Real Girls Go Rock Climbing

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm usually up for almost any sort of adventure. Naturally, when the opportunity to try rock climbing came up, I didn't even bat an eyelash . I met up with Chase, an experienced rock climber (and Honda Fit lifestyle ambassador) on a crisp fall Sunday morning and we set off in the all new 2015 Honda Fit! For such a little car I was surprised by the amount of pep and power it had on the highway! I was even more impressed with the super cool technology in this sweet little ride. It has blind spot cameras so when you changed lanes it showed a display of what was beside you. The dash had a very modern look with a fully integrated touch screen for all your entertainment needs and it even had a handy USB port so I could educate Chase on the finer points of quality country music! With lots of room for our climbing gear, and some sweet tunes, we were ready for the adventure ahead!

First stop was a great hike through the hills of Mount Nemo. Mount Nemo is part of Halton Parks, and I'll tell you, this hike proved to have some of the best views I've seen. It was a wonderfully clear day and I swear I could see my house from up there! It amazes me how very lucky I am to live in such a beautiful province. 

After our hike at Mount Nemo, we jumped back in the Fit and were on our way to Rattlesnake Point. Yes, the name is terrifying and makes one think of the dark area you can see from Pride Rock in the Lion King. "You must never go there Simba," yeah, well Moufasa, I went there. I would say this place is not quite as scary as the name implies. After a VERY twisty, turny (don't underline that in red spell check, I know that's not a word, but I'm using it anyway) and again twisty drive up, we arrived at Rattlesnake Point!

It was at this point the real fun began! We met up with our climbing guides, Dan and Karen from Zen Climb. They were very patient with me and helped me get my gear situated. My partner in climb, Karen, was very patient and extremely encouraging. There are a couple fantastic videos you can check out on my instagram @hmac158 The long and short of this is that I discovered 2 things on this beautiful crisp fall morning: 1 - rock climbing is hard! 2 - I have a fear of heights. Thanks to Karen I was able to work through some of that fear - at one point when I was really, really high up, (okay, it was only about 6 ft up a large rock face) I asked her "Has anyone got to this point and just said, "Ya know what? I'm good with this, I'm done.'" She simply responded, "Nobody." "Okay cool... I'm just gonna keep going." I made it to a ledge about 40 ft up and only had one other minor freak out when it was time to head back down (again video is on my instagram @hmac158). 

After completing my great Ontario rock climb, I decided to call it a day. Chase continued to climb a bit longer, as it appears he may had done it once or twice before. Despite my minor little freak outs, I had an incredible time and am so happy I had the opportunity to take part in this adventure. I love this beautiful province I call home and it was amazing to have this adventure to see it in a completely new and wonderful way! I definitely need to give a shout out and a great big THANK YOU to the people at Zen Climb! They were fantastic and they never let me give up. If you too are up for any adventure, I highly recommend braving the rock faces of Rattlesnake Point. 

Now what kind of post would this be of mine without a few selfies? After all that climbing and hiking we definitely built up quite the appetite, lucky for us a Beavertail food truck was in the park that day! Mmmm Beavertails! Thanks for being a great guide that day Chase, and thanks for putting up with all my picture taking!

If you're interested in rock climbing, or even just checking out these beautiful spots for hiking, picnics or camping, you can visit the links below:

http://www.conservationhalton.ca/rattlesnake-point

http://www.conservationhalton.ca/mount-nemo.

Special thanks for Honda Canada for sending Chase and his fancy Honda Fit and organizing the day!

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5 Tips For Starting a Succesful Homebrew

Our kettle, home made wort chiller and a couple frothy glasses of Lower Thompsonville Rouge (LTR).

The line between passion and obsession is often blurred. Never has that been more true than when I dove into homebrewing. What started as a weekend hobby to brew a couple of cases has occupied most of my down time this past few weeks. Now that things in the Real Man Travels brewery are operating smoothly, its time to drop some knowledge on the would-be brewmasters amoung the Real Man Travels faithful.

But first, a short quiz to see if homebrewing is for you:

1: Do you like beer?
YES - you should brew beer!
NO- see question 2

2: Do you you like cooking/baking?
YES - you should brew beer!
NO- see question 3

3: Do you enjoy science experiments?
YES- you should brew beer!
NO- see question 4

4: What the hell is wrong is wrong with you? In truth, I should have asked this after you said NO to question 1.

Taking a gravity reading before fermentation can help determine alcohol content.

