How My Once Dreaded Canadian Vacation Turned into the Trip of a Lifetime

Going on vacation is one of the main reasons I look forward to summer. Besides not having school, summer gives me the opportunity to explore new and interesting places. Earlier in the year, when my mom told me that we were going to take a summer family trip, I was ecstatic. I began to think of all the possible places we could go, like Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, and maybe even Disney. When it came time for the big reveal, I thought our destination was going to be fantastic…until I heard we were going to Canada.

No offense to Canada or anything, but visiting there wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. What do you even do in Canada besides buy maple syrup and say “eh” all the time? If only I knew then what Canada was all about.

For our trip, we didn’t see just Niagara Falls like every other basic person in America. We ventured to Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls. What I thought would be a lackluster vacation turned into one of my most memorable adventures.

When I first stepped foot in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, I was riveted by the breathtaking views. Everything from the streets to the buildings were clean and pristine. Parliament Hill, otherwise known as where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau graces the government with his presence, was beautiful. Besides fancy buildings, Ottawa has some good places to grab a delicate pastry. My personal favorite spot was Le Moulin De Provence, a bakery, café, and bistro rolled into one. I purchased a maple leaf cookie there, and it tasted like Canada.

After seeing Ottawa, it was time to run through ‘The Six’ with my woes, aka my family. After going in downtown Toronto, it was pretty obvious what the main attraction was, the CN Tower. I even went inside the infamous tower and looked over the entire city. I didn’t even need to hold my mom’s hand when I walked on the glass that shows you how far up you are.

By the time I arrived in Niagara Falls, I was exhausted. I saw the falls for a few seconds when I watched fireworks one night, and decided that was enough for me. While it was indeed beautiful, I walked 25 miles in the days prior, so I was ready to sleep like the dead.

Although, there may have been a few rough spots along the way, like when my father officially declared he was going to retire from family vacations because of this trip, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

What I once thought of as my dreadful trip to Canada turned out to be one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on. This was a family trip for the books, eh?  

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