Decorating our home with Mixtiles

Mixtiles are a perfect way to print memorable pictures to display it in any room of our homes. With the current situation in the world, we decided not to travel this year - not even to explore anywhere close to home. We spent a lot of time looking through pictures, talking about our memories, and picked a few pictures of memorable places from our travels to display in our office/craft room. 

Win FREE GAS for a year with Desjardins Insurance

We love road trips! We have been driving to explore many provinces in Canada, and find it to be a fun way to see a variety of different attractions, cities, and towns. This experience gives us an opportunity to get to know people and history of these places. However, road trips don't come cheap. One of the main costs of road trips is filling the gas tank, especially when gas prices hike up all the time. Now we have a chance to enter and win FREE GAS for a year with Desjardins Insurance. All you have to do is simply get a quote to enter! #GetAQuoteAndWin

Exploring the heritage of Stratford and Perth County

We spent a few days towards the end of our summer vacation exploring the heritage, trails, theatre, and outdoor activities in Stratford and Perth County. While enjoying the activities in this area, we stayed at Forest Motel and Woodland Retreat located in Stratford. It is a family friendly woodland retreat close to all the amenities, a few minutes from the Stratford Festival Theatre. 

Sightseeing in Québec City

We wanted to visit Québec City for a while, and was finally able to do this during our road trip from Ontario to New Brunswick. Québec City is located on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River and offers unspoiled views of the Laurentian Mountains. It has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. During our visit, we had the pleasure of spending a night at Auberge Saint-Antoine, and checking out different places in Québec City on a bus tour of the city. 

Visiting Prince Edward Island Once Again

The classic novel of Anne of Green Gables I read at school as a child, and the movies we have watched was an inspiration for our trip to Prince Edward Island in 2010. In our previous trip we flew to P.E.I, so this time we planned to stop in Summerside, Cavendish, and Charlottetown during our road trip from Ontario to Quebec and New Brunswick to revisit the places our children once visited when they were little. Prince Edward Island situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a place we always think of returning to because of its beautiful sandy beaches, and something about the island that always calls you back.

Learning about Mi'kmaq First Nations and Acadians in Miramichi, New Brunswick

In our road trip from Ontario through Outaouais and Drummondville to Edmundston, we went to Red Bank, New Brunswick and learned about the Mi'kmaq people of Metepenagiag before heading to Miramichi. 

Our road trip through Drummondville to Edmundston and Grand Falls, New Brunswick

After our stay in Parc Omega, we stayed a night in Drummondville, Québec before heading to Edmundston, New Brunswick. This year we took a different route compared to our last visit to New Brunswick. We were able to see different parts of New Brunswick by taking the Fundy Coastal drive and entered through Edmundston, which is near the borders of Québec and Maine, USA.

Preparing the Vehicle for Road Trips

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CanadianTire #QuakerState #CollectiveBias #ad

Summertime equals road trips in our home! Every summer, before a road trip we do a routine clean up and check up to ensure we have all the summer essentials and are ready for fun. From ten-day road trips to three-day overnight trips, there are few things on our checklist we tick off, so everyone in the family can enjoy and have a memorable experience.

Sockeye Salmon Fish Cakes

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Loblaws Companies Inc.. All opinions are 100% mine.

My family and I enjoy a variety of seafood items because of their nutritional benefits and flavour. My usual sockeye salmon recipes involve baking it, making a curry with gravy, or incorporating it into short-eats. During our trip last year to Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, we enjoyed delicious fish cakes by the sea and I wanted to replicate making them at home. I used fresh, in-season salmon for this recipe. I like the firm texture and the sweet flavour of this fish. 

Hopewell Rocks, Moncton, Alma and Fundy National Park

Hopewell Rocks and the Bay of Fundy is the reason New Brunswick was a place we always wanted to visit. My family and I are happy we got to be close to the rocks and walk miles on the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean. Experiencing this phenomenal wonder that God has created felt really amazing. 

Visiting the City of Saint John, New Brunswick

Going from a stay at a small town like Saint Andrews to the city of Saint John is a different experience, and a wonderful way to explore the Fundy coastline. We loved our stay at Hilton Saint John located by the wharf. We enjoyed the excitement of the city during the day and night. 

Explore: Saint Andrews By the Sea

We loved our stay at Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, which is a beautiful small coastal community. It is a wonderful place to relax and feel the slow pace of life that we are loosing in our fast paced city life. We enjoyed the atmosphere, as we strolled along the streets of Saint Andrews and checked out the stores, restaurants, and attractions.

Our Road Trip to New Brunswick in the 2015 Toyota Sienna

We really enjoyed driving the spacious 2015 Toyota Sienna XLE, which was perfect for our 14 hour road trip from Toronto to New Brunswick. Everyone in the family felt that they had comfortable amount of space to stretch, and to be seated during our travels. The ride was smooth throughout our trip despite the variety of road conditions we went on. In my upcoming posts, you will see that we not only drove the Sienna in the city, but also in small towns, winding highways, rugged roads, and lots of drivable trails.