Breathtaking places 'through America'
You have worked as if there were no tomorrow throughout the year to deserve this vacation. But it's only 15 days and you have to spend a few with the in-laws in benidorm . Time is upon you and you want to see new and different places than the office. Do not worry, If you are one of those who keep the best of each place in record time, Canadian roads are made for you.
**DAY 1. MANHATTAN TO BOSTON**
It is not bad to start the journey in New York . Once you've done the required walk down Fifth Avenue with a bagel in your hands, it's time to drive about four hours to reach the first destination: Boston.
Okay, this isn't Canada, but keep it between us, because the capital of the New England region it is history and culture and you eat tremendously well.
History, culture and good food. Welcome to Boston!
Founded by newly arrived Puritans from England in 1630, it is one of the oldest and most a higher cost of living than the United States.
Before entering Boston, and whether or not you are a fan of Love Story, you have to visit a university that may sound familiar to you: Harvard. It may look familiar to you the oldest institution of higher education in the United States (established in 1636), for having 47 Nobel laureates among its graduates, former students like Bill Gates and JFK or for having one of the lowest admission rates in the world, 4.59%.
The campus is in Cambridge , a small town separated from the city of Boston by the Charles River. Red brick, white columns and Georgian Revival houses are the hallmark of a quiet community and nothing overwhelming , in which magnificence is left to minds. Each Saturday free guided tours are offered, so you have no excuse! Who knows if you will come across a future Nobel?
Once in Boston, a great way to start is to try one of the typical recipes of the area. Yes, in the United States there are traditional dishes beyond the Big Mac. It is the New England Clam Chowder , a clam and potato cream that brings anyone back to life. try it on Boston Chowda Co. . you will find it in Quincy Market , a 'gastromercado', a National Historical Monument that dates back to 1825 and that houses 18 restaurants and 35 food stalls.
Harvard campus
If you have room for a lobster roll , ahead! You'll be back in the gym when the holidays are over.
Digest by visiting, now yes, old downtown boston . The English influence is evident in its architecture, in the Victorian buildings, in the stone and the balconies.
you can tour the Freedom Trail, a 4 kilometer guided route that passes through 16 historical places in the city. You can also do it on your own, starting at the State House and following the red brick path – the yellow ones we leave to Dorothy.
tour commonwealth avenue to check the standard of living of the wealthiest residents and Newbury Street for shopping and posh restaurants.
Wherever you go, do what you see, so soak up Boston's love of culture at ** Boston Public Library , the first major library to open to the public in America.** If you go in the summer, check the schedule because the inner courtyard of the building serves as a stage for concerts.
Well, you've made it through day one! Rest in the ** Stay Alfred apartments on Garrison Street ** and gather strength for tomorrow, when it's time to cross the Canadian border.
Boston Public Library
**DAY 2. FROM BOSTON TO QUEBEC**
Wake up insultingly early, because about seven hours await you (not counting the border crossing and technical stops) all the way to Quebec, the cradle of culture and identity French in the country.
The journey is worth it the boreal forest of elms and oaks, by the blue of the maples… Try to be a co-driver and don't hesitate to stop breathe pure, pure air.
Prepare to not even blink in amazement when you enter the city. Take advantage of **the evening hours to peek at the Château Frontenac ** and laugh at the Disneyland castle. Sleeping Beauty would grow long teeth with this hotel built in 1883 and designed to accommodate travelers on the luxury train arriving in Quebec.
Why not emulate Charlie Chaplin, Queen Elizabeth II or Grace Kelly and stroll within its walls? For photographers and instagramers, the best views are 'hunted' from the Citadel of Quebec. They say it is the most photographed hotel on the planet.
For dinner, nothing better than a soupe à l'oignon , a traditional onion soup, but even better. Canadians in this part of the country have a french heritage of a father and very good lord and the gastronomy was not going to be less. take it in The Continental , maybe a little old-fashioned, but a safe bet.
Château Frontenac and Laugh at Disneyland Castle
DAY 3. QUEBEC, SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
Even with a hangover from a story night, it's time to continue touring the only walled city in North America.
Why had no one told us about this wonder before? Divided into Upper and Lower Old Town, this 400-year-old street museum is a World Heritage Site pulse.
With village airs from northern Europe (narrow streets, 17th century houses, colored bricks, pointed church towers and silent squares) It's hard not to forget that you're in America. tell it to Spielberg , who chose her to shoot scenes of Catch Me If You Can , set in France.
quebec asks walk it without maps, but there are some essentials: the Petit-Champlain district , with one of the oldest shopping streets in the city; the Place Royale , the site of the first settlement in New France; the church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires and the Terrasse Dufferin , an esplanade on the San Lorenzo River.
For history lovers, the 18th century Citadelle it was the defensive line against possible American attacks. Today it is a military base and the changing of the guard It is at 10:00 a.m. each day.
Before embarking on your trip to Montreal, you can stop by the island of Orleans, a retreat 15 minutes from the city in which there are only apple orchards, porches with wooden chairs, houses with gardens, smiling neighbors and trees.
Saint-Paul Street in Montreal
You know you're going back to Quebec but, for now, take the road again and blanket and drive three hours to Montreal.
When you arrive, acclimatize in the best way: eating! Here's one of the hottest culinary moves in North America, and one of our must-haves is Kinka Izakaya , a Japanese tavern downtown: we don't know how they manage to have those heavenly scallops.
DAY 4. MONTREAL, A MARRIAGE OF PERFECT STYLES
If anything defines Montreal, it is knowing merge your past with your present in a symbiosis of styles. keep that rural gesture , but it is both a contemporary metropolis.
