Is it Spring yet? Upon taking the trek up to Canada last week, all of us at CT Family Dentistry kept asking each other this very question. Not only were we driving 6 hours north, but we were also taking the plunge into single digit weather in a place very far from our Manchester dental office. Even though we were scraping the surface of what felt like the Arctic Circle, our team had an incredible time exploring a brand new place, trying authentic food, and spending every waking second together.
Our first full day in Montreal, we had huge plans to stroll down a festive and highly recommended neighborhood called Saint Laurent. After attempting to secure our understanding of the parking system in Montreal, we paid our fee, walked for a single block, and immediately had to go inside a furniture store to warm up. We ultimately decided that it was not humanly possible to walk around that day, with the relentless snow flurries and aggressive winds. Great combination.
So, we got back in the car and ventured off to find an underground mall; but not before stopping at “the best view of Montreal.” Dr. Rogers, the owner of our family Manchester dental office, and the lead driver of our caravan, couldn’t resist. Even though the view was a complete “white-out” due to the weather, we could see a tiny glimpse of the beautiful architectural delight of a city. Note to self that seemed to reverberate all weekend: Don’t come to Montreal in the winter.
The underground mall was as expected. We decided to divide and conquer hitting up stores like Zara, a book store, Starbucks (I know), various home goods stores, and a few gelato places. I even picked up a ginormous clock for my dining room that I’ve been searching for, for months! Julius even picked himself up a belt that he forgot while packing (oops!). Lauren and Tracey got pedicures to boot!
The next full day in Montreal, we signed up for an Escape Room. Almost all of us have never been to a place like this before, so we were certainly in for a treat. We split up into groups of 5- half went to the Mad Scientist Room, while the other half tried their hand at the Prison Break Room.
The Mad Scientist gang came so close to getting out of the room, but decided to blow themselves up in an attempt to follow the directions “out with the old, in with the new.” Wrong…so very wrong. The other group, starting off hand-cuffed, and in a cell, did their very best battling with numbers, keys, codes, and suspects, but did not make it out alive. We’re all excited to try this again in CT.
We finished up our weekend shopping at endless souvenir stores, stuffing our faces with local poutine, sampling delicious maple syrup, indulging in a five star restaurant experience, stopping at a gazillion local bakeries, playing tons of games and cards at the house, and of course hiding bacon in the car while crossing the border back into the United States. Nice, Dr. Rogers…nice.
In summary, we think it would be in your best interest to visit Montreal at least once in your lifetime….but do it in the warmer months. Trust us!
