We had many frequent flyer miles saved up that we had intended on using on a huge trip around the world. But then we had a kid. So we thought, well, time for Plan B! So instead we used the miles to celebrate our anniversary, have an excuse to get a passport for Reeve, and go somewhere international yet close by. So we went north to Canada! Everyone gave us grief for going north in December, but it turned out that Canada was warmer and sunnier then Chicago that week. And Quebec City is so much like Old Europe, it was perfect.

We split our visit between Montreal and Quebec City. So we’ll split Reeve’s Canadian experiences into two posts.

Not wanting to lose Reeve in a large crowd, yet let him burn off energy, we bought him one of those leash/backpacks. We swore we’d never do this, and yet here we are. Needless to say, it didn’t really work well, so it became more of just Elmo on a leash.

The hotel in Montreal where we stayed was the Queen Elizabeth, which is also famous for hosting John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their 1969 “Bed In for Peace.” One of the hotel employees was nice enough to let us see the room (which is available for a much higher price then the other rooms, of course). It has many incredible photos of the Bed In.

There’s nothing Reeve doesn’t like more than being naked and having control of an electronic device, like a remote control.

He’s also big into climbing stairs. The Museé de Beaux Arts provided him with the perfect and very long staircase for his stair-climbing pleasure. And mom and dad got to see some great exhibits too.

One afternoon after a round of sightseeing, Reeve was done with being carted around the city. So we relaxed in the kiddie pool for some fun.

The next day we stopped in to a small cafe in a very old building to have lunch. It was one of the best lunches we’d ever had, and they had a very nice christmas display on their more-then-2-feet-thick windowsill.

On the way back from lunch, we got a family photo taken at the artist’s alley.

On our final morning, with limited time, we decided to trek out to the Olympic Park, where the 1976 games were held. They have a very cool Biosphere with amazing animals. Reeve was transfixed.

But all that animal-watching can tire a guy out. He passed out in the train station on our way to Quebec City.

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