiate once you get to your destination. They will charge you more than they should and there are no meters in mosts cabs.
If you are lost, first try not to look lost. Second, don't follow someone offering to give you directions. Most of the time, they will bring you to their shop or restaurant and have no intention of bringing you to your desired destination. Go up to someone and ask for directions, you are more likely to get an honest answer. Otherwise, I found that walking around until we found a landmark that could locate us on a map was the best way to go. Trust your instincts! My experience
I personally loved Marrakesh! Except for Chefchaouen, it was probably my favorite city in Morocco. Not only was there a lot to see, but I felt safe, the food was delicious and it wasn't crazy expensive.
The only thing that bothered me was not being able to trust the locals. They would knowingly give us bad directions or lie to us about landmarks being closed to bring us to their shop or restaurant. Everyone that we met was very nice and charismatic and we had great conversations with them, but we always had to be careful who we trusted and to follow our guts especially when looking for a place in particular.
I hope you get the chance to visit this amazing city at least once in your life. It has so much culture, beauty and life and deserves at least a few days of exploring and discovering.
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When I discovered that I liked traveling... a lot...too much? I decided that I would start by visiting my Canada. Starting elsewhere would have felt like cheating. Kind of like taking my own country for granted. Everywhere we go, people tell us how lucky we are to live in Canada and they are right. Canada is freaking beautiful! So I left to work on Vancouver Island and spent the year visiting British Columbia and Western United States before driving across North America to go back home to Quebec City.
Then, I felt ready to explore a bit further from home. I went to Costa Rica, Morocco, Italy, and then BAM! Covid-19 hit and we weren't allowed to cross the borders for an unknown amount of time. The thing is, when you start traveling, it is kind of like a drug, it's very hard to stop once you're addicted. So I went back to visiting my old friend Canada and decided to discover a little corner that I had never explored: the Bruce Peninsula, a small strip of land separating the Georgian Bay from Lake Huron in the south of Ontario. Internet promised me Caribbean blue water, long and peaceful hikes and a ton of water activities. It's kind of hard to say no to that!
My friend wasn't very hard to convince and a month later, we were on our way to Ontario on a 10-hour drive from Quebec City to this new adventure. I'm pretty sure the pictures will make you want to visit this area of Canada, but just in case you need more convincing, here are 6 reasons you should head to the Bruce Peninsula.
1. the beauty of the landscape
Let's start with the easiest reason, but gosh can this landscape get any better? I have been back from this road trip for a while now and still can't get over it. You see it on pictures and you have a hard time believing the water can be this blue in real life, but it totally is. Not only is it a bright turquoise, it is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom even when it is meters deep. All along the coast, you discover little bays that are all prettier than the last. Hiking trails will lead you past viewpoints where you can admire the view from the top of cliffs, rocks covered in green moss, clumps of colorful mushrooms, fields of wildflowers, etc. And let's come back one more time to the color of the water because it deserves to be mentioned a second time. My friend and I spent the whole time saying it looked like we had just been transported to the Seychelles, or the Caribbean, or an island in Thailand. The fact that this is in Canada just blows my mind!
2. the number of activities on offer
For someone who loves the great outdoors, there is plenty to do in Bruce Peninsula. Kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling and diving (yes there are two shipwrecks where you can dive and many underwater grottos), hiking, beach days, sailing, swimming, there is something for everyone. You can also go on a boat ride with a glass floor around the islands, go fishing, camp, etc.
3. the hikes
The peninsula is almost completely part of the Bruce Peninsula National Park which means there are lots of hiking trails that are well maintained and mostly well indicated. For experimented hikers, the Bruce Trail is a more than 800 km trail from Tobermory, at the end of to peninsula, to Niagara. It offers incomparable views on the Georgian Bay and its islands. Beginners can do parts of the Bruce Trail or one of the many others on offer in the park. There are also trails suitable for families with strollers or people with a handicap that lead to easier to reach viewpoints. For most parts of the trail, I recommend good hiking shoes and to bring a map with you. There can be some steep hills, but it is totally worth it.
