Bienvenue au Canada--Welcome to Canada!

The carful of kids are headed to Montreal, Canada, later in the day but first we wrap up Vermont by exploring Burlington. Yesterday, we explored the Waterbury/Stowe area and loved it. Between the fall color and the skiing--I wish we lived closer so we could visit during the different seasons.

The carful of kids walk along the Church Street Marketplace, a four-block pedestrian shopping district.  For the kids there is Ben and Jerry's ice cream to eat and giant boulders to climb and for the adults shopping and sidewalk cafes--they also have festivals year-round.

The carful of kids load up in the SUV and look north to Canada even though we want to stay in Vermont a little longer--maybe another time. This is the kids' first visit outside of the United States and they are excited to get going.

Church Street Marketplace

It takes about an hour to drive to the the Canadian Border from Burlington, Vermont, through the idyllic countryside. But to take your car, kids and contents across the border there are several things that you need to keep in mind.

I pulled together a folder full of documentation for crossing the border, remember that the border agents have the authority to deny entry into Canada if they want to. I am traveling into Canada with my children that are under 18 with only one parent present so I want to have all my documentation accessible to make the process as easy as possible.

The carful of kids got passport cards earlier in the year, there are inexpensive ($40) and good for five years.  Passport cards are good for land and sea travel into Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Items I carry in my travel folder:

• Passports and Passport cards and a copy of Melissa's passport (just in case)
• Notarized letter of consent--see below
• Copies of the kids' birth certificates--I left the originals at home 
• A copy of our itinerary which includes the addresses of hotels and campgrounds plus their reservation numbers.
• A copy of our car insurance. If your state issues a paper car registration add that as well 

The notarized letter of consent:

• A statement from my husband stating he is a legal guardian of our kids with their full names, dates of birth, and passport numbers
• The full names and addresses of the people the kids are traveling with (Melissa and myself) along our passport numbers and dates of birth 
• The dates we are traveling and when we will return
• His contact information
• His signature
• Notary stamp and signature

At home I have left a similar folder with copies of all the information for Dad as well, just in case. 

We say good-bye to the US and approach the Canadian Boarder Officer-- we roll down the windows, pass them our passports and offer them the folder. The agent takes it and looks over the letter of consent and asks the kids a question. They thank me for pulling together the appropriate information and let us through. Yea.

Beaver Lake

Another hour or so to get to Montreal, but this is when I realize my navigator doesn't read or speak French but the driver can speak and read enough to get by. We spell the street names instead, remember French is the official language in the state of Quebec.

Our first stop is Parc du Mont-Royal, named by Jacques Cartier in 1535 for his royal patron, it's in the center of the city and a devoted green space. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, he designed the gardens of the Biltmore Estate, it includes hike and bike trails, sculpture garden, playgrounds, and the popular overlook--Belvedere Kondiaronk, or Mount Royal Chalet.

The view from Mount Royal Chalet

The carful of kids spend the afternoon exploring the park, stop for a picnic dinner and hike to the Chalet. Large city parks are a great place for kids to unwind after sitting in the SUV. 

After several hours exploring Parc du Mont-Royal, we load up and drive over to St. John's Oratory, a Roman Catholic Church that was commissioned in 1904. St. John's has the third largest dome in the world and is a National Historic Site of Canada; it is also another popular site to see the city lights.

The carful of kids climb the stairs to the top and then enjoy a moment to sit and enjoy the view. 

Up next: Another packed day, more to do in Montreal.