Travel Diary: Montreal

Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Let it Snow.

That was the mantra as we took off from New York City towards Montreal on the second leg of our #BlueWinterTour.

We were heading to . Unbeknownst to us the winter storm that was supposed to come while we were nicely tucked into our hotel started early and had begun to pick up speed and intensity right in our path. Our beautiful view of the Adirondack Mountains had become a blanket of white… literally a white out. Cars off the road left and right as we crept by at a whopping 20 miles per hour (thankfully our years of Michigan winter driving skills came in handy!) and finally arrived at our destination a good four hours later than intended.

Even with the late arrival, I cannot complain really. Our kids loved the whole experience, and frankly, it really was a memorable (and bonding) experience… and that’s what family travel is all about. We’ll be talking about driving through the mountain snow storm for years! Our three year old had never really seen snow so it was very moving to see and hear his reactions as we drove, the snow piling up around us. Between frequent stops, both to ensure safety and bathroom breaks, it all tallied up as something to be remembered. 

As we pulled into our hotel that evening, (one of our favorite chains) the Omni Mont-Royal in Montreal, everyone was more than ready to really check out the towering piles of white fluff outside. We quickly checked into our two room suite, which was absolutely amazing by the way and spaciously fit our large family, after which came a 45 minute thrill of elation while the children went over our room inch by inch – starting with an unbeatable view of Snow covered Montreal and Mont Royal they began to share the amenities they found, the things we always love about our Omni stays, from the kids packs to the cookies and milk left by the awesome staff. With very little prodding, we got all of our winter gear on and headed to find the nearby park just a few blocks away. The best part? They all couldn’t even wait, we exited the building and the littles all began to dive into the snowbanks formed right on the sidewalk! It took us 15 minutes of snow-pile diving and snowball throwing to walk a half a block. 

I smile even while writing this knowing that we were creating memories that not just myself but our entire family would remember for a lifetime, the snow angels in the park, the snow ball fights, the twinkling lights of the city under a still-falling veil of snow… and the space to relax and spread out in our long johns when sleep finally began to overtake our eyelids. 😉 The next day led us north about an hour to meet with some local friends in search of sledding and more snow festivities. Or course, we couldn’t venture up the mountain without enjoying a classic Québécois meal at a sugar shack! We journeyed to a restaurant called  Au Petit Poucet in Val David where this local favorite served hot chocolate while we waited. The wait was totally worth it. From the meat pies to poutine to pea soup to maple pie and maple lattes…. we were in foodie heaven.

This is a great must visit if your are ever near this area outside Montreal! Our friends planned this stop as it was right down the road from a great little place… Village du Père Noël. 

And you guys, it was FREEZING this day. Fa-Ree-Zing!!! But, we ventured on any way and I’m SO glad we did. This place was magical with the best, most realistic… okay maybe even with the real Santa sitting fireside with an elf hard at work. After the icy hill we had to climb in order to reach him, I’m thinking we may just have been to the North Pole, Santa’s North Pole that is. 

It didn’t take long for my little ones to explore the rest of the activities like tubing, train rides, sack sledding, reindeer petting and zip lines, it gave us hours of enjoyment despite the 15 degree temps. Though I will say, if it weren’t for the warming huts that kept us toasty as needed, we definitely wouldn’t have lasted. Aria even got in a good nap in the tent! After a full day we headed back to our cozy room to enjoy the hotel hot tub… It was calling our name after a long day in the snow. While our time in Montreal was quick after retreating with some local take out and a good night’s sleep, we woke up to set our eyes and vehicle towards Niagara Falls. It was the last stop before heading home on our #BlueWinterTour. I could have spent SO much more time in this city, and in fact, I’m anxious to get back and explore more of the city and downtown area.

We had so many great recommendations we couldn’t get to, so here are some additional spots wanted to share with you!…

Eateries: Jardin Nelson, Marche Atwater, Schwartz’s Deli, St-Viateur Bagel

Activities: Heart of Montreal Motorcoach Tour ($), Quebec City Tour & Montmorency Falls ($), Au Sommet Place Ville Marie Observation Deck ($), Stroll the Old Quarter, The lookout in the front of Chalet Du Mont Royal, Mont Royal Park, Bike Lachine Canal (summer!), Botanical Garden & Insectarium ($), Notre-Dame Basilica Montreal, Explore the Underground Pedestrian Network

Any places you want to add to this list for people to reference? Feel free to leave in the comment section:)

See our family travel guide to Nashville, New Orleans, Chattanooga and more in our TRAVEL section!

Thank you so much Omni Mont-Royal for making this trip possible! (Not a sponsored post, but our stay was provided!)