4. the simplicity of the destination
Traveling in your own country is of course always easier as you don't need to worry about insurance, exchanging money and things like that, but even for people from other countries, the Bruce Peninsula would be an easy destination. It can be reached by bus from Toronto and you don't need reservations years in advance or to make tons of research. I recommend making reservations for your accommodation once you find out the days you will be traveling, but we booked just a few days before our trip which was during a long weekend in the first summer of Covid when Canadians from the cities flocked to national parks and we didn't have trouble finding a place to stay or booking activities on site. It's a pretty stress free vacation since there are always many other options if what you wanted to do ends up being full.
5. the number of visitors
Like I said earlier, the year we visited was particularly crowded because of Covid, but even then, we found once we started hiking, we were totally alone and barely crossed paths with a few other people. The park is so huge and there are so many different areas that, if you feel like it's crowded where you are, you can just go a little bit further down the path and you'll be completely alone. The only place that we found crowded was the grotto, but even that, the parking lot is so restricted, it never really gets busy. I think that even in high season, it would be a good destination if you need some time surrounded by nature without the distraction of other humans.
6. the sunrises and sunsets
Sunrises and sunsets are moments that I talk about often and that I try to plan for while on vacation. I organize my schedule to make sure I will be in a good spot to watch at the exact point in time where the sun meets the horizon. I loved the fact that, being surrounded by water, the peninsula offered both great sunrises and sunsets over the water of Lake Huron. We were lucky enough to get a full on spectacle every morning and every night during our 5 day trip.
So wether you are looking for breathtaking landscapes, activities to do with your friends and family or if you want to spend some time in nature, the Bruce Peninsula is waiting for you. Enjoy your visit!
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28/7/2022 0 Comments 6 things you have to do in Nassau
If you are heading to the Bahamas from another country, there is a pretty good chance that you will be landing in Nassau as it has the biggest airport in the archipelago. While you are there, why not explore for a little while? After all, the beaches are gorgeous, there are multiple resorts and hotels that will please even the harshest critic, and there are unlimited food options.
Visit the queen's staircase
One of the historical monuments you can visit in Nassau, is the Queen's Staircase. The 66 steps staircase is carved into the limestone and located in downtown Nassau. It was built by slaves in the 18th century to create an escape route from Fort Fincastle. It was later named in honor of Queen Victoria who abolished slavery in the British empire. Today, there is a waterfall flowing next to the staircase, and the walkway at the bottom is surrounded by high stone walls and tropical trees and plants. From the top, you get a breathtaking view of the city and harbor below, and on paradise Island on the other side. Going down the steps, you feel like you have left touristic Nassau and entered a different world. Everything is quiet, the air somehow feels more humid, but more fresh at the same time and it's like you've gone back in time.
relax at the beach
You can't visit a tropical island, and not take at least a full day to relax at the beach. Whether you go to Junkanoo, Cable or Goodman's beach, you will be rewarded by crystal clear water and fine white sand. I have to say, my favorite was Goodman's beach as it was never crowded and large enough to take a long walk. Plus, it is only a short walk away to the Baha Mar resort where you will find plenty of restaurants if you get hungry, and you can go visit their luxurious gardens if you need a break from the sun.
watch the cruise ships arrive/leave the harbour from junkanoo beach
One of the things I loved to do, was go to Junkanoo beach early in the morning and watch the cruise ships either arrive or depart from the harbor. Not only does it show major skills as the harbor is very narrow, but the Disney cruise ships play "When you wish upon a star" instead of a regular siren and you all know I love Disney! Junkanoo beach is also where all of the action happens. It gets lots of tourists coming off the boats everyday and it was fun to see it calm before it got super crowded.
