Canada Roadtrip: Quebec and Ontario Itinerary
Pack your snow boots and warm parkas - we are driving north to Canada! This itinerary takes you from DC to Canada (and back) via country roads in PA and NY with fun stopovers along the way.
We spent this week (6 nights total) on the road, chasing colder climates and exploring new to us locales. As it turns out, Canada is less than an eight hours’ drive from Washington, DC! We decided to stop in upstate New York on the way up but then drove straight home on the way back. The drive to the Canadian border is completely doable in one day, but breaking it up with a fun stopover is a good idea. Packing warm boots and parkas is also a must, especially for the Montréal portion of the trip, where the temperatures got down way below zero.
Day 1: Bluebird Spa City Motor Lodge, Saratoga Springs, NY
We got up a little later than planned last Sunday morning, but still got on the (rainy) road before 9 am. With a breakfast stop at Baker’s Diner in Dillsburg, PA, we made it to our favorite restaurant in Scranton just in time for a late lunch. Abe’s Deli has the best matzo ball soup and pastrami sandwiches on rye - highly recommend this stop. Then we booked it straight to Saratoga Springs, arriving in the early evening as the sun was setting (and the rain still going strong). After dinner at the local brewery next to our hotel, Druthers Brewing Company, we took a quick stroll along the main drag in town, which is full of cute shops and restaurants. We would definitely come back to spend a few days here in the future. Breakfast Tip: get coffee and bagels at Uncommon Grounds across the street from the hotel.
Days 2-3: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Quebec City, Canada
It took us about six hours to get from upstate New York to Quebec City, one of our longer driving stretches. Unfortunately, the tropical rain system that started in the south followed us all the way to Canada, which was not ideal for driving (or searching for snow). When we got to the Fairmont in Quebec City, we learned that most of the snow was washed away by the rain and the toboggan slide by the hotel was closed due to the lack of snow. We blamed climate change but still had a great time at dinner at the Aux Anciens Canadiens restaurant - highly recommend if you want to try traditional Quebecois dishes. Overall, Quebec City felt like a small European town with a heavy French influence. We spent most of our time here walking around town and ducking into cafes for croissants and caffe au lait. Local Tip: Have a craft cocktail at the 1608 Bar at the Fairmont, but skip the overpriced breakfast buffet.
Shopping Tip: Stop by Simons department store for organic cotton striped shirts and wool/cashmere socks (made in France).
Days 4-5: Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, Montreal, Canada
While Quebec City was a quintessentially tourist destination, Montreal felt like a real city that was bustling by comparison. This was hands down our favorite stop on this trip despite sub-zero temperatures during our free walking tour of Old Montreal. We also made a few culinary discoveries around town and feasted on poutine (French fries with brown sauce and cheese curds) at La Banquise, had great Indian food at Le Taj, and tried Montreal-style bagels at St-Viateur Bagel Shop.
In terms of activities, we visited the Biodome (a former Winter Olympics venue) to see the penguins (and other animals). We saw Wonka at the downtown IMAX theater (my pick) and went shopping at Sephora (a certain teenager’s venue of choice). Don’t sleep on Montreal - it’s a great urban destination with lots to do and see! Highly recommend a walking tour with a local guide!
Day 6: 124 on Queen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
It took us about seven hours to get from Montreal down to Niagara-on-the-Lake. While we wanted to see (the famous) Niagara Falls on the way home, we didn’t want to stay in the overly crowded area nearby. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a small town on the banks of Lake Ontario, which was decked out in festive lights and featured a decorated Christmas tree on every block. The highlight of this town was Cow’s ice cream shop, which had the best selection of T-shirts with slogans such as ‘Moocci” and “Haylor Swift: The Eras Farm.”
We got up early on Saturday morning and promptly got on the road since home was at least eight hours’ drive away. We grabbed coffee and mandatory doughnuts at Tim Horton’s on the way out of town and headed straight for Niagara Falls. As it was pouring cats and dogs (this trip started and ended with rain), we decided not to pay $35 to park at the Table Rock Centre to view the falls and instead enjoyed the view while waiting to cross back into the United States via the Rainbow Bridge. A scenic way to exit Canada for sure!
Once we crossed back into the U.S., we booked it to the Dutch Pantry Family Restaurant in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, for lunch. This place was an old-fashioned establishment (and a very convenient pitstop) with delicious homemade soups and other comfort food specials. Most importantly, my husband hit the nostalgic Christmas jackpot here by finding the iconic Clark bars at the checkout counter. These OG American candy bars (“a Pittsburgh tradition since 1917”) are extremely hard to find these days as they are only made in small quantities at a factory in Pennsylvania! As it turns out, this very factory was miraculously right on our way home, so of course we needed to stop and check out the factory candy shop!
There is nothing I love more than visiting an establishment that still proudly carries on its operations in the United States - and this factory has a very sweet origin story indeed. The Boyer Candy Company was founded during the Great Depression by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer to make ends meet. The business was originally run from their kitchen with their mother and sister hand-wrapping the candy to be sold door to door in Altoona, PA. Eventually they expanded into the bigger factory space, which is still in operation today. Since we saw (and loved) Wonka back in Montreal, it was only fitting that we ended our Canadian trip by visiting a chocolate factory. After stocking up on various candies and Clark bar-themed merch, we were back in the car and headed to our home sweet home.
This factory is about 3.5 hours away from DC, so would also make a fun day trip destination for other Clark bar enthusiasts out there! I hope that you enjoyed this roadtrip itinerary and will check out some of our favorite spots during your next roadtrip. Safe travels!