Our last day in Canada. After breakfast, we stopped at St-Viateur Bagel to pick up some bagels as this shop is famous for their bagels, then headed to the airport to return our rental car.

Tyler didn’t want to leave. No. He was so ready to go home and get practicing on golf again!

We had a fun trip. A few more cities checked off the list.

The air outside today was really bad. The smoke from the wildfires in Canada have blown toward Montreal overnight. We smelled the smoke in the hallways of the hotel so we knew it would be bad outside. After breakfast, we drove over to the Montreal Botanical Gardens. At the parking entrance, we were turned away by security. They said the gardens were closed today due to poor air quality! This messed up our day and the gardens was the last and only major itinerary item on our list!

No blue sky at all

Nat found us a cute cafe to have snacks at instead. Le Petit Den Cafe.

There wasn’t much left for us to do, so we shopped around St. Catherine Blvd near our hotel and went back to Eaton center as well. We had an early dinner/late lunch at Timeout Market. It’s a fancy and well organized food court in the mall.

Tyler and David ordered pho

I ordered pasta and Nat order Indian curry

It’s Sunday so the mall closed at 5. We went back to our hotel to rest. The kids were ok with this since they were able to access the hotel wifi.

For a second late dinner, we went out for pizza.

And then found a dessert place near our hotel. Tyler got ice cream of course.

David, Nat, and I shared a chocolate soufflé.

Favorite part of the day:
Tyler: eating pho for dinner
David: the chocolate soufflé
Nat: pizza
Me: exploring Timeout Market

We started our day with breakfast at the hotel and then our first destination was Jean Talon Market. It’s a farmer’s market and one of the oldest public markets in Montreal. It was nice walking around and checking out the local produce. Everything looked very fresh. David bought some fruit and Nat bought some macarons and a caramel custard tart.

Lunch: Dandy. Another selection from Natalie. It seemed to be a popular place. There was a line out the door but we didn’t have to wait too long for a seat. The food was really good.

It’s been several days since Tyler swung a golf club and he was desperate to practice. We had some free time today since it was a holiday (Saint Jean Baptiste Day) and many places were closed. Luckily there was a driving range close by so David took him to hit some balls while Nat and I relaxed at the hotel. He came back very satisfied.

For dinner, we did a mini food tour to check off some places on our list. First stop, Poutinville for some poutine.

Next: Schwartz’s. It’s a deli very similar to Katz deli in New York. The pastrami sandwich was good!

Favorite part of the day:
David & Nat: Jean Talon Market
Tyler: golf
Me: Lunch at Dandy

Our hotel in Montreal comes with daily breakfast so we started our morning doing that. It’s a hot day today so we’ll be driving to most of our destinations but first, David and I walked to a local laundromat to do a load of laundry.

First stop, Chinatown. It’s a small Chinatown but there were many authentic Chinese food restaurants and bakeries. Many of the Chinese vendors spoke Cantonese. It felt like SF Chinatown, but much smaller.

We found a bakery that made these cute baos with taro, custard, or red bean inside.

Much to my pleasant surprise, a lady was making and selling fresh dragon beard candy! This is a dying talent. There use to be an old Chinese man who made these in San Francisco, but the store is now closed.

They were so good!

Next stop: Old Montreal. Nat found this place for us to eat lunch at called Olive + Gourmando. The food was really good.

Old Montreal feels like parts of France. The cobblestone streets are narrow and there are lots of cute cafes and gift shops throughout.

It was so hot, we stopped for ice cream and smoothies.

While we were cooling off, Tyler spotted Muni He. She’s a popular LPGA player he follows on Instagram. He was so excited when he saw her! Nat went with him to get a picture.

Dinner was at Modavie, a cute French restaurant in Old Montreal. There was live music tonight which was extra nice.

After we got back to our hotel, Tyler took a dip in the pool

Favorite part of the day:
Nat: lunch at Olive + Gourmando
Me: finding dragon beard candy
David: dinner with the live band
Tyler: meeting Muni He

The hotel at Niagara Falls comes with complimentary breakfast so we took advantage of that just before checking out. We started our day early today. We’re heading to Rockport for a boat tour reservation and the drive is about 4 hours. We’re touring an area called 1000 islands on the St. Lawrence River.

The area is a group of more than 1,800 islands around the US and Canada border. There are beautiful homes and castles throughout. It was another beautiful day for a boat ride!

After the boat tour, we had a very late lunch at a pub just off the boat dock. While we were checking in, we saw the actor Dan Aykroyd giving an autograph just as he was leaving the restaurant. We googled him and he’s Canadian and lives in the general area.

Another 2 hour drive later, we arrived and checked into our hotel in Montreal. We were still full from lunch but the kids managed to fit in ice cream instead of dinner.

Favorite part of the day:
All of us: 1000 island boat tour

We left Toronto today and headed to Niagara Falls. David and I walked over to the car rental place in the morning to pick up our car. After checking out of the hotel, we found a pho place about 15 minutes away for brunch. Tyler wasn’t feeling well – we suspect because he was eating so much ice cream, so we thought some soup might make him feel better. Tyler’s favorite food is pho!

This sign at the restaurant was perfect for him

The view from our room. After we checked into our hotel in Niagara, the kids ran to the window of our room and saw this. They were so amazed! It was funny to watch their reactions. “OMG! OMG!”

Niagara Falls boat tour. This is a must do if you go to Niagara Falls. The boat takes you up close to the falls. It’s a bit intense at times. We all had fun on this boat ride.

Dinner: Mexican food at Tacos N Tequila

Favorite part of the day:
All of us: Niagara Falls boat tour.
Plus for me: watching the kids reactions from our hotel room.

We’ve been walking 17,000-23,000 steps a day. The kids are starting to ask if we can take Uber instead of walking haha. My answer has mostly been “No, it’s just a short walk. You can do it!”

Our first stop of the day: St. Lawrence Market – a public market with a variety of vendors selling produce, meat, souvenirs, wine, baked goods, and hot food.

We bought lunch from a gyro vendor and a seafood stand. Tyler wanted to have clam chowder

Next stop: The Distillery District – a pedestrian only area with lots of shopping, dining, and art.

Tyler got ice cream (again)

And AGAIN

Less than a mile away, we walked to the Toronto harbor and took the ferry to Toronto Island. It was a nice day to take a boat ride and the view of the Toronto skyline was beautiful!

Dinner: Chubby’s. A popular Jamaican restaurant that was recommended by a local. The food was really good!

Favorite part of the day:
Nat & David: St. Lawrence Market
Tyler: Ice cream all day
Me: Ferry ride to Toronto Island