This blog post captures the things that we did, lessons that I’ve learned and other goodies. I also share some recommendations and highlights 🙂
Our first stop was in Chicago. We stopped there for a night and stayed at a wonderful Airbnb (click here to check out the exact place that we stayed). Myles and I couldn’t venture off on our own much but that’s alright~ my family loves visiting different Chinatowns so the first place we went to was a Dim Sum in Chicago’s vibrant China Town. Dim Sum is a Chinese breakfast made to go deliciously with tea. Beware, there’s not a lot of vegan options unless you go to a specific Dim Sum with a vegetarian heavy menu (usually these are in places like Toronto, not really common I’ve noticed in smaller cities)
We then took an uber to downtown Chicago where we visited the Bean (that’s a given) and we even ran into a free orchestra event. It was close to sun set so the vibes and energy of the city combined with the softness of the setting daylight created such a magical atmosphere.
Next stop- Mississauga, Ontario.
We traveled an extra 8 hours to a town just outside of Toronto to visit and stay at my mom’s BFF’s place.
We stayed there for the weekend to celebrate at a wedding and got to visit oriental super markets and eat A LOT of asian inspired dishes. There was a lot of eating and staying up late the first few days in Canada, it’s always a trip with my cousins 🙂
I also found out that I could use my Planet Fitness pass in Canada so during one of those days, Myles and I snuck off in the morning to go get sweaty. It felt so good to move my body, I was actually really craving it after the long road trip there.
Next stop- Montreal, Quebec.
Our goal was to get to Quebec City but we decided to stay a night in Montreal, we got there in time to be able to walk to the China Town there and have dinner. I’m tellin ya, we visited a lot of Chinatowns.. The next morning we were off to Quebec City.
Next stop- Old Quebec, Quebec
Now this was by far my favorite place that I’ve visited on the trip. The town was full of richness and European vibes. The whole province spoke french so it was like being overseas.
If you visit Quebec City, I highly recommend going to old Quebec. There you’ll find narrow ally ways full of cafes, shop and good eats. We took photos, shopped, walked around, ate dinner at Spag & Tini and took a double decker ride across town (I highly recommend doing the double decker… just make sure the weather is going to cooperate lol. but the rain actually made it even more fun).
My absolute favorite thing I ate there was at Le Chic Shack. There salads and Vegan Poutine was literally one of my favorite meals of all time. SO good and SO local.
We stayed at the Hilton hotel after finding a really good deal for a night stay on Hotwire.
Then next day…
Off to Toronto!
On the last leg of our trip, we went back to Mississauga to take time to explore the big city of Toronto. We walked to the CN tower from our parking spot in China Town (shocker lol). Walking by foot is the way to do it in a big city. It also makes it way fun if you’re with a big group.
We ended up not going up the CN tower for the views but it was a cool place to walk around. We ended up (oddly enough) at a Bluejay and Twins baseball game so the streets were packed!
Afterwards, we made our way back to China Town to shop for little gifts and eat. There, I also had the best bubble tea and matcha from Icha. We then ate at Saigon, a cute little Vietnamese restaurant for dinner.
Next stop..Niagara Falls.
It was bustling and… misty! It’s a must see. If you travel there, I highly recommend going to the Canadian border side. That’s where you’ll find the best #views. And take the boat tours if you can! Best $26 (per person) spent!
Lessons I’ve learned:
- travel pillows are amazing and they’re a must for road trips
- workout not because you have to but because you WANT to. move your body but relax a bit with the schedules.
- as long as it’s vegan, indulge a bit with your meals and don’t worry too much! IT’S A VACATION!
- create fun little “vlogs” on your phone, even if it won’t ever pop up anywhere else on the internet. It’s such a great way to look back and reminisce later on.
- take breaks! slow down and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with those around you or things to do.
- pack light and versatile clothes. always.
- don’t bring big jug of protein powder, it won’t be used but if I do want to, I should but in small and travel friendly containers
- always have a refillable water bottle on hand
- get airbnb’s that are superhosts or actually look at reviews 🙂 enough said..
- soak in all the goodness of vacation! it’s all temporary anyways.
vacation is magical and all but I’m a HOMEBODY 100%. By the 8th day, I was ready for green smoothies and naps in my own bed. Plus, we didn’t have Opie with us so it was tough. Overall, traveling makes me appreciate my daily life and it reminds me of what’s really important — family, fun and good eats 🙂
xo
Bella
