Fall Colors in Eastern Canada, 2026

Soon we were making our way to the airport train that would take us to the Pearson airport/Union Station Express. Senior tickets were just a bit over $6 CAD. The train was modern, clean, and had very comfy seats. In less than an hour, we were downtown Toronto. We walked to our hotel, which was about 10 minutes away. It was almost 6 when we arrived, and after checking in and freshening up, we headed out to eat Ramen. We walked a good distance, found our restaurant, and also found a very long line on the sidewalk. We decided to go elsewhere and found a not-as-crowded Vietnamese restaurant. We ordered pho, and it was amazing.

Our 3rd stop was the Hockey Hall of Fame. We had tickets so we went straight in. Neither of us are huge hockey fans and knew only a few of the players but the history was so well presented that we spent several hours exploring. The highlight was seeing the Stanley Cup! Next stop was the old city hall, the new city hall, and the Toronto sign. All of these are at one stop and we got some great pictures. We then walked down Yonge Street which is the shopping area. We ended in the Eaton Center shopping mall which looked like a huge city American mall. As we finished in the Eaton Center we realized we were hungry. We headed toward our next stop and found a highly rated sports bar, Jacks, to have lunch. We rested our feet and had most delicious Mexican Chicken bowls.

We finished just in time to get an Uber to the Queens Quay for our harbor tour. With just a short time before boarding, we just spent our time walking in the area. Once on board the Oriole, we claimed seats on top. The cruise was an hour, and we saw sweeping, panoramic views of the downtown skyline, iconic city landmarks, and the tranquil lagoons of the neighboring islands. We saw the Billy Bishop downtown airport and could watch small prop jets taking off and landing. We saw a huge colony of double-breasted cormorants at the end of the runway! It was a fun way to spend an hour. Most fun fact from the cruise was that they use drone sharks to clean the harbor. After we disembarked, we walked along the waterfront to the parks and beaches we saw as we sailed past. We then stopped at the Amsterdam Bar and Grill for a late lunch and early dinner. The food was great, but the white sangria was amazing!

The trip was 5 hours, and we had much better service than airlines provide. We were served hot coffee followed by warm towels, and then our hot breakfast was served. Later, they served more coffee or juice, then another bar round where you could purchase alcohol or just have a soda and a snack free. If the seats reclined or were flat, it would have been perfect and on time!! When we arrived at the station, we had to take a light rail into the city. It was just a short 4 stops, and when we arrived, we could see our hotel, the Château Laurier. We checked in and dropped our bags in our room.

From the church, we made our way to Rideau Falls. These two curtain-like falls occur where the Rideau River empties into the St. Lawrence. We then walked back into the city and stopped for a snack at the Beaver Tail shop and something to drink. Afterwards, we walked through Byward Market . Refreshed, we headed back to the canal area. We tried to schedule a canal boat ride, but their times did not work with our train reservations. We readjusted our plans. We did the canal walk to the end and then continued on the Queen Elizabeth Path to the end. It went along the river and was very quiet and lovely but very long. We then made our way into the city via Sparks Street, a pedestrian road with restaurants and office buildings. We then explored outside the main area where we saw the fireman’s memorial, a military drill hall, and Ottawa’s Hotel de Ville, aka city hall.

We continued our walk still looking for those darn bagels. Our next stop was Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, and yes, the dome is modeled on Saint Peter's Basilica in a scaled-down version. The church had the 12 figures on the facade, but they are not the apostles but local saints who supported the diocese. Near the baptismal font, you can see a striking stucco crucifix —one of Québec’s most significant religious sculptures. Next on our journey, we made the decision to save bagels for another day and make a stop at a French bakery to get fresh out-of-the-oven croissants and chouquettes. Both were delicious, but the croissants were the best we have ever had. Hot, flaky, and buttery, not requiring any butter or jam! We left this place very happy. On to the Place de Armes Square. Place d'Armes was the classic French term for a military gathering ground, a place where defenders assembled in uncertain times. The architecture of the buildings around it gives it a rather solemn air: Notre-Dame, a seminary, a bank, and the Duluth building. But just when you think it’s all solemn history, two sculptures break the tension: a rather haughty English gentleman with his pug, and a French lady with her poodle. The dogs seem ready to make friends; their owners, not so much., both had their rather long pointed noses in the air These brought smiles to our faces! Notre Dame was impressive from the exterior but nothing compared to the interior! I literally took our breath away when we first entered. Your eyes have no idea what to look at first. We just took our time wandering around and being impressed. The interior is a riot of color, carved wood, painted columns, statues, and stained glass. And here’s the twist: the windows don’t focus on biblical scenes. Instead, they tell stories from Montreal’s own history. It’s less “Old Testament” and more “local greatest hits.” We can’t wait to come back tonight for the light show!