Now that we've weeded out those who cannot be trusted, I'm going to be using some brew lingo in these tips (yes, brewing has its own special language to make things more complicated fun.) Luckily, the internet is smarter than us all. I recommend John Palmer's How To Brew to help you make sense of it all. Now that we are all ready, here's my five tips for starting a successful homebrew

Tip 1: Do yourself a favour and buy a starter kit. The fine people over at Toronto Brewing and Ontario Beer Kegs have several packages to choose from ranging from a simple extract brewing set up to the more advanced "all grain" set ups. Basically you wind up with everything you need to get your new obsession rolling.

A cold water bath is a primitive way to bring the wort down to "pitching" temperature.

Tip 2: Buy the biggest brew kettle you can find/afford. Fact: you can boil five gallons of water in a 10 gallon pot, but you cant boil 10 gallons of water in a five gallon pot. The last thing you want to do is out grow your kettle (its really just a big pot) shortly after your purchase. That said, you also don't need to drop a g-note on a 55 gallon kettle when you are only making five gallons of beer. If you decide five gallon extract brewing is for you, then get a six gallon kettle (20% extra to prevent boil over).

The wort chiller at work in Sir Fredericks' Ale.

Tip 3: Clean like your life depends on it. If there's one thing that will crush your homebrew dreams it will be poor sanitation. Everything needs to be cleaned and sanitized to hospital standards to ensure your beer's success. I can't stress this enough. no cutting corners. Use a high quality sanitizer like Star San.

Tip 4: Know your yeast. Yeast plays a very important roll in your beer's journey from boiling water to delicious nectar of the gods. Each variety of yeast may shape your beer's flavour differently, but it will also require a certain optimal condition to "get things moving." Temperature is an important factor to take into consideration. Some yeasts require 55 -71 degrees Fahrenheit where others can be happy right up to 100 degrees. You can "start" your yeast to ensure everything is alive and kicking before adding it to your wort. To do this add a table spoon of sugar to a cup of water and boil it. When it has cooled to "pitching" temperature (65F-100F depending on the yeast you've chosen) add half of your yeast package and cover. in 5-10 minutes you should see some activity. three days into fermentation add the remainder of the yeast. This will help prevent coming home to an awful mess, as well as ensure you have plenty of active yeast for bottle carbonation.

Fermenting a batch. A blow off tube can prevent an awful mess.

Tip 5: Patience, young grasshopper. After you brew you will want to try your beer - that's only natural. However, make sure your fermentation has finished before moving onto bottling (or kegging!). Then of course you will want to pop a top on one of your creations as soon as you feel its ready to go. This will again test your patience as every day of carbonation adds more flavour to your beer. As a rule of thumb give your beer a minimum of two weeks from bottling day you sample it. This should allow for adequate carbonation. If it doesn't taste quite right, leave it for another week.

There you have it. Just enough information to make you dangerous at your local home brew supply shop. If you have any questions please feel free to ask; if you've got some tips for us, we'd love to hear from you!

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Camping with an Infant: Let's Go RVing!

A post by Scott F

After an awesome experience camping with our infant son utilizing Ontario Parks’ roofed accommodations, my wife and I were excited to try another alternative to tent camping that would allow us to keep our outdoor lifestyle alive while maintaining our baby boy’s comfort, and thus our sanity.

Yup, this guy.

This time we connected with Go RVing Canada - the definitive source for all things motorhome, camper, trailer, hauler and park model recreational vehicle-related in our fair land - to try our hand at RVing. Our destination: the beautiful Bruce Peninsula.

I spoke with Chris Mahony, Executive Director at Go RVing Canada about camping with an infant in an RV: "My wife and I are big travelers and we love to camp. As we got older and kids came along, RVing made so much sense. It's a perfect choice for those who have a propensity for the outdoors, but also have to consider all the needs of their kids." 

We picked up our rig in Hamilton at Outdoor Travel. The guys took us through every utility, gadget, tool and convenience of our Class C 23 foot Forest River Sunseeker motorhome (the first option on Outdoor Travel's rental webpage), of which there were many. They had us feeling very comfortable by the time we embarked. When packing up we quickly realized the first huge perk of RVing with a baby: storage! The living areas offer plenty of cabinets and closets for everything you regularly need, while the storage areas at the back and side of the motorhome allow you to keep everything else out of the way. Any parents know that playpens, feeding chairs and car seats can leave you feeling claustrophobic in small spaces, so being able to pack them away was absolutely perfect.

