Well, it’s almost Valentine’s Day, and what could be a more romantic gesture than stealing away to the most European city in the North America? It’s moody, dark and sexy. And yes, it’s in Canada. Quebéc City, the government seat of Québec, Canada, is a jewel upon a hill, its stately skyline looking out over the Saint Lawrence river. It’s as close to being in a French village as you could possibly get, yet still retains its own Canadian charm.
poutine on the ritz
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I just realized as I am typing this that I went to two places called Saint John last year. One in the Caribbean and one in Canada. There’s a lot of places named after St. John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher, who was considered the forerunner to Jesus, as it is believed that he baptized Jesus. I also did not know that. You learn something new everyday. You’ll actually learn a ton when you visit this bayside beauty because this is a city of museums, and I love a city of museums.
Saint John is a city on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, and it is one of the oldest settlements in Canada. A huge port city, it is also home to one of the foremost natural wonders of the world, reversing falls. Everyone knows that rivers run to the sea right? Well sometimes they don’t, like in this case, the bay of Fundy waters flow backwards.
Sunday Fundy
Xmas cheer at DFW
‘Tis the season, hope your holiday travels are going off without a hitch (although by the looks of the weather patterns across the US, eesh probably not). By now, the holiday travel season is in full swing — I’ve already survived two trips to airports in the past few days, mainly by helping myself to many Diet Cokes from the airport lounges.
the least wonderful travel time of the year at LAX
It’s always a test of patience this time of year, but lines and delays keep you humble and it’s not the airline worker’s fault. Remember to Airborne, always use sanitizer and that the headrests and tray tables are not typically cleaned well during the turnaround.
This year was the year of the Cs, commencing with Cuba and the Caribbean:
havana ooh na na
coupled with a Canadian autumn…
and culminating in another trip to the Caribbean.
virgin islands national park might be the low-key frontrunner for beautiful parks
Somehow I also fit in quick trips to Las Vegas, KC, Nashville and Indianapolis.
I added Maine to my states visited list (3 left!)…
he’s my lobster
and finally broke my Disney moratorium, traveling to a galaxy, far, far away.
And the best was that I got to see so many friends when they came through my town! I wish I had traveled more this year (I traveled plenty, but I’m greedy), but I do have “a job,” and someone has to “pay the bills.” Good thing I’ve already planned out a couple of trips already so it should be a full 2020 (will be full of P’s, both literally and hopefully figuratively).
Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season, and a happy New Year!
Facts: Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. Sidney Crosby is from Halifax. Halifax rules.
Halifax is one of the economic hubs of this region, with a ton of history as a bustling seaport. The site of the Halifax explosion of 1917 and also the closest land to the Titanic wreck, this city has seen its fair share of disastrous events. It’s also home to one of the most iconic sights of Canada, Peggy Cove lighthouse.
facts on ‘fax
Sydney, Canada has very little in common with its shared name cousin from down under. For one, it is quite small, being located in the peninsular province of Nova Scotia. There are no wallabys or koalas, but there is certainly an abundance of natural beauty.
Sydney, more of a community than actual city, is located Cape Breton Island (no relation to Breton crackers, I don’t think). This island is located at the far Northeastern tip of the province, and has experienced a boom in tourism over the years due to said natural beauty.
This was the place to see some of the most beautiful fall foliage. I mean, the roads along the famed Cabot Trail and up in the highlands (the Scots were attracted to this place for a reason) were lined with vibrant hues from the frostbitten leaves.
And yes there is another Canadian Sidney from Nova Scotia, but we’ll get to him later…
Prince Edward Island, Canada is the smallest province in the great white north. What it lacks in size, it makes up in character, history and abundance of amazing seafood.
