Canada Trip 2026

By Anna Haas and Ava McKenzie

Anna: Wednesday, January 14th, started with my alarm going off at 4:30 am, and the excitement for the days ahead made it very easy to get out of bed. After breakfast and impatient goodbyes to my family, it was time to pack our bags into the coach bus and head north. The only thing that made the lengthy bus ride feel quick was sharing it with some pretty great friends. Most of it was spent just talking, but the best part was Ava and I’s many victorious rounds of Fashion Famous.

Ava: I, on the other hand, was practically dragged out of bed by my Dad at 5 am, not excited to start the day so early. I got to school around 6 am and loaded my 50 lb suitcase on the bus. The first couple hours on the bus were spent sleeping and watching Gilmore Girls over Anna’s shoulder. We stopped about halfway at a rest stop in Vermont, which was the cleanest and prettiest rest stop I've ever been to. After the rest stop Anna and I tried to beat 12 year olds in Fashion Famous on Roblox, we were not successful. 

Ava: When we arrived in Montreal I was shocked how warm it was. It was around 40 degrees so walking around the city was comfortable. 

Anna: After arriving in Montreal, the first thing we did was eat lunch in a mall. It was the first time on the trip that we had to order in French, which was a little nerve-racking, but we got used to it quickly (and most of the time my French skills were so bad, they would give up on me and speak English). Next on the agenda was a long walk to the old part of the city and a museum tour at Pointe-à-Callière, where we learned about architecture from the old city and a lot of history. For most meals, we were given an allowance in Canadian dollars, so we could get experience with handling money in a foreign country. Dinner on the first night had to have been my favorite because for starters, the restaurant had Shirley Temples, and I also remember leaving with tears in my eyes from laughing so much. 

Ava: That night we ate at an amazing Italian restaurant called Bevo. I had a Caesar salad and a slice of Anna’s margarita pizza. It was so delicious. Dinners were always my favorite part of the trip because our table group spent most of the meals laughing. After dinner that night we went on a Ferris wheel. I was scared at first because I am not good with heights but it turned out to be a lot of fun. One thing I learned on this trip is that having good friends by your side can make new experiences less scary. That night I went to bed completely exhausted but excited for the next few days ahead. 

Anna: The morning of day two was probably our most successful in terms of being in the lobby on time to walk to breakfast. Most days, we were supposed to be downstairs by 7:30, and I’ll just say that punctual is not a word I would use to describe us on this trip. The walk to the restaurant was cold, but pleasant because it had been snowing since before we woke up and continued the rest of the day. Our first shared breakfast of the trip was a little sleepy after the previous day of traveling, but there was also an excited energy for what the day had in store. After breakfast, a lot of people went off to explore more of Montreal before we left, but we decided to have a mostly lazy morning back at the hotel. Before we left for Québec City, Ava, Mrs. Jacoby, and I took a trip across the street to Starbucks for some fun drinks in preparation for another long bus ride. 

Ava: Once we got to Québec City we checked into our hotel which was probably the smallest hotel room I have ever been in. But somehow us four girls made it work. After unpacking a bit we made a beeline for the Château Frontenac. I love the Château, it looks like a castle. I used the restroom in the lobby of the Château and it made me feel like a princess. After dinner that night we did a Ghost Tour. I have never been on one so I did not know what to expect. I enjoyed how committed the actors were to the bit but it was really cold walking around all of Québec City.

Anna: The first breakfast in Québec was spent at a charming little restaurant where we had crèpes and chocolat chaud while watching the snow fall outside the window. When we were supposed to be in the lobby, preparing to go to the Wendake museum tour, we worsened our reputation of being late because somehow, Cate locked us all out of the bathroom in our hotel room. At Musée Huron-Wendat, we learned about native people in Québec and how their lives used to be, but it was probably one of the most difficult tours to understand because the guide spoke very fast French. After lunch and an afternoon of shopping, we walked in the cold to the Plaines d’Abraham, where we participated in interactive activities to learn about what it was like to be in the military during the Seven Years War. Dinner that night was full of energy and excitement at a sugar shack, where we tried a traditional dance, listened to live fiddle music, and learned to play the spoons. I really enjoyed the pancakes and making maple taffy outside in the snow, but dinner was not the most accommodating for anyone who doesn’t eat meat, and I ended up only eating koleslaw and potatoes. 

Ava: On Day Three of Canada, I really enjoyed the Sugar Shack. I love the family style meal of ham, beans, potato bites, coleslaw, and meat pie. At the shack we also did some dancing which was very fun and high energy. We ended the day with pancakes and maple taffy, which everyone got sugar high on. 

Anna: Day four of the trip began with a struggle to get out of bed since the activity-filled days and lack of sleep was finally catching up with us. We managed to get ourselves downstairs and to breakfast, but I think I nearly fell asleep at the table. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to look at a few churches: Notre-Dame-des-Victoires and Basilique-Cathédrale Notre Dame de Québec. The majority of the afternoon was spent at Village Vacances Valcartier, where we visited l’Hôtel de Glace and went snow tubing. Tubing was exciting, and all four of us got to hold on to each other and go down the slopes at the same time. After we decided to be done tubing, we sat inside for about two hours, eating lunch and laughing hysterically, which wasn’t exactly the plan, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. On our last night in Québec, we ate dinner at Sapristi, which was actually our second time there because we didn’t check the schedule before going there for lunch the day before. This was perfectly okay with us though because it was delicious, and I got the same exact pasta for the second time. We ended the night with tobogganing next to the beautiful view of Le Château Frontenac. 

Ava: Day Four of Canada was by far my favorite. We went to the Ice Hotel and took some cool pictures and then went tubing. I really like snow tubing. Usually, I am afraid of heights but there is nothing like flying down a snowy hill with your friends screaming at the top of your lungs. After a few slides down the mountain my friends and I hung out at the lodge which was also fun. 

Ava: One thing I wanted to note about this trip was the people on the trip. We were lucky to go with Mrs. Jacoby, Mr. Battey, and Mr. Blais who made the trip very fun. Not to mention I had three of my best friends on the trip. I think I would not have had as much fun in Canada if I went with other people.

Ava: After another amazing Italian dinner we went tobogganing right next to the Château Frontenac. This was my second time doing this and I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed doing it with Anna since it was her first time. 

Anna: The last morning in Québec was an early one, and we sadly left our rooms for the last time a little before seven. With lattes from Tim Hortons in hand, we were off to our last activity of the trip: traîneau à chiens at Passion Husky. While waiting for the first group of people to dog sled, we did a little snowshoeing through the woods, which took a minute to get used to but ended up being pretty enjoyable. We also got to meet so many dogs, which was a highlight of the trip for me. My favorite dog was named Bruce, and he instantly became my new best friend. When it was finally our turn to get on the sleds, I stood on the back first with a guide while Ava sat in the sled. I was a little disappointed when the guide decided to go with us because I thought it would be fun to control the sled by myself, and balancing on one side of the sled was kind of difficult, but it was still very fun and thrilling. 

Ava: Dog sledding was bittersweet because it was our final activity in Canada. I have never dog-sled before so this was new for me. I love dogs so it was exciting to hang out with them. Before dog sledding we went snow shoeing. Not to be dramatic but, snowshoeing is the worst activity in the entire world. As someone with small feet I had a hard time walking in the shoes. There was a lot of climbing on the trail so by the time we were done I was drenched in sweat. Not to mention I fell about 1000 times. So, I strongly do not recommend snowshoeing. 

Anna: Looking back on it, I think our trip to Québec was perfect, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go and make memories with the most amazing people in such a beautiful place! À la prochaine Québec, et tu vas me manquer!