For me, the drive to Canada is a little under six hours, so I was very excited to make a road trip to the beautiful city of Montreal for a long weekend. The city is absolutely spacious, beautiful, and full of different things to do. The summer time in mid-June was absolutely gorgeous. Below, I will share some neighborhoods and activities that we managed to hit during our stay.
Little Burgundy –
We spent the first night eating out in Little Burgundy. Here is where I noticed the trend of restaurants filling the roads with cute outdoor patios. The one we decided on was called the Burgundy Lion. It was recommended on a bunch of blogs, so that’s why we checked it out. I ordered the portabella mushroom burger and it was absolutely fantastic!
LaSalle –
We visited this area of town because we had a white water rafting trip scheduled. The parks around the rafting place were absolutely gorgeous and I can definitely imagine planning a picnic in this area. You have great biking trails and a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River.
Old Port –
We stumbled upon Old Port after checking out Anticafe, a super cool cafe that breaks the rules of a traditional coffee spot. There are lots of cool events going on at that place; the one we did was life drawing with live music!
The Old Port is filled with little street stalls (none with interesting products), lots of walking areas, food trucks, and outdoor activities. We noticed an adult playground, zip-lining station, outdoor ropes course, and paddle boats.
You can spend lots and lots of time here. You can pay for parking in the area, but I recommend finding cheaper/free parking nearby.
Not to mention, the Notre Dame is in this area. Definitely be sure to check out this beautiful church!
Mile End –
Mile End is a thrift shopper and foodies’ fantasy alike. This long strip is made up of loads of awesome small businesses and you can spend hours walking around.
If you’re not enjoying the stores, you can be sure to enjoy the street art. It’s the perfect shopping district!
Gay Village –
If you want to have a great night out, be sure to check out Gay Village. Originally, we went to Crescent Street based on recommendation, but the bars didn’t compare to Complexe Sky, a three story club with a rooftop bar.
You can spend hours and hours dancing there, exploring each floor to find a new experience. When you need a break, you can hit a few other bars that have some awesome drag performances!
Montreal was truly a surprise for me since I had zero expectations. It’s so big and full of so many great things. It was such a beautiful city – I would be more than happy to take another drive up for a visit.
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