Our rig!

The motorhome provided convenient anchor points for our car seat as well, allowing us to quickly affix our seat and remove it when not required. Fighting with a car seat can be frustrating - particularly when only the seat belt options are available - so having these anchors was a huge relief.  

The car seat buckles right into the RVs bench seat.

I went ahead and broke one of my key rules for camping with an infant from my first article: travelling farther than four hours away. My wife had never been to Bruce Peninsula National Park and my eagerness to share it with her bested my better judgement. Wesley did okay on the long drive, sleeping in fits, but the distance got the better of him and an extended crying tirade forced us to make an extended stop on route, delaying our arrival.

We arrived at our destination after dark and were thankful for the minimal set-up that the RV required. All we needed to do was plug in the power cord, attach the water hose and we had a fully functional house on wheels. We used the complete kitchen, equipped with fridge, stove, sink and microwave to prepare dinner for ourselves and Wes, and were able to grab a shower in the RV’s three piece bathroom! How perfect is that!

The next day we checked out the park. We stayed for three nights at Summer House Park, located 20 minutes south of Tobermory on Miller Lake. This immensely picturesque and tranquil park offers 235 campsites including full services sites for RVs. We got the chance to speak with Darcy, whose family has owned the park since it opened over 60 years ago. She explained the family orientation of the park, mentioning the many kids programs and activities including inflatable water toys on the lake, organized and drop in games, guided hikes, evening entertainment, boat rentals and a full playground. Most of the activities only run during the summer but Darcy’s explanation got us pumped to bring Wes back when he’s a little older.

We packed up the RV and spent the day in Tobermory, capping off our visit off with a glass bottomed boat tour of Fathom Five Marine Park and Flowerpot Island with Blue Heron Tours.

Ship wreck near Tobermory

 

The famous flowerpots of Flowerpot Island

We got back to Summer House in the late afternoon and spent the waning daylight hours at the beautiful beach.

With one night in the RV under our belt we were becoming more confident with the set-up. The 23 foot unit we were provided didn’t leave a lot of room for the playpen that we brought for Wes to sleep in. With a little ingenuity, we were able to lower the kitchen table and place the playpen on the benches, keeping the walkway to our bed clear. This allowed us to put Wes to bed and have a campfire without worrying about waking him when we retired for the evening. We would still recommend a larger motorhome to provide additional room for a playpen for those camping with an infant.

Our bed, we were shocked to find, was one of the most comfortable we had ever slept in! Better than an air mattress any day.

The next day we made our way to Cyprus Lake Campground in Bruce Peninsula National Park to check out the astounding rock formations. We were blown away by the crystal clear blue water. Cyprus Lake Campground accesses one of the most beautiful natural sites in all of Ontario: the grotto. Pictures are the only way to tell this story.

Check out that water!

The Grotto!

We hiked the full loop of trails that join the Bruce Trail, stretching along the Georgian Bay coastline. Steph found the Horse Lake side trail to be a little treacherous with Wes strapped to her, but she pushed through, carefully.

We spent another night by the campfire enjoying the peaceful park as Wes slept soundly. We had intended to embark early the next morning but got held up by an over-tightened flange on our sewer line (pure newb RVer move). We received eager help from some of our fellow RVers and from the park staff.

When I mention the help we received, Chris said it was par for the course when it comes to RVers. "RV parks are amazing communities," he explained. "RVers seem to always be approachable and willing to help."

The only downfall of RVing, we found, is cost. Rentals usually come with limited kilometers which restrict the ability to go very far without paying extra fees. As expected, the rig also went through a fair bit of gas. That said, the combination of convenience, comfort and features, I think, make the cost worth every penny. I’m told a tow behind option may be an even more economical way to go.

An RV is another excellent option for new parents who don’t want to give up their outdoor lifestyles. The ability to maintain temperature (RVs have both air conditioning and heat), bring everything you need, control light, prepare food and bottles, and provide a safe environment for baby to play all add up to a peaceful relaxing vacation.

"There are so many reasons why people choose RVs," explains Chris. "Once you have the RV travel costs are quite low, up to 76 per cent less than other trips! You also have increased freedom and flexibility and are able to pick up at a moment's notice and go wherever you want. That's something you don't get with a cottage."

If you are considering RV for rent or purchase check out Go RVing Canada's website. They have a variety of tools to help choose the right option for your situation. They also provide trip planning information including campground listings, routes and packing lists.

