ROAD TRIP DAY 3: MONTREAL

For the first time in a while we got to relax. Sleeping in till 11ish, then lounging around. Ramen noodles for breakfast. Chicken Salt flavored. I had some time to play with the gifs and photos I posted last time while Joe went for a run.

We didn’t make it out of the apartment until about 12PM. The next 12 hours however, would make up for the lazy morning. Giving up the perfect parking spot, we headed back into Old Montreal, or Vieux-Montréal, as it reads on the signs. To keep up with the trend from Toronto, we paid for parking twice. One would assume  that adding money to a parking meter would add to the allotted time. These machines started the transactions over completely. Might as well have a speaker attached that loops laugh tracks as money is added.

ROAD TRIP DAY 2: MONTREAL

Mileage: 349

Hours on Road: About 6

Provinces: 2

Also: Lots of Walking

Google Maps provides an illusion that this drive is rich with stunning scenery, and fresh lake air, and river-side views. The purple course outlines Lake Ontario, cuts through parks, rides along the 1000 Islands, and finally pushes through the Saint Laurence…and voila–Montreal. The reality is rather dull. This route mimics an American Interstate in its ability to bore a driver to death. Straight as an arrow (a really crappy, limp arrow), ON-401 E runs for most of the 6 hour drive from Toronto to Montreal.

ROAD TRIP DAY 1: NIAGARA + TORONTO

Milage: 606

Hours on the Road: 12

States/Provinces: 4

Also: 2 Busses, 4 Subways

(Just Before Crossing the Border- iPhone)

Quite a bit of driving in the first day. Starting by heading South to pickup a car, and then missing the next two important exits didn’t help either. Our first stop was Hawthorne, New York. Then, completely missing our exit for the Tapan Zee Bridge, took the George Washington into New Jersey. Heading straight North after that we reached Albany about 4 hours in. Albany is 1.5 hours away from our starting point.

From Albany on was all noticeable progress. The drive was simple and straight as I90 cut through farm after farm. Utica, Syracuse, and Rochester came and went–we kept driving with a balance of chasing the border and enjoying a timelessly free feeling–or libre feeling (libre being one of the two French words I have learned. The other is service, meaning service.)

(Making Lunch-iPhone)

We finally hit the Canadian border, handed over our passports, didn’t get a cool stamp and headed to Niagara Falls.

(Canadian Border-iPhone)

(Rainbow on the Falls-Canon 60d)

(New York Side-Canon 60d)

(Joe at Niagara-Canon 60d)

(Joe Eating the Rainbow-Canon 60d)

(A Whole Lotta Water-Canon 60d)

(Niagara Falls-iPhone)

From Niagara falls we drove through the center of Toronto to get to the apartment in Scarborough. After settling in we took a bus to the subway and the subway into downtown Toronto. We were lost most of the time and paid for the same subway twice, but in the end we were able to see a nice NY-esque area.

(Coming into Toronto-Joe on the Canon 60d)

(Exiting Toronto-Joe on the iPhone)