try conch
There are so many food options in Nassau, whether you are craving Italian or Japanese food or wanting to try local cuisine, you are sure to find something you like. One of the dishes many locals recommended was conch. It can be cooked many different ways, but I had it fried as it was the option that seemed the most popular. One word: delicious! It tastes like most seafood and I expected it to be a bit chewy, but with the crisp of the fried batter, it was really good. The place to visit for some conch is apparently the Fish Fry by Arawak Cay, which is kind of like a market of about 20 restaurants next to one another, but almost every restaurant in the city offered it on the menu so it isn't hard to find. Grab a colorful cocktail with that and you'll have a great time!
walk around downtown nassau
Downtown Nassau is made up of a few colorful streets full of small shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed because of Covid when I visited in January 2022, but it was fun to walk around. You can also visit the pirates or rhum cake museum, shop for souvenirs at the straw market or make reservations for an excursion to the Exumas or snorkeling.
have a drink by the sea
There is nothing more relaxing after a long day in the sun than sipping on a colorful cocktail and watching the waves crash on the shore. Take a moment to kick back and enjoy this summer paradise!
I had the chance to spend a whole week in Nassau when I visited and I enjoyed every second. I took full advantage of this time to relax, destress, walk around with no destination in mind, eat on a terrace overlooking the ocean, float in the see and bask in the sun. Most of the time when I travel, I need a vacation from my vacation, but not this time! I went back home fully recharged and ready to face winter.
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In October 2021, I decided that I couldn't spend one more full winter in Quebec City and had to take a vacation somewhere warm. At the time, Covid was under control in Canada and everything was starting to open up with promises of Christmas parties on the horizon. I wanted to go to a country I had never visited before, but at the same time, I wanted to feel safe and to make sure I would be able to find decent accommodation to quarantine if I did end up catching Covid on vacation. So I decided to visit the Bahamas in January of 2022!
The Bahamas are only a short flight from Quebec, I speak the language and they seamed to have Covid rules that would be safe, but still allow me to visit and actually have something to do and places to eat. The only thing that was problematic was that you needed to take a rapid test before getting on a national flight and on your 3rd day on any Island. So if I wanted to visit multiple Islands, it would mean an extraordinary amount of tests. And then I found Liberty Fleet Tall Ships, a company from Boston that offers week long sailing cruises from Nassau, and it seemed like an answer to all of my prayers.
Day 1
The first night, we met the other passengers and crew members, learned the few rules to follow to live on a tall ship and how everything works (when I say everything, I mean everything that we as passengers would be using : the shower, the toilet, the doors, etc). Dinner was not included, so I went with other passengers to the marina's restaurant, which was very good although expensive like every restaurant in the Bahamas. We would be sleeping on board the ship that night, and would sail off only in the morning.
Food
I think it's time to interrupt this summary of my week on the Liberty Clipper to talk about food. First, the Liberty Clipper has two cooks and a tiny galley (kitchen) where they spent almost their whole days cooking the meals for the passengers and crew. Honestly, I have no idea how they were able to create such delicious and nutritious feasts in this minuscule kitchen that was so hot you would sweat just walking by. Every morning, there would be a different breakfast of eggs or waffle, or granola, with bread and bagels, yogurt and fruits. Lunch would be served on the beach or on the boat depending where we were for the day and was always fresh with lots of veggies. There were always snacks like fruits, cookies and chips if we were hungry during the day. And for dinner every night, there would be a different meal. We had hamburgers, taco Tuesday, spaghetti with a salad and garlic bread, salmon... and then came the best part! A different dessert every night! On our first night, it was one of the passengers' birthday, so we had cake that had cooked in the oven, but since the wind was making the boat lean on one side, the cake was thicker on one end and thinner on the other, but still cooked throughout without burning! Let's just say, I was so impressed by their work and might have gained a few pounds during the week. No regrets whatsoever!
