It’s always fun to look forward to the year ahead, but I also find it equally nice to spend a bit of time reflecting on all of the amazing things that happened during the previous year. Every year there are hits and misses when it comes to most things in life, but when it comes to my travels I only haves “hits” to share. I must say, looking back I had an incredible year all around but today I’m sharing my 2018 travel hits.
So, let’s get right into the travel fun! Here are my 2018 travel highlights in chronological order…
February 2018 – Hotel Xcaret Mexico
This resort opened in December 2017 so it was basically a brand new resort when we visited. Located in the Mayan Riviera, this resort was an incredible deal: 60% off! And it was a fantastic experience. The resort was massive, but decorated so beautifully. The food was amazing, it included all inclusive access to many attractions including Xel Ha, Xcaret Adventure Parks and a trip to see Chichen Itza – one of the new 7 wonders of the world. I’d go back in a heartbeat!
Check out the following videos for more of my time at the Hotel Xcaret Mexico: Hotel Xcaret Mexico room tour, Hotel Xcaret resort tour, Kayaking at Hotel Xcaret Mexico and our visit to Chichen Itza.
May 2018 – Road Trip to Montreal, Quebec
Located only 5 hours away, Montreal is a popular getaway for people in the Toronto area, but I had never been! There is a fantastic foodie scene in Montreal and Old Montreal (where we stayed) had excellent restaurants, attractions and beautiful charm that made you feel like you were walking in the streets somewhere in Europe. We hiked up Mont Royal for stunning views of the city, tried famous Montreal Bagels and smoked meat sandwiches and of course found a craft brewery to taste some local beers. Montreal was a hit and I’ll definitely be back.
Check out my post on eating our way through Montreal, our 3-Night Montreal Itinerary and our Springhill Suites room tour for more details.
June, July, August & October 2018 – At Home Tourist
During the summer months my husband and I toured neighbouring cities to experience them like tourists would. We ventured to the Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph area to try our some craft breweries and visited the McCrae house (the birthplace of the poet John McCrae famous for writing In Flanders Fields). Later that summer we visited Stratford, Ontario – famous for Justin Bieber – but also the Stratford Festival theatres and picturesque town. We also spent a day in Toronto, Ontario… which was odd because I go into the city every day for work. However I had never been up the CN Tower… so I checked it off my list, I went to the Ripley’s Aquarium for the first time, and went to the famous Steam Whistle Brewery.
September 2018 – European Adventure
My 2018 travel itinerary included two weeks visiting the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. It was an incredible vacation – extremely busy and we walked over 270,000 kms. There were far too many highlights on this trip to list them all… but I have to mention a few.
Amsterdam
Seeing the canals in Amsterdam, touring Zannse Schans, visiting the Anne Frank house in person and trying my first Dutch Pancake.
Belgium
We started off in Brussels and toured around the city on foot of course to see the Grand Place, Brussls palace, Manekin Pis and the famous Delirium pub. Outside of the city we saw Bruges and Ghent – two cities with stunning architecture, canals and fantastic charm. We also ventured to the small and picturesque town of Dinant, famous for the saxophone!
Luxembourg
Luxembourg was a quick visit but it was an incredible city with an ancient wall and city centre. We learned a lot on our visit – so much interesting history here.
France
I think France is easily the highlight of my 2018 travel year. It was everything I dreamed it would be, and more! Paris was our base and it didn’t disappoint… yhe Eiffel Tower sparkling at night, romantic cafes,
Sacré-Cœur, Moulin Rouge, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees, even better than expected. We also spent time touring around the D-Day beaches and memorials and through the stunning Loire Valley with over 1000 chateaus. This may have been the peak of ALL my travel years.
October 2018 – At Home Tourist
In October we visited New Hamburg, Ontario for a wedding. We stayed at the cutest Bed and Breakfast and were lucky enough to get a room there. It was a very charming and comfortable home, wonderful event space and fantastic food. It was a great evening away from the Toronto area.
2018 Travel Summary
Looking back, I’d say my 2018 travel roster made for a pretty great travel year. That was on top of working an insane amount of hours at my regular 7:30am – way to late in the evening job. So 2018, it’s been a slice! I’m looking forward to 2019 and changing up our travel style to maximize our vacation days. Stay tuned to see how it goes!