Big thanks to Chris and everyone at Go RVing Canada for setting us up on this trip. We can't wait to go again!

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This Week in Beer - Ale-induced Anecdotals Part Three

A post by Scott F

Continuing our tradition of bringing you all that's weird and wonderful in the world of beer; check out the stories below to find out what's new with the true nectar of the gods. 

Delirium Tremens Finds its Way onto Ontario shelves

Once there was an absolutely fantastic beer with an absolutely terrible name. That beer was Delirium Tremens, and until last week Ontario’s beer retail monopoly, The Beer Store, had refused to allow it on store shelves. Delirium Tremens refers to the shaking symptoms alcoholics get during withdrawal. To further the analogy, the bottle also features a pink elephant reminiscent of the hallucinations that may be experienced alongside “the shakes.”

Naming a substance after the symptoms one who is addicted to that substance might experience when trying to kick that substance, is a little offside. Sadly, it’s a beer that’s tough to hate. Stuart Kallen gave it the number one spot in his book The 50 Greatest Beers in the World, and yes, it is that good. I found a glass at Pauper’s Pub a couple weeks back and this bold, toweringly fruity Belgian strong ale packs flavours of honey, clove and plum into its 8.5 ABV frame.

More here.

Paying Alcoholics with Beer… Why Didn’t I Think of That! Oh Wait...

Those cleaver Germans have devised to pay homeless alcoholics in food, beer and cigarettes to clean up their cities. Okay, I’ve perhaps overplayed how ridiculous this sounds, as it’s actually a pretty sound project. In exchange for sweeping streets, these folks receive a structured environment which allows for modest alcohol intake. 

Read more.

Does Your Beer-making Kit include Volcanic Rocks?

Garage Project out of New Zealand is redefining extreme brewing with every batch. Pushing boundaries is the name of the game, and they do that in spades. One of their beers needs the purest seawater requiring a submarine and professional diver to collect it. Another uses volcanic rocks to flash boil the wort. The wort is then poured through the rocks to caramelizes the sugars and give the beer distinction.

More on the Garage Project. 

Beer Makes You Smarter… I Knew It!

Scientists in Oregano State University  have identified a flavonoid found in hops and beer that increases brain function. Mice given large doses of this flavonoid (it’s just fun to say, flavonoid!) showed marked improvements in adapting to changes in their environments. I knew it! I knew it all along! 

One small caveat the study mentioned is that a human would be required to drink 2000 litres of beer a day to see benefits… well darn.

Ten to the power of five times more information.

The Great Beer Pipeline

A brewery in Belgium is planning to build a two mile beer pipeline under the cobblestone streets of Bruges. No, this isn’t a glorious smuggling operation, nor does it end in a magical beer waterfall. The pipeline will deliver the beer from the brewery to the bottling facility and will eliminate about 85 per cent of the town’s truck traffic.

Check out the story.

Know a cool story in the world of beer? Post it in the comments below. 

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10 Things You Need to Know for Your First Trip to Montreal

Having recently returned from an extended weekend in Montreal (original story here), I sat back and reflected on it as a whole. I had a lot of fun while there but also wished I had been given a heads up or researched deeper into things I'd need to know. With that in mind I have decided to share some things you need to know before you go.

10 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting Montreal

1. If you are driving, don't make a right turn at a red light. It’s illegal. I did know this going in, but after being so accustomed to doing this driving maneuver it was frustrating to be held up at the lights.

Don't turn that wheel to the right on a red light!

2. "Déppaneur" and "Couche-tard" is what you will be looking for when you need a convenience store. Also, beer is sold until 11pm in most of these stores! Awesome!

3. It's quite a small city, you can honestly walk 30 minutes in each direction from the core and be where the tourists want to be (the exception is Mount Royal Park). With that they also have an extensive Metro for any longer hikes.

4. If you are staying on a Sunday or Monday night plan to eat early. We learned the hard way that most bars and restaurants close at 10 or 11pm. Our saviour was Dunn's on Metcalfe south of St.Catherine on a Sunday night after walking around.

Smoked Meat Burger from Dunn's

5. St. Dennis has slightly better bars than Crescent. Crescent is cool with all of its patios and what not, but the slew of drunken McGill students really ruined the vibe for me. St. Dennis is a good 20 minute walk away and is loaded with brew pubs that take the art of beer seriously. Definitely a must area to crawl for beer enthusiasts.

