When looking for a place to travel with the family consider Montreal, Canada. Drivable from many Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, the city offers a less expensive option to Europe, while providing as many opportunities for immersion into a different culture, language, and local flavor as flying to another continent might.
Underground City
While Canada has many vacation spots to choose from, none can claim the expansive underground city that is unique to Montreal. Spanning over 20 miles, the underground city, which is not actually entirely underground, links multi-level shopping malls, buildings, restaurants, and metro stations with clean, brightly lit tunnels. During the harsh weather of winter, the underground city provides respite for more than 500,000 people daily on their way to work, shop, or just spending the day out of the cold.
The Biodome
Montreal's Biodome allows families to tour four ecosystems under one roof; a tropical rain forest, the Laurentian Maple Forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the sub-polar regions of the Americas. More than a zoo or museum, the Biodome actually reproduces the seasons of the year inside, the only facility in the world to do so. Closed for several months during 2010 due to labor disputes, the Biodome reopened in December, 2010. It attracts approximately 900,000 people a year.
Jardin Botanique de Montreal (Montreal Botanical Gardens)
Don't dismiss this attraction thinking it's just another big garden. Montreal's botanical gardens is one of the world's largest, home to more than 22,000 plant species spread across thirty themed gardens and ten greenhouses. The Japanese gardens is a must see, housing a collection of bonsai trees that range from 25 to 350 years in age.
Cuisine
Montreal offers one of the most ethnically diverse sampling of restaurants of any similarly sized city. Italian, Greek, Jewish, and Lebanese restaurants can be found doors away from each other. No visitor to the city should miss trying out a smoked meat sandwich (similar to corned beef) with a side of poutine, a staple in Montreal. Poutine, which was created in Quebec, is a sinful combination of fries, cheese curds, and gravy.
Don't forget to follow any meal up at any one of the delicious bakeries serving crepes, cupcakes, or of course maple syrup confections.
Although many American chains can be found in the area, some of the best deals are at smaller boutique hotels. For a family of four, the Hotel du Fort, for example, is less expensive than most per night for suites that allow parents to stay in one room and kids to sleep on a comfortable, full size pull out sofa in another. Each room has its own bathroom and the living area has a fridge, cabinets, dishes, and a table to eat at. For those on a budget, this allows you to shop at one of the many local supermarkets and eat at least one meal in the room without having to sit on the sofa.
Meredith Laden - As a mom to two teenage daughters, a school counselor, and former behavior specialist for wraparound services, I've encountered just about ...
