Tag: parks

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Travel

Montreal in a Day

Hello everyone!

Happy Wednesday! We are in the middle of the first full week of August. At the moment, I’m on vacation with my family, it’s a well-deserved break for all of us and we are making some quality memories together. I’ll be sharing more of my trip in the coming weeks, but until then, I have another travel post to tide you over. One that I couldn’t wait to share with you all! 

Several weeks ago, my boyfriend and I took another one of our crazy day trips. My boyfriend is a great trip planner, especially ones that are affordable and unique too. We also like to do our trips in a day, even if it means being up for more than 24 hours. 

Last summer, we did NYC in 13 hours, you can read about it here. We also did Toronto in a day, which you can read about here. 

This summer, we did Montreal in a day! It was one of our furthest destinations, but we packed a lot in, and I fell in love with the city and the culture. 

Here’s a recap of our trip.

We left in the evening and drove to Burlington, Canada where we caught a train into Toronto. The car ride was about 2.5 hours and then the train was about an hour. After making our way to Toronto, we hopped on an overnight bus into Montreal.

Arriving at the border
Arriving in the bus station the next day

We arrived bright and early before 6:00 in the downtown area, since most of the city was still asleep, we freshened up and dropped off our bags. My boyfriend discovered a gym that you can store your bags for the day, this was a huge help to us. We could still pack what we needed for our travels without having to worry about carrying them during the day.

After getting ready, we started exploring the downtown, metropolitan area and then ventured into the Old Port and historic Montreal.

This was one of my favorite parts of the day. The sun was rising, the city was quiet, and we could just take in the city.

We got breakfast at a little bakery and ate in the town square.

Between the French signs, old architecture and French being the most common language spoken there, I truly felt like I was in a different world, and I loved it.

We walked down by the pier and then made our way back to the old part of the town to tour the Notre Dame Basilica.

More views from our walk

It was a gorgeous church filled with vibrant colors and details. We went when they first opened so there were no lines. 

After our tour, we made our way towards the downtown area where we climbed up Mount Royal.

A look at what we had to climb

We walked everywhere through the day, so we definitely got our steps in. The hill was daunting and climbing up flights of steps was challenging at points, but the view was worth it.

The view from the top

We could see the entire city from the top. It was breathtaking, especially in the sunshine. 

After enjoying the view, we made our way to a park in Mount Royal where we rented a rowboat and enjoyed some time on the water. It was picturesque and VERY dreamy. I felt like I had my own “Notebook” worthy moment.

Such a beautiful park!

We spent some more time in the park and then made our way down the steps and hill, the walk down was much easier.

The homes were gorgeous!

We stopped for lunch at a little shop and enjoyed our food in a nearby park.

Lunch in a park

 We walked back down to the water and enjoyed some more time in the city.

A look at the city from the water.

We also popped into a few shops, bought some souvenirs, and enjoyed some music in a town square too.

All the shops were so cute and quaint!

 We grabbed our bags and then made our way back to the bus station where we began our journey home.

Back at the station

Here’s a look at our final stats of the day when it comes to the mileage. 

There were some delays for the return trip, but that was all a part of the adventure. We got back very early in the morning and took the day to catch up on sleep and get our lives back in order. 

Although there was a lot of travel involved and many different modes of transportation, it was so worth it. My boyfriend and I love exploring new places and traveling, especially on a budget. He does an incredible job at planning and truly thinks of everything. I’m not sure where our next adventure will be, but I’m sure it will be a whirlwind. 

Until next time, Montreal!

Tell me: where are some of your favorite places to travel to? Bonus points if they can be done in a day! Although, I will be still away, I will have  a Friday Favorites post for you! I hope you are having a great week! See you back here on Friday! Happy August!

Categories
Fabulous living

Inexpensive Date Ideas


Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all staying warm and cozy as we make our way through January. Many people may make New Year’s Resolutions and goals and for some it may be to save money. I know after the holiday and shopping season, I’m looking to stay in and save more. 


Today, I’m sharing some fun and inexpensive date ideas. I still enjoy having fun and doing things with my boyfriend or best friends without breaking the bank. It can also be hard to find things to do in the dead of winter, so I hope these give you some inspiration for fun. So, without further ado, here’s some fun and inexpensive date ideas.

Walks: Head out to your favorite park or try a new destination for a walk. This FREE activity gets you outside and moving, it also shows you the beauty in your own backyard, and it lets you focus on conversations when you are getting to know someone or when you are catching up with friends. I love finding new parks and trails to try out with friends. It may seem daunting to do a winter walk if you aren’t a fan of the cold, but as long as you dress appropriately, you will be set.

No matter the season, walks are always a good idea

Movie and Board Game Day: This can be done at any point of the day, a Sunday morning, Saturday afternoon, or even a Wednesday night. Pick out some of your favorite board games or buy a new one to test out with your friends. If games aren’t up your alley, pick out a new movie that’s been on your list of things to watch, pop some popcorn and buy some candy and enjoy a movie night at home. This is a fun way to unwind and relax at home without breaking the bank.

Snacks and a movie are always a good idea.

Use the Gift Cards: Did you get gift cards for Christmas that are still sitting in your wallet? Use them! Whether it’s for a dinner out, a coffee, or even an activity, like a movie. Plan an event using that gift from someone else. Although, it’s fun to go to a favorite spot, if you got a gift card to someplace new, give it a try, who knows it may become a new favorite spot.

One of the times when we used a gift card to a favorite restaurant.

Take a Drive: This is a great idea for mild, winter days. Cue up a playlist, grab some fun snacks and hit the road, you can have a place in mind or just choose a direction and drive. In times like these, it’s more about the journey as opposed to the destination. Sometimes, there’s nothing better than the open road and having some good conversations. 

A beautiful day for a drive.

Spend Some Time in the Kitchen: Whether you love to cook or bake or it intimidates you, try out a new recipe, you may discover that you have found a new hobby. I have been testing out some new recipes and I have been loving the results. Here’s a pro-tip, besides looking up recipes online or on Pinterest, head to your local library and check out some cookbooks and try out some recipes from there. It can be scary to test out some recipes in the kitchen, but you may find that the results are better than you thought.

I spent a morning looking through some cookbooks to pick out new recipes and I can’t wait to try them.

That’s just a look into some inexpensive date ideas that can keep you busy and entertained without worrying about blowing your budget. Tell me: what are some of your favorite inexpensive date ideas.