6. If you need to leave the island of Montreal with a cab, good luck getting back. We used Uber to lure a cab driver to take us to a wedding across the river in Khanawake, but coming home took far more effort.  Which included a shuttle bus ride to a dilapidated motel where we woke up the concierge to call us a cab. $80 and an hour later we were back at our hotel.

Uber Logo

7. If you don't speak French fluently, don't speak it at all. Unlike most other places I've visited, Quebecers don't seem to thrilled that you tried to speak their language. If anything they seem frustrated. Montreal is a dual language city and you will be fine with just English. Off the island though...you're on your own.

8. Montreal is very bike friendly, if you have the opportunity bring or rent a bike and cruise around.

9. You cannot skip hiking in Mont Royal and taking in the stunning views of the city. You simply cannot.

10. This is silly but still important, Jean Coutu is a pharmacy, not a cheap clothing store. We overlooked this and spent far too long looking for a pharmacy when there was a bunch close by. Silly mistake.

There you have it, 10 things to make your visit to Montreal slightly better!  I hope that these tips will be beneficial on your first or next visit. Have any other tips? Let me know in the comment section below or on twitter.

Cheers,

Ed Arsenault

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Walk, Talk and Drink Beer with Local Tours Montreal

I recently visited Montreal with my girlfriend for a wedding (original post here) and we decided to make a weekend trip out of it to explore the city and what it has to offer. Any reader of Real Man Travels will know that we all love beer, so naturally I signed us up for a walking Brew Pub tour which Local Tours Montreal graciously let us participate in for free. The Brew Pub tour was hosted by our guide Phillipe Blouin (Phil) and he was extremely knowledgeable about beer and Quebec history. The tour would see us visiting 3 different establishments in Montreal and stopping off at local historic attractions. After it was all said and done, the tour was much different than I expected, but in a very good way.

Local Montreal Tours Logo and Brew Pub Tour Logo

I think it’d be important to first state the difference between a Brew Pub and a Micro-Brewery. As our guide Phil informed us, a micro-brewery makes and distributes their beer into SAQ, convenience stores, Beer stores etc, whereas a Brew Pub can only make and sell their beer on their premise. That means that all the beers I will describe below can only be found at each location! That is a pretty good enough reason to make sure you visit them if you are a beer lover!

Our first stop of the Brew Pub tour was L’amère à Boire located at 2049 Rue Saint-Denis. This establishment had a great classy rustic look to it and it was here that we met our group of 18 on the private terrace in the back. Our first beer of the day was a German Hefe Weizen; at the mention of this a lady from New York clapped in joy as it was her favourite type. Phil immediately put us to the test and asked us what fruit and spice we tasted in the beer. After all of us guessed wrong it was revealed that there was banana and cloves that created the spicy aroma and fruity taste. Our second beer tasting was a Czech Pilsner, the pride and joy of this establishment as the owner had gone through great lengths to acquire and maintain his yeast. I don’t want to spoil the great story behind the yeast but it involves communism in Europe and doomsday-esque storage, so be sure to listen up during the tour at this point.

One of the first beers we tried, obviously I had to be reminded to actually take a photo before drinking it all!

With two tasty beers down the gullet it was time to move on to Brew Pub number two. But first we made a pit stop at the Grande Bibliothèque (Grand Library) where Phil gave us a great rundown of Quebec’s history and why this building is so important to French heritage. After the history lesson we shuttled through an alley way filled with beautiful murals and ended up at our second stop of the day in the Quartier Latin at Le. Saint Bock.

Just a fraction of the group at Le Saint Bock drinking and eating.

Le Saint Bock, located at 1749 Rue Saint-Denis, was a far more modern bar with a huge selection of beer. In fact the selection is so large that they have a catalogue dubbed the “Beer Bible”. We are talking over 600 beer choices with 44 of those on tap. We began our tasting with a Brown Ale that was paired with melted brie, maple syrup, bread and roasted pecans. I have to say this was as tasty as it gets! Our second beer was a double I.P.A. During this tasting Phil had delivered a lesson on the process of brewing and what factors make for different brews. We also had a chance to smell and taste some roasted malt and smell a jar of hops. Although I was familiar with the brewing process, Phil gave a great rundown of how it is done and a definite must listen to anyone considering home brewing. 

Looks messy, tastes amazing! Melted brie with maple syrup, roasted pecans and bread.

