Adventures at Home
You can find something new even at home. Living in a place for more than 10 years, you would think you know everything there is to know about the area. Well, you may be wrong. This place we went to, Mt. Fuji, a few miles outside of NYC and up towards Hudson River Valley area, was a haven from the city sounds. Nestled atop a hill, this was a restaurant sprawled in a few acres and had koi ponds and enchanting little bridges. It was a hibachi-style restaurant that offered entertaining hibachi chefs whose cooking skills make part of the time worthwhile eating there amongst other people. And, we found this place by word of mouth. A friend of a friend...you get the picture, right?

Some things you learn by talking to others and being open to try new things. The restaurant had a listing on Yelp, Google, and Travel Advisor. I saw the place a few times travelling down the I-84 South from Buffalo or Woodbury Outlets, thinking someone made an amazing Japanese home atop the hill. But finding out it was a hibachi restaurant with an ode to old New York classy bar, that made this place are the more amazing and an adventure within own city.

The setting sun never looked better. 

Back to Buffalo, NY

You learn more about a place after you come back from leaving it in the first place. Buffalo is that place. I went to school for 4 years there, and I love it more when I come back. Planning a trip became more of reminiscing old times and finding new things along the way. Take this for example, Niagara Falls is always an attraction to go to when travelling to Buffalo, NY. But, I didn't go to the Canadian side until this time around...and it is much more livelier than the other side. More casinos, more restaurants, more bars, and an even more stunning view of the falls. We found this spot by following the crowd (sometimes it is best to follow everyone else...sometimes). The clouds cleared up and we were looking across to the Falls and seeing the beauty. There is a park on the other side of this spot, where you can hike, have a picnic, take a stroll, or just soak up the sun. 

No matter how many times you visit a place, you never truly find everything and know everything. 

I fell in love with Quebec City. The sights, the sound, the smell, the cobbled stone walkways, the crisp cold air, and the people. I did not think I could easily love a place, but I did. After a few weeks planning this trip, I think my love for this city grew. And spending a few days exploring by foot, eating local cuisine, and seeing the sights...I fell in love even more.

The old living right next to the new. There was a section in the old part of town, in the lower tier, where a wall has been drastically altered to be a mural. It was an open space, in between two 1800s buildings, and the picture depicts people of Quebec in a colourful setting. It was a living image of the diversity the city held, of the modernity living alongside the past, and of the fun nature these people had in life. Street art beautifully depicted in a city setting.

 

Thank you Quebec Tourism and Friends

Tourism websites can be your best friend when planning trips. Take for example, the Quebec City Tourism website: http://www.quebecregion.com/en/

Everything is at your fingertips. Looking for places to eat for dinner, check! Looking for brunch but specifically serving French cuisine, check! Looking for souvenirs for coworkers and family, check! Looking for nature activities on a nice sunny day, check!

Really, it is well organised and well displayed that navigating the website is not too much of a hassle. In the "What to Do" section, you can find a tab for routes and get a map of different ways to explore the city by foot, car, public transportation and carriage. This is so helpful! 

Download the maps if you can, memorize certain areas of attraction, and be creative. 

They even show you activities for the different seasons in the year! You can do skiing in Winter, a cruise in the Summer, explore a sugar shack in Spring, and hiking in the Fall. We are planning to go during the in-between season of Fall and Winter, more tree leaves changing colour and less freezing cold. Hopefully the weather gods will be courteous and allow sunshine and nice weather during the trip...one can only hope. 

Quebec City, Quebec

• French Canadian, main language is French (but a different tone and dialect than Parisian French)
• Cheaper to book hotels outside of Quebec City or Old Quebec: Look at neighbouring towns like Vanier, Sainte-Foy, Sillery, and Les Rivières. You could get a room for less than USD $60/night. And ask for breakfast, sometimes not included in the hotel price. 
• An 8 to 9 hour drive from NYC, if you go on speed and less bathroom/lunch breaks. 
• At least know a few words and phrases in French, the locals appreciate it more than you think. "Bonjour, ces't va?" goes a long way. 
• A diverse city so there will be Japanese restaurants, Thai restaurants, Spanish restaurants, Irish restaurants. 
• Walking is the best mode of transportation. 

Just a few things I learned when researching Quebec City...a trip there will be like going to a European town except you are still in North America and they are located in Canada. 

Using booking.com and hotels.com, plus agoda.com has been a lifesaver for finding hotels that are fairly cheap but decent. Add to that, if you search in a different country mode in those websites sometimes you may find good deals or a point of obstruction to use to ask for lower price when speaking to an agent. 

Hotels.com will give you cheaper price should you find same listing (same room type, room features, amenities and policies) in a different website. Learned that by searching multiple sites and finding the same hotel room with different prices, and arguing effectively to receive the cheaper rate. Thank you third party sites, reasoning skills, and a knack to haggle for lower prices.