Archives for 2012

 Nature vs tacky.

Our very last stop in Canada was at Niagara Falls. It’s such a classic destination that I was excited to finally get my chance to take a look. And let me be very specific when I say, the falls were amazing. I mean, 5.7 million liters of water go crashing over the falls each second*… you can’t not be impressed.

We spent some time taking in the massive falls and enjoying such a wonder of nature. Mike’s parents generously treated us to a trip on the Maid of the Mist. (But we didn’t pull a Pam and Jim.)

I kept wondering what it would be like if the area around the falls had been left undeveloped. I mean, the view was gorgeous. In the absence of the surrounding hotels and casinos, it would be truly incredible.

Because really, the not-so-amazing feature of Niagra Falls… is the town. Oh boy. I had been warned but I’m not sure anything can really prepare you. The place was tacky. Ok, it was mostly just the main tourist road…but it was bad (and slightly gratifying that it was on the Canadian side!).

I suppose most tourists need something else to hold their interest after seeing the falls, but it’s too bad that couldn’t be hiking or some other outdoorsy non-Ripley’s Believe It Or Not pursuit. 

That night Mike’s parents reserved all of us a room in a nice hotel overlooking the water. It was a pretty special place to be. Not only did we have a great view, but Mike got to spend his last night in Canada with his family.

Early the next morning his parents drove us to Buffalo and off we went to Los Angeles for the next stop on our North American extravaganza!

xo, jill

*at peak flow

Wet and windy.

I found Quebec City to be a bit…soggy.

Just like when we visited Toronto, a big storm hit shortly after our arrival. We tried to not let the weather affect our sightseeing. We even bought those silly rain ponchos from the souvenir shop!

Eventually, we had to admit defeat. Touring a city in the wet is just not very pleasant, especially if you’re not equipped with galoshes.

Still, it was very evident that Quebec City is a charming place.

The next morning we hopped in the car and did a bit of a marathon drive back to Oakville. Our Canadian roadtrip was nearly at its end.

xo, jill

In the rain.

Ever since I read this post last year, I’ve been wanting to visit Orange Julep in Montreal. Every time Mike asked me what I wanted to do while we were there, I’d answer, “Orange Julep!”

Finally, on our last morning we made it there…in the pouring down rain.

It was a mad dash from the car and back. It was so wet that I elected to just take off my shoes and run through the puddles!

I tried to take a few photos but it just wasn’t worth it.

The juice on the other hand… delicious!

xo, jill