Montreal Road Trip 2024

We decided to take a road trip to Montreal last weekend. I have never been before, but Jim had for an overnight hockey game once. Our friends, Steve and Debbie, decided to join us as they had never been either.

We decided to drive versus fly so that we could stop in Burlington, VT for a quick look-see and lunch. The drive to Burlington is just under 4 hours with another 2 hours to Montreal, so what could go wrong?

Problem #1

We learned a lot about our planning for future travel during this trip. Three hours into the drive the Audi broke down in Quechee, VT, population 646. We drove into a gas station parking lot to see if we could figure out what was wrong – by we, we mean the guys – lol. Lucky for us, we met a man (our angel) who was pumping gas who knew the area well. He also happened to have a code reader in his truck. This man, we forget to get his name, was so nice. He got a reading that was not good at all and we needed someone who knows Audi’s to fix the car. He called a friend who directed us to a service station in White River Junction, VT – Bob’s Service Station. We drove the 5 minutes there and the folks at Bob’s were extremely professional and helpful. We decided to leave the car with them and continue on to Montreal in a rental.

First of all, we were in the middle of nowhere and had no cell service. The only phone number for a taxi service that we could find was a limo service – D2D and Bob’s called for us. We ended up paying $85 plus gratuity for a 10 minute ride to the West Lebanon Airport where there was an Avis rent a car. Sandra at Avis was very sweet and helped us out quite a bit by finding us the right car so we could continue on our way. We ended up in a Durango for the remainder of our trip which was perfect for the 4 of us and our luggage. Unfortunately, Bob’s could not fix the car and Steve made the decision to have his car towed home and we drove the Durango home.

Logistically, this all seems like a nightmare, but honestly, it only set us back 90 minutes total. The very neighborly assistance from the man in Quechee, Bob’s Service Station, AAA for towing and Sandra at Avis, made everything seem less painful and more of a slight hiccup (until the repair and towing bills come in). When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Problem #2

Overnight, just before we were leaving for Montreal, I started to get the chills and a sore throat. I was Covid negative, but I recognized the symptoms of Strep Throat. Our hotel was non-refundable so we decided to go ahead with the trip. I began alternating Tylenol and Motrin to keep the fever under control. I had researched medical care in Montreal and found that they did not accept U.S. Insurance plans, so I purchased a medical plan through IMG for $27 that would cover the duration of our trip. I managed OK during our travel day, but the next day I was very uncomfortable. I found a medical clinic on-line and called the number. I had a virtual visit with a very nice physician who then sent a prescription for antibiotics to a pharmacy near the hotel. The pharmacist was also very sweet and helpful. I hope to be reimbursed through the insurance company after submitting the out of pocket claims. Of course, Jim got sick the next day.

Before we go on a trip, I do my homework. I look at travel blogs, travel books, foodie shows and planbuddy.com (an itinerary aid) and ask for recommendations from people who have already traveled to the destination. Throughout the writing, I will refer to who recommended specific places.

Burlington, VT

Jim and I have stayed in Burlington, VT before and loved it. We stayed at a great hotel last time, The Hotel Vermont. We decided to stop for lunch here and show Steve and Deb who had never been. Burlington is a picturesque town on Lake Champlain. It is dotted with breweries and cideries, such as Foam Brewers, Switchback Brewing Company, Zero Gravity Brewery, Burling Beer Company and Citizen Cider. Burlington is also a foodie destination with a great farm to table restaurant that we tried last time – Hen of the Wood. Of course the first boat name I see walking down the dock is “Up the Creek”. We felt like it was mocking us. LOL

This time we were only here for a quick lunch, so I asked an acquaintance from Winooski, the next town over, for a lunch recommendation. Lindsay suggested “The Spot on the Dock” which is somewhere we probably would not have found without her recommendation, and it was perfect. It was at the end of a dock in a marina with gorgeous views of the lake. The service and food were great – lobster roll, fish tacos, burger and a falafel rice bowl. We drove up to the Church Street Marketplace area to investigate the pedestrian mall. We walked past a bunch of restaurants and quaint shops. Of course, you can’t go through Vermont without a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. We did notice a larger than remembered vagrant population as well as a noticeable police and security presence. We don’t recall this at all from our last visit, but that was during an October snow storm, not a beautiful summer day like this one.

We LOVED Montreal!!

Montreal lives up to the hype, for sure. If you are a foodie, like we are, you have to visit Montreal. We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Montreal in Old Montreal. This is a new hotel (a couple of years old) and was very modern, sleek and clean. It was within walking distance to Place Jacques-Cartier, a pedestrian square lined with lots of great restaurants and bars. The alleys were decorated with inviting bright floral arches and lights. The area was bustling.

We stayed around Place Jacques-Cartier the first night as we had a long logistical day. We opted to start by finding The Coldroom, a hidden speakeasy that was recommended by several people. It did take some time to find the “black door with the doorbell”. It was tucked in an alcove behind a restaurant, adjacent to an alley and was made to look like an exit sign. We cheated and asked someone. It was very cool. We rang the doorbell which has an inscription on it that says “patience”. A few minutes later, a waitress came up and opened the door. We followed her down 2 flights of dimly lit stairs into a cute little bar area that only had a handful of stools and high-top tables. Millee, our adorable waitress, took care of our every need. The guys had old-fashioneds, Deb a beer and I had a tequila and soda. We did not have any food here as it is more of a snacking menu, and we wanted to eat a good dinner somewhere.