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25/7/2022 0 Comments THUNDERSTORM IN CHEFCHAOUEN
I know a lot of people are afraid of thunderstorms, and it's a logical fear: thunderstorms can be destructive and dangerous. But personally, I love thunderstorms, always have! I don't know if it comes from the fact that my parents used to bring us outside, under the little roof in front of our front porch, and look at the lightning or count the seconds before the thunder, or from the fact that I used to be a lifeguard and used to get paid to hang around with my friends when the pool was closed for a storm, but either way, I still get as excited as a little kid on Christmas morning every time I see a storm coming in. My favorite thunderstorm ever, though, is the one that struck will my friend Gabrielle and I were in Chefchaouen.
"HOME IS NOT WHERE YOU ARE FROM 25/7/2022 0 Comments SWIMMING IN THE VIRGIN RIVER
I absolutely loved the road trip I went on with my friend Karine in Utah, Nevada and Arizona. These states are gorgeous all around with their mountains of red limestone, deep creeks, deserts as far as the eye can see and narrow canyons, but, in September when we went, it is HOT. In some parts, it is scorching.
On the second day of our road trip, we were hiking in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada before driving to Zion National Park in Utah. We started early as we knew it would be hot. I had intentionally chosen small hikes so we could slowly get used to the heat as, being from Canada, we are not used to this. The two hikes were about 30 minutes each, but after the first one, I could feel myself getting dizzy and dehydrated even after drinking from my water bottle every two seconds. As a lifeguard and having lived in Florida before, I can recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and this was it. We took a break before deciding to do the second hike. We stayed in the shade, drank cold water from our refrigerator, ate fruits and veggies and salty snacks and we were both feeling good enough to go. And it was so worth it as the view on the deep red and orange mountains and valleys took my breath away. We then started the drive to Zion with the air condition bringing as much relief as possible from this heat. Unfortunately, as soon as we started going up a hill, the engine was not strong enough and the air condition would stop. Let's just say that when we arrived in Zion at about 4PM we were both sweaty and exhausted, but excited to be there. Zion is also a lot cooler than Valley of Fire and, as the sun was starting to hide behind the mountains surrounding the canyons, we felt a huge relief. Unable to resist getting a first glimpse of the canyon, we both put on our swimsuit under our clothes and headed to a small trail called Lower Emerald Pools, with the intention of going for a swim in the river afterwards. We took the shuttle and exited at Zion Lodge, crossed the bridge and started walking on the easy path. On the way, we noticed tracks heading to a small beach by the river and called it: if we were to swim in the river today, this would be the perfect spot. A huge boulder hid a small pool from the current and the bottom looked sandy and soft.
25/7/2022 0 Comments COOKING CLASS IN TUSCANY
When it was finally my turn, I was a little nervous at the thought of throwing my pizza in the air, but finally decided to try it, why not. It's not like I'll get that chance again soon right? It turns out, I may have the Italian chef gene as I did pretty good for a first timer. I managed to throw it up in the air and not drop it, then added sauce, cheese, olives (yum!) and basil and some kind of leaf that I was told was really good and it was. Then into the wood burning oven it went for about three minutes and an eternity later it was ready to eat. Just in time as I had not had lunch that day and was starving.
The whole group sat together to eat the best pizza we had ever had. I admit that I might be biased because I made it myself with a lot of love, but it is truly the best pizza I have ever tasted.
And then, right when I thought it could not get better, they announced that they would put all the gelato out on a table and we would get to try all of them with every king of toping you can imagine including balsamic vinegar, lavender flowers, basil, nuts, grated chocolate, etc. I tried the strawberry, pistachios, vanilla, raspberry, lemon, had double helpings of our chocolate gelato and went for seconds. Needless to say, I wasn't hungry anymore way before I stopped eating. And surprisingly, other than our chocolate gelato, my favorite was strawberry with some balsamic vinegar. It seems disgusting, but trust me it is the most delicious mix ever. If you have the time while in Florence, I definitely suggest trying a cooking class. I had so much fun and would do it again in a heartbeat. |