Special occasions call for special adventures. This past weekend marked my 10th wedding anniversary, so I entrusted the ever capable Condo Guy Team to help our many buyers and sellers navigate the booming Vermont Condo market and headed north to beautiful Montreal.
Only 95 miles separate Burlington, VT from Montreal, QC and the trip can be made in 2 hours by car. The time taken can vary depending on border traffic. In the event increased border traffic is likely, I recommend trying one of the more rural crossings at Morses Line or Alburgh. They'll add miles to your trip, but it's a terrific way to see more remote parts of Northern Vermont and Southern Quebec. Don't forget to bring your passport! https://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/cross-us-borders
Things to Do: Just Walk/Bike!
Montreal is alternatively known as "The City of Festivals" and it's nearly impossible to walk around the city without coming across a world-class event in progress. During the course of our 24-hour trip, we encountered a triathlon, thousands of immaculately costumed anime superfans, a tremendous fireworks display and stunning public art. I'm a firm believer in ditching plans when traveling and just walking around interesting places and waiting for happy accidents. If walking isn't your thing, take advantage of Montreal's amazing public bike system, Bixi. Montreal offers easily navigable bike lanes throughout the city offering for ease of travel.
Places to Go
Montreal is filled with many varied and distinct neighborhoods and we barely scratched the surface in our short trip but found a unique flavor in the few that we visited including Old Montreal, The Plateau, The Gay Village, and Downtown.
There's so much to see and do in Montreal. I can't wait to return to explore more. I could write a whole series of entries regarding the incredible restaurants, bars, hotels, museums and galleries that the city offers. On our short trip, we ate a lovely dinner with friends at their home, had a hotel breakfast and grabbed quick, economical sandwiches and salads for lunch at a couple of the city's great and countless Pret a Manger (ready to eat) spots.
What I'm Reading
Influence by Robert Cialdini - A fascinating read on the science of persuasion and what causes we, humans, to do what we do. Based on empirical evidence yet communicated in an accessible manner.
Musings
Great things can be accomplished at any time during the day.