The museum complex consists of several locations, connected by underground passages, among which are the Mariners' House, the Youville Pumping Station, and the Éperon Building housing the main exhibition spaces. When we finished, we were several buildings away from our starting point! We then walked to the cruise port and saw our ship was already docked. This is a new ship for us, and it is very lovely! We were going to explore this area but realized it was time for our dinner reservations.

We made our way to a bridge, and we were able to see both ways. The canal is open only to recreational vehicles now. We made our way back to the ship, and our room was ready! We settled in quickly and went straight to the laundry to get our clothes clean for the rest of the trip. Hugh ran things to the room as they came out of the dryer but was too tired and went for a nap. I sat and talked to other women who were also winging it alone. Once the laundry was done and we had everything organized, we showered and dressed for dinner. We had Red Ginger reservations and were looking forward to it. We were seated quickly, and another couple joined us. This was their first cruise, and they were full of questions. The meal was fabulous, and we finished just in time for a stroll through the boutiques before the show. The cast of performers on this cruise is amazing, and the first show was a hit! It included a lot of music history and all genres. Off to bed.

We headed to the lower town area and visited a church, Notre-Dame De Victories, and then made our way toward the funicular. In route, we smelled the delicious aromas of Mary’s Popcorn and had to get a small bag. As we munched, we climbed the stairs to the upper town and the Hotel Frontenac. Opened in 1893, this was one of the first grand railway hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the country, whose 18-floor grandness, augmented by the 54-meter (or 177-foot) elevation at which it sits, rivaled any European hotel of the day and grabbed the attention of travelers. We read all the placards and made more photos before we made it to the very long and steep steps of the Governor’s Walk to the Citadel. The massive star-shaped stone walls ahead mark one of North America’s largest and best-preserved fortresses. Built by the British between 1820 and 1831 against a feared American attack that never came, the Citadel is often called “The Gibraltar of the Americas.” Today, it remains an active military base and home of the Royal 22nd Regiment, the Canadian Army’s only French-speaking regular infantry. When we reached the top, we explored the area and then headed down the other side of the fort!

We had a town map that showed a large park with hiking trails, so we headed out of town on foot and made it to the park entrance! We headed in, not exactly sure where we were headed. The trails crisscrossed each other, and we just kept getting deeper and deeper, enjoying the quiet and beauty. At one point, we found a lake and walked around it and again resumed our journey farther into the forest. This whole area is part of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve. We hiked for several hours, and all of a sudden, we saw a house and then a road. We made our way out of the park and into a neighborhood.

Once we arrived back at the museum, we decided to walk back to the ship. Our map showed a path that went along the water most of the way, or so we thought. We had a lovely walk the first several miles, and then we had about 2 miles through a neighborhood before it turned into the 2.5 km trail we were looking for. This part was on the water, and we saw the Sept Iles sign and a museum with an extremely high-tech rowing boat that a single woman rowed from Quebec to England. Very interesting story.

We enjoyed the views along the way, and we made it to the end. Again today the walk along the river had us go through a neighborhood and we like seeing how the people live. This was a well-tended neighborhood with beautiful homes with exceptional views. Even so, Hugh and I agreed this was not a place for us! When we arrived back at the harbor we visited the church, the Rio Tinto mining office to see some old trains and equipment. This is the world’s largest titanium mine and we have the Rio Tinto largest copper mine near us. We also saw a Rio Tinto passenger train that takes people to work at the mine. On our way back into town we stopped at the Artisan Shop. With very tired feet we headed back to the ship! We again exceeded 8 miles in our journey.

Onward we went, and it was an elevation gain of 879 ft and a lot of roots and slippery areas. It offered a great view over the gorge and the town when we arrived. It was 4.4 miles in and out, and we then continued our Stream Trail around the lake. When we finally made it back to town, we had over 7 miles logged, and both of us were a little weary. Before heading back to the ship, we stopped at the Corner Brook Museum and saw its marine artifacts, forestry exhibits, and collections from Aboriginal artifacts. We caught the shuttle back to the ship and arrived just in time to go to tea. What a lovely way to relax and rest our tired tootsies. After tea, we worked on photos and caught up on journaling!