A test? Under the old buildings is one of the most interesting places, especially for architecture lovers: the underground city. Underground, Montreal is a Gruyère cheese from 33 kilometers with 2,000 shops, lobbies, squares... All so that the inhabitants of this frozen part of the world can do their shopping without fear of freezing.
Old Montreal is a must see. In Saint-Paul Street we found the best representation of your european character , especially for the Basilica of Notre-Dame. Paradise must have these colors. Blue, gold, purple, green, yellow… We are not exaggerating when we say that it is one of the most beautiful temples we have ever seen.
Interior of the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal
Give the soles of your feet a little rest, if you can still feel them, with a bite of the famous Schwartz's Del i in the Carré Saint-Louis , a green space surrounded by rows of Victorian-era terraced houses.
You can use the proteins consumed in pedal along the lachine canal , which runs through the southern part of the city between old factories in true Copenhagen style . Or walk to the Mount Royal Park , the best place for sunsets from Kondiaronk Lookout . A perfect image for before going to sleep!
DAY 5. OTTAWA, THE CAPITAL
In just over two hours you will reach Ottawa , the capital of the country and the opposite of the stressful and asphalt life of the big capitals. Rather, Ottawa is a garden city, a neighborhood of single-family homes, trees and parks.
Take a walk, ride a bike or, if you already have your calves charged, enjoy a boat tour of the Rideau Canal , a water path that divides the city and has been a World Heritage Site since 2007. In winter, it becomes the largest ice skating rink in the world.
Replenish vitamins in Play , the trendy restaurant, and then visit Parliament Hill , where they appear colossal Canadian Parliament buildings . Located on a promontory, overlooking the city, they seem to claim Ottawa's role as capital, saying “here I am. Do not underestimate me".
Parliament Hill and its colossal buildings
The House of Commons, the Senate, the Peace Tower (with spectacular views of the city) and the Library of Parliament they are an ode to the neo-gothic style of hand-hewn stone, pointed towers and copper roofs.
pry between boutiques, art galleries and local crafts and sample delicacies at the 19th-century market Byward Market . Do not miss the beavertails (beaver tails), elongated puff pastry covered with sugar and cinnamon. End the day from the terrace of the Canadian Museum of History for the best views of Parliament Hill and leave knowing you'll be back in Ottawa to visit.
DAY 6. TORONTO, THE MOST AMERICAN
The day starts early because you have ahead four and a half hours by car to leave the rest of Ottawa and arrive to Canada's most American destination.
toronto is one of the ten cities with the most skyscrapers in the world and there are more towers under construction and design than in Manhattan. They don't go around with little girls, go.
Among the 255 giants of architecture that shape its horizon, we are fascinated by the Dominion Center , made up of six towers that are an ode to minimalism and the simplicity of glass and steel. Nothing is ostentatious and, at the same time, everything is magnificent.
What do you see from the tallest tower in Toronto?
could not miss either the underground city. Enter through the Brookield Place office complex and be amazed by the Allen Lambert Gallery , designed by the ubiquitous Santiago Calatrava.
Many times we have heard that "what can you see from the tallest tower in Toronto?". Well, finally you can experience it! is the CN Tower , the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. settle for the panorama sheltered between crystals or release adrenaline in spurts with the EdgeWalk , consisting of walk around the tower, held by a harness.
For a taste of Toronto, head to **St. Lawrence Market**, which has been serving food since the 17th century. cheese, fish, meat... Although what you really have to try is the Peameal Bacon Sandwich, a Toronto classic. Grab it at **Carousel Bakery**. Don't look for the ingredients, let yourself be surprised!
Feed your Instagram feed with a photo in the Nathan Phillips Square , with the typical letters that form the name of the city, and let yourself be seen in Yorkville, the classy area of designer boutiques.
If what you want is architecture, the Distillery District is your best bet , with the largest collection of Victorian buildings in North America: almost 50 recently restored mid-nineteenth-century buildings that today house studios, art galleries, cafes...
And to sleep in style, The Drake Hotel , in the heart of second coolest neighborhood in the world, West Queen West , according to Vogue magazine.
Nathan Phillips Square and the photo that will make you increase your 'followers' on Instagram
DAY 7. NIAGARA FALLS
The last destination of this express trip through Canada has arrived. An hour and a half drive separates the city of steel from the most famous waterfalls in the world , with permission from Iguazú and Victoria.
Along the way, pass through the town of **Niagara-on-the-Lake , on the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario.** Surrounded by vineyards, it's one of the best-preserved 19th-century enclaves in North America and looks like it was designed to paint a picture. Flowers, horse carts, exuberant parks… A must stop!
Niagara Falls is a must see, it's that check on the map of places in America. And yes, they are impressive, especially considering that the jet of water that falls 64 meters high only represents between 50% and 25% of the flow of the Niagara River. The remaining flow is dedicated to the generation of hydroelectric power. The boat ride and the visit to the tunnels at the back of the fall , where it seems that the world is going to explode in a roar of water and rocks, you have to make them too.
Of course, do not expect a virgin area nestled in a forest of maples and redwoods, because the construction companies, especially the American ones, have already taken care of create a whole city of vacations, vices and enjoyment to the Marina D'Or. Casinos, restaurants, hotels, and revolving towers crowd the American shore. But, hey, let them take away the dance!
DAY 8. BACK TO MANHATTAN
Must drive for eight hours And saying goodbye to Canada is a bummer, yeah But fear not, because the spectacular landscape is still there, presided over by the Appalachian mountains.
Close your eyes, if you don't drive, sure! fix everything you have seen on the retina and start thinking about when you will return.
In the meantime, tell that posturing fan of the office all about it. Surely he has nothing to do with your Canadian road trip!
Niagara Falls