The rest of the tour would see the group through the St. Louis Square (dubbed "the closest thing to a European neighborhood square you'll find this side of the Atlantic" by the Project for Public Spaces, a non profit situated in New York). After that we ventured down an alleyway filled with little shops, bars and more that was a hidden gem and a highlight of the trip.

The next Brew Pub was Benelux located at 245 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest. Benelux as well is modern in style and offers a handful of beer. The beer you will taste here varies for each trip but because we had a bachelor party in our group Phil wanted to bring out the big guns percentage wise for them. We tried a 9% beer called Zoot which is an Abbey Tripel so it was hoppy in the finish which was great. And the last beer the group would have was an American Ale, something refreshing to finish the day.

Nectar of the gods. 

Unfortunately this is where the tour ended, but after scoping out some other bars and brew pubs along the way, we had an idea of where to go next! Thank you to Local Montreal for hosting us on this fantastic tour and to our guide Phil who was not only fun and engaging, but very knowledgable and willing to answer any question. If you are ever in the Montreal area and have 3 hours to spare I would recommend signing up for this tour!

Next time you are in Montreal be sure to book a tour with Local Montreal Tours via their website, They also host a Bachelor Party tour and a Mile End Food tour so be sure to check out their Twitter page for any updates.

Thanks again to Montreal Tourism and Local Montreal Tours for setting us at Real Man Travels up with this great experience! If you have been to any of these establishments or have done the walking tour be sure to let us know in the comment section below, on Twitter or on Facebook.

Cheers,
Ed Arsenault

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Exploring Montreal by Foot

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Montreal for my girlfriend and Real Girl Travels contributor Sarah’s aunt’s wedding. We decided rather than staying for just one night we would make it a trip and explore what Montreal had to offer, by foot.

Panoramic shot of Montreal from the Observatory Deck in Mount Royal Park.

I’m currently situated in Toronto, so getting to Montreal is a bit of commute. That trip was made easy thanks to the fine folks at Acura Canada who have continued to power Real Man Travels' summer adventures. They lent us a 2015 Acura RLX Elite and I have to tell all of you, it was hard to give the keys back after we returned. The car was beautiful and had a ton of luxuries in it like air vented seats that made the long haul drive very comfortable. We also didn’t break the bank as the car only took half a tank of gas to get to Montreal; that’s 543km on a half tank! But enough of the car that got me there, let’s get focused on exploring Montreal!

The 2015 RLX Elite (my new love)

Once in Montreal we set up shop in the heart of the downtown core at Le St Martin Particulier hotel. This hotel was stunning and definitely far nicer than anywhere I would normally stay. It was conveniently located near all the things we wanted to do. Situated at the corner of Maisonneuve and Metcalfe, you could literally walk 30 minutes (maximum) in any direction and be just about anywhere you’d want to be. So, we did just that.

Our room at Le St Martin for the weekend

First up, we decided to see what the Centre Eaton was like compared to the Eaton Center in Toronto, and the surrounding area on St. Catherine. I knew beforehand I wasn’t going to escape shopping with Sarah no matter how hard I tried, so I just embraced and made the best of it (like all real men should do for their girls). While the layout was different, the store offerings were very familiar so it felt like we were back in Toronto for just a moment. Outside on the street it felt like a booming metropolis with all the people, shops and like any great city’s downtown core, traffic, traffic, traffic! One thing I noticed was there is a lot of Les 3 Brasseurs locations in Montreal, which is not bad as they have a few tasty beers that can make for a great pit stop while shopping. Another great stop in the area for eats was a place called Reubens. I embarrassingly demolished a traditional smoked meat sandwich like a starving dog while Sarah ate her Reuben like a normal functioning human in society. The plus side of my gorging though was that it gave me more time to drink beer!

Mmmmm smoked meat.

Later that night we decided to take in some nightlife where everyone and their grandma had recommended to us before we had left, Crescent Street. Crescent was just a quick 5-10 minute walk from our hotel and the shear amount of patios, terraces and outdoor spaces along this street put a lot of cities I’ve visited to shame. Visiting Montreal on a long weekend and just days before McGill students started classes meant we would be lucky to find any seats on a patio. But we persevered and walked from Rue Sherbrooke down to Boulevard Rene-Levesque and then back up until we saw a spot. We ended up on the corner of Maisonneuve and Crescent at a hole-in-the-wall looking bar called London Pub. The beaten up, dingy decor and cheap beer made me feel right in my element as I love a good dive bar. Time flew by as a couple of Sarah’s cousins joined us and eventually we ended up on the third story in another bar called Stogies where we all puffed on cigars and continued to drink the night away.

