Montreal, Quebec

Prior to my weekend get away to Montreal I had never been to Canada. I have been to Niagara Falls but only on the NY side. The reason we chose to visit Montreal in the end of August was because I was starting school and I wanted one last bit of vacation before I got into full school mode. I am extremely happy with our decision. We contemplated going to FL but I wanted to see a new place and it is only a 5-½ hour drive from where we live.

Wednesday morning I did my research and booked our hotel and tours and we left at 11:30am on Thursday. The drive was very nice. We took a few breaks but managed to get through the border and into Montreal at around 4:45pm.

Thursday:

We stayed at the W Montreal. It was a very funky hotel. I would highly recommend it because of its central location. We were able to check in and walk through Old Montreal and to the Old Port. I would recommend visiting both and walking around and enjoying the scenery. We went zip lining over the water at the Old Port. It was fast and fun.

We headed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. We ate at Chops; it’s a kosher Asian fusion restaurant. It came highly recommended but we weren’t very impressed. It tasted like a regular Chinese restaurant… We finished off the night at the Wunder Bar at the hotel.

Friday:

I had done my research and learned that Montreal is known for its bagels! They are different than a NY bagel but still delicious. We had a nice breakfast at District Bagel. Next we went to Mile End. It’s a neighborhood that is known for being very artsy with cool shops and delicious food. We really enjoyed walking into all the shops and the general atmosphere… It is a must see if you are into culture, shopping and the arts.

That afternoon we did a Craft Beer tour. In addition to bagels, Montreal is also known for its Craft Beer. The tour was a lot of fun! We went to 3 different bars and tired 6 different beers. I enjoyed 4 out of the 6 so I was very pleased.

We spent Friday night at the Chabad of Old Montreal. It was wonderful and a 4-minute walk from our hotel.

Saturday:

Saturday we enjoyed another meal at the Chabad and rested. The major boxing match with Mayweather vs. McGregor was on that night. So after getting pizza and poutine (another Montreal dish) from Pizza Pita we watched the match. I was actually surprised at how entertaining it was!

Sunday:

Sunday morning we took a 3-hour scooter tour. This was the highlight of my trip. I loved riding the scooter! Montreal is very bike friendly so I felt safe at all times. We had a wonderful guide who took us through all the artsy and neighborhoods. We visited the Jean- Talon Market and then headed to Mount Royal. At the top of Mount Royal we got to see a stunning view of the city’s skyline.

After the tour we did some more exploring of the murals. Montreal has a mural festival every summer so there are many beautiful paintings all around the city. We then picked up some food from Ernie and Elli for our drive home and hit the road. The drive back was beautiful with wonderful views of the Adirondack Mountains. We picnicked at a rest stop and made it home by 10:30pm. Just in time for me to prepare my things for my first day of school!

I would highly recommend visiting Montreal. Obviously you don’t want to go when it is freezing outside. You need to be able to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere without freezing your butt off. But it is a perfect place for a long weekend get away. If you have any more questions about this trip please comment below and subscribe to my blog so that you never miss a post!

Cheers,

Batsheva