We wandered through the Place and decided to try Maggie Oaks, a steakhouse with indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outside with a good view of the Place. We tried a burrata appetizer. I had an orecchiette pasta dish, Jim the salmon, Steve the bavette steak and Debbie tried a fried head of cauliflower. All were happy with our meal choices.

The skies began to drizzle a little bit so we opted to go back to the hotel for a nightcap. This turned out to be a great choice because once we sat at the covered patio at the hotel, thunder and lightning started. We had to move in because the rain came sideways, fast and furious. The lounge, inside and outside, was very cozy.

Day 2  

Started the day with my virtual doctor visit followed by walking to a nearby pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. This path took us by the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal just as it was opening for tours. We quickly got tickets and went inside. This place was stunning with gorgeous floor to ceiling stained glass artistry, vaulted ceilings and a feeling of serenity. This is a must visit.

We ubered to St. Viateur Bagels to grab some breakfast. We had seen this place on Somebody Feed Phil, a foodie show where Phil Rosenthal, a writer for Everyone Loves Raymond, visits different destinations. We watched the bagels being made as we ordered. I had the sesame, Jim had an “all-dressed” (everything bagel), Debbie got an onion and Steve got an apple. Of note, the bagel store only takes cash. We took the bagels and cream cheese down the street to Café Olimpico where we got coffees and had our bagels outside. Delicious!!

From here, we walked through Montreal’s Little Italy, which was very small, to Jean-Talon Market which was a lovely farmer’s market interspersed with restaurants and specialty shops. Planbuddy.com and Somebody Feed Phil recommended a visit to this market. The fruit and flowers were set up so beautifully. By the time we arrived, I was not feeling great. Jim had some oysters while Deb and I just took a rest with a cold smoothies. I felt better after that.

Next, we Ubered to La Banquise for their world-famous poutine – we got two smalls – a classic and another with smoked meat, pickles, cole slaw and peppercorn sauce. Both were delicious. Classic poutine is French fries served with cheese curds all smothered in a brown gravy. La Banquise is open 24 hours a day! This was recommended by Christina, a friend of my daughter, who was recently here. It did not disappoint. Both were delicious. I wish I knew about poutine back in my college days as a hangover cure.

We saved room for chicken and walked across the street to Na Poule Mouillee – translated as Wet Chicken – for a delicious whole chicken that they cook on a rotisserie then chop into pieces in front of you. We got the spicey version. Na Poule Mouillee was shown on Somebody Feed Phil as well.

I needed to rest a bit so we Ubered back to the hotel to rest-up and get ready for dinner. We met Steve and Debbie on the hotel rooftop bar and deck for our complimentary cocktails (it was closed due to weather the day before). The rooftop deck had beautiful views of the St Lawrence River and city. There are comfortable seating areas from which to enjoy the libations and the view. The small, heated pool is on the top deck of the patio surrounded by glass railings that allow for the gorgeous views and has many lounge chairs around it. This is a huge plus for the hotel to have such a relaxing spot.

We had spotted a large brewery that spanned 2 blocks when we were walking home the last night and decided to check that out before dinner. Brewskey’s was great. There was outdoor seating out both the front and back door as well as indoor seating.

We made reservations for dinner at Vieux-Port Steakhouse based on a recommendation from Molly, a friend’s daughter who had her wedding in Montreal. This was a beautiful restaurant. The food was spectacular. Each couple shared a 20 oz rib eye with fixings. However, the service was very slow. I think it was our particular waiter as the manager came over a couple of times to speed things up. We didn’t end up ordering dessert as the meal itself took so long.         

We tried to go into the terrace at Wolf and Workman based on a recommendation, but there was a wait. We ended up going into Franklin Subs and Suds to watch some of the NBA finals. The décor in this place was a bit odd but the bartender was a funny guy.

On our way back to the hotel, we walked past Jardin Nelson, a rather large restaurant with a central open air terrace, and decided to go in for a night cap. We are so happy we went in as we decided that Jardin Nelson is a must when you visit Montreal. The patio seating is just so beautiful with flowers and lights all around. A jazz band plays on an elevated stage. Even in the rain, the patio is open because they use enormous, specially designed umbrellas that catch and funnel the rainwater through the center pole of the umbrella. Our waitress here was very friendly, and we ended up ordering a skillet chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was so good that we scarfed it down without getting a picture.

Day 3

Jim woke up with a fever and did not sleep the night before. This was our day to head home anyway so rather than walking around some more, we decided to check out, get the car and drive to Olive et Gourmando for some pastries, another Somebody Feed Phil find. He was right. This place is a treasure. We ate our pastries at a park at Old Port where there was a cruise ship unloading. We checked out a farmer’s market here then decided to just get on the road. We ended up driving straight home with a stop at The Common Man Roadside South rest area spot at the Hooksett ,NH Welcome Center for a quick sandwich in the car.

Bottom Line – Wonderful Place with Beautiful Friends – We will be back!

We had a great trip, even with the hiccups. What did we learn? Next time we would either fly or rent a car for the trip. Renting a car from an international rental company will give us support if something were to go wrong. Also, in talking, we discovered that between the four of us, the car with the least number of miles is mine at 96,000. None are in the prime of their lives which is something we didn’t consider when making our decision to drive.

Every single person that we came in contact with on our trip (with one weird exception when waiting for a bathroom at a Dunkin Donuts) was absolutely fantastic. In every rest area, every restaurant, at our hotel, everyone who helped with our transportation issues, the people of Vermont and Montreal were so lovely that this is what we will remember for years to come. We can’t wait to visit again without any glitches in the matrix!

Until next time,

Patti and Jim