That's some good eating right there! A hot dog and bacon poutine from Peel Pub

The next day saw us slightly hungover, but no worries, we had the perfect cure! The folks over at Local Montreal tours had given us two spots on their walking brew pub tour. That’s right, more beer! You can read more about that tour later as I decided it was such a great experience that it needed its own article.

After the brew pub tour it was wedding time! The wedding was out in Kahnawake, Quebec at a private golf and country club. I could bore you with all the wedding details but instead I will give you a quick breakdown:

• First wedding I’ve ever been to where I was allowed to have a beer during the ceremony! Anyone getting married take note, this is a game changer!
• My girlfriend’s family is crazy, in a good way. Some of the nicest and fun people I've met in a long time.
• Food, food, food.  Dance, dance, dance (in my case, watch them all dance).
• Open bars ALWAYS make for good times

With the wedding wrapping up we had to get back to our hotel and I now know that if you are not in the core of Montreal, good luck getting back. Our adventure to get back to the hotel began at 2:30 a.m. We hitched a ride on the shuttle bus to a nearby motel where some folks were staying and we rudely woke up the attendant to call us a cab. He was our hero and 30 minutes later a cab showed up and took us the long way back. At 4:30am and $80 later we were back at the hotel. I know we got ripped off, but at this point, I didn’t care and was just glad that we were back and able to go to bed.

Notre-Dame Basilica close to Old Montreal.

Remember when I said earlier that open bars always make for a good time? While true the night of, it doesn’t apply so much to the next day. Hung-over and feeling awful Sarah and I laid in bed for most of the afternoon, only getting up once for some food. We headed just south of our hotel on Peel and hit up a sports collegiate type bar called the Peel Pub. Greasy and carb loaded food always cures hangovers right? Well we tested that theory by both ordering a huge bowl of poutine. Mine came with hot dogs and bacon and Sarah’s came with smoked meat. Feeling slightly better we headed back to the hotel to sleep some more. After another nap we hit up the hotels pool which was amazing! It was small, and would probably be uncomfortable if more than 4 people were up there, but the pool was heated and set high so it felt like a hot tub you could swim in. This made me feel great and ready to explore some more of Montreal.

Nice fountain across the street from the main square in Old Montreal.

With the sun going down we grabbed a cup of coffee and headed south to walk the cobblestone roads of Old Montreal. After a 30 minute walk we had reached the out skirts of Old Montreal and decided to walk up and down every street. This area was amazing as it has a great European feel to it with the tight cobblestone roadways, old buildings and horse carriage rides but I must point out that I disliked that there were night clubs in the middle of it all. Maybe I’m just getting old but in an area with so much history and beauty I don’t think it should be jeopardized by drunken hooligans. During our night walk there was some local buskers and musicians and performers that gave the area a welcoming vibe. I could say more about this area but you really need to get down there and experience it for yourself.

Old Montreal at night.

We wrapped up the night early as we knew we’d be heading to Mount Royal the next morning and wanted to save some energy for the hiking we’d be doing. Mount Royal Park was a nice day away from the city. If I had to, I would say this park is the equivalent of visiting Central Park in New York City (granted at a much smaller scale) in the sense that you are so close yet feel so far from the city. Here we hiked, and I recommend you do the same, not only for the observatory deck that delivers stunning views of Montreal, but also for the little peaks and views between trees all along the trails. This was a stop I was glad we made as it summed up our weekend in one glorious view.

I wish we had more time to explore the city but like all trips you do what you can in your given time frame and keep the things you missed in your head for when you return. When I return, I will be sure to do and see more.

Trail in Mount Royal Park.

One of the many hidden viewpoints of the city and surround areas along the trails. 

A big thank you goes out to the Montreal Tourism board for assisting us with accommodations, the brew pub tour and helping me decide some must visit spots. Another thank you goes to Local Montreal for letting us tag along the Brew Pub Tour, a definite must do for any beer enthusiast. Finally thank you to Acura Canada for supplying the RLX that got us there and back (and making me fall in love with a car just out of my budget!)

If you have been to or live in Montreal, tell me what I missed in the comments below and hopefully when I go there again I can find the time to do those things. And if you haven’t been or are planning to go, be sure to let me know what you plan to do, I’d love to hear!

Cheers,

Ed Arsenault

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