We hit all the items on our walking tour, including the church museum and 2 history houses: the Cossit and the Jost House. The guides at each of the sites were in full costume, including a mourner in the cemetery! They provided great history and color! We then walked down Charlotte Street to the Bank of Montreal building. The Bank of Montreal Building stands as an enduring symbol of the city’s prosperous industrial past. Completed in 1901 and crafted from locally sourced Wallace sandstone, it is now the city museum. We went and enjoyed reading and seeing pictures of the boom era of Sydney. We spoke with one of the curators who gave us advice on where to find the best lobster roll. He recommended a cute café called Two Friends Café, and he also recommended the Holiday Sandwich, which he loved. We followed his directions and also recommendations. We ordered one of each and split them! Both were outstanding!!

We then decided to relax a bit before showering off that lingering oil and heading to the O party. We were invited to come early, but when we arrived, everyone had decided to come early, so we joined the long line. It was a great party, and we met some new people. Two at our table were the top 2 travelers on the whole trip. The gentleman had been on 4 world cruises. He had neuropathy and was in a wheelchair. When asked how he accomplished all these cruises, he answered, “I’m in a damn wheelchair, what else can I do?” After the party, we decided on the Pizzeria for dinner. It was a lovely evening, but the pizza was not as good as before. We listened to the strings quartet before heading to the show! Tonight’s performance was Michael Lindons tribute to Michael Buble. He was fantastic and actually looked a little like Buble. We left with high anticipation of his next show!!

On our way to Trinity Anglican Church, we passed the Imperial Theater with its flashing marquee. This theater opened in 1913. We continued on to the church and got some great exterior shots but were saddened that it was closed on Saturday. Celebrated for its architectural significance and as the first established congregation in the city, the church is part of a series of brick and stone buildings constructed between 1877 and 1881, a period of rebuilding following the devastating fire that consumed two-thirds of the City of Saint John in 1877. Our next stop was the Jewish Memorial Museum. This was also closed on Saturday. We then headed to the Loyalist Burial Grounds, which opened in 1783 and is now a city park. The highlight is the Beaver Fountain. As we continued on our tour, we were amazed with all the hills we had to climb. We arrived at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, whose spire is the highest point in the city. Happily, it was open. Within the cathedral's interior, a life-size image of the crucified Saviour graces the space over the altar. It was a very subdued cathedral. From the cathedral, we made our way to the Loyalist House Museum. We almost witnessed a local getting run over by another local. The poor woman was so shaken it was sad, and the driver did not slow down that it was constructed in 1817 and served as the cherished home of the Merritt family for over a century. Our next stop was the Stone Church. It is a simple church that uses its sanctuary for all of its different functions. What adds to the allure of the Stone Church is its fascinating origin story. The construction materials include stones that arrived as ballasts on ships from England, a practice that contributes to the church's distinct character. This finished our tour, so we headed back to the city market for something to drink and a snack.

The next part of our exploration involved a 45-minute walk out of town to the Reversing Falls at low tide. This takes about 45 to 50 minutes (roughly 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles each way). We stopped at some lookouts along the way, and the path was a lovely paved way along the water. When we arrived, we saw an amazing sight of rushing water where it was visible; the drop was significant. We debated as to an Uber or a walk, and the walk won. We made our way back to the ship just as we finished our 20 miles for the day. We have been trying to keep this up on most of our shore days! We headed to Waves for a light lunch and then some rest time before showering and dressing for dinner. We had dinner in Toscana with a couple from Florida. It was a bit trying because the women could not hear and asked what was that all the time, and she was also a very picky eater. The food was delicious, and we headed to the show late. It was the Becker Magic Show and it was fun!

We were docked in the heart of town, which made it easy for us to navigate to the Victoria Mansion and our 12:10 reservation. Listed on the National Historic Register, Victoria Mansion is a museum that transports you straight back to the opulent 19th century. It's a true testament to Portland’s rich history. Built in 1860 as a summer escape for Ruggles Sylvester Morse, a hotel magnate, it is an over-the-top Victorian home. When we finished our tour here, we picked up our GPS MY CITY tour. It was Sunday, so a lot of things were not open, but we saw them from the outside. There are a lot of historical buildings here, including the city hall, customs house, Wadsworth-Longfellow house, and the Mechanics Hall. We took a break for a salad and some tacos at Taco Escobar, and it was delicious! On our tour, we also saw the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, which was closed. Funny, you would expect a church to be open on Sunday, but no! It first opened its doors in 1869—just three years after Portland’s Great Fire