That’s right, the home of P.E.I. mussels. Sweet, tender, they’re a great little representative for this region of Canada. The whole island is very charming and idyllic, with farms and vast greenery. It is the very picture of rustic, pastoral tranquility with a sea salt mist.
put a little mussel into it
Y QB you ask? Y, because we like it. Jean Lesage International Airport, named after former premier of Quebec is the 11th busiest airport in Canada, serving Quebec City. J’aime Quebec City, one of the most European cities in North America. J’aime the fact that all Canadian airports start with a Y, except that it can get a little dicey when booking because they’re all very similar codes.
Located in the Quebec province, this airport and Trudeau Montreal are the two airports where French is the primary language. Flying into this airport, especially during peak Autumn will provide miles and miles of rich reds, oranges and yellows of the fall foliage along the St. Lawrence river below.
This airport, albeit fairly small, is spacious, modern and open on the inside. The hub for WestJet and Air Canada, it’s mostly domestic, with a few direct flights from the states, Caribbean.
Remember ✈️ non, non to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ oui, oui
Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️✈️ (about 7 miles or 11 kilometers outside the city)
Security: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (preclearance available to the US)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (not huge, very open and spacious)
Dining: ✈️✈️ (there are literally two cafes and a Starbucks in the whole airport)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️✈️ (not overly crowded, but there could be more stalls/washroom)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi)
Amenities: ✈️✈️ (VIP Lounge, Family Zone, this more of a transit airport)
A year ago, I literally posted that about the move that sent Kawhi up north. Well, apparently that trade certainly paid off as the Toronto Raptors will be playing the GS Warriors (yawn) in the NBA Finals. No hate towards the Warriors, but aren’t we all sort of rooting for some new blood to take the Larry O’Brien?
Here’s a throwback post all about the great white north:
Oh Canada…
Well, the NBA is making moves. Toronto is a bit cooler than San Antonio, so be like Kawhi and start planning your trip up north.
As far as bucket lists go, Niagara Falls is typically a popular featured destination, for good reason. It’s one of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world, and it’s right in our own backyard. *Whispers: the Canadian side is better. Sore-y, not sore-y.
Oh Canada…
Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) is the main airport for the largest city in Canada, Toronto. Spacious, clean lines, easy to navigate, it gives a great first impression when you’re landing here for the first time, especially because there’s a prominent Tim Hortons on the arrivals level!
There are two terminals, 1 and 3. Terminal 1 has 58 gates in a whopping 6 million square feet space. That’s right, 6 million. Great white north indeed. This is one of the biggest buildings in the world and also nbd, but Moshe Safdie’s architecture firm had a hand in designing it. Air Canada (hub), Emirates, and Star Alliance (including United, which was me) operate out of this terminal.
Terminal 3 operates Skyteam and Oneworld alliance flights along with Etihad and WestJet out of 48 gates.
When you’re traveling to the US, there’s separate gates/customs screening which makes the process very streamlined. Although, I couldn’t get like three kiosks to work before finding one that functioned correctly.
Remember: ✈️ = started from the bottom ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = and now we’re here
Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️ (22.5 km from downtown Toronto –traffic can be a bear; there’s also train from the airport to Union Station downtown $CAD12)
Rental Car area: ✈️✈️ (conveniently located in the parking structure across from the terminals, however when returning the car, it’s hard to tell which terminal your airline is located in because there are no signs. I fortunately guessed Terminal 1 correctly. Moral of the story, check ahead of time to determine from which terminal you’re flying)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (there’s a super fast people mover in terminal 1, Link train connects the two terminals)
Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (not too crowded, flows easily)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (Good variety of chains, Tim Hortons, and local chefs backed eateries. I spent my last few loonies at Hearth by Lynn Crawford, not sure $CAD20+ for a burger was that well spent but it was decent for a well-done burger)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (very clean and spacious)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (Many lounges. Nice selection of luxury purveyors: Bally, Burberry, Gucci, Mont Blanc, Ferragamo, Longchamp, Tumi. Hudson’s Bay department store, 7-elevens, nail salons, Sheraton Hotel connected to terminal 3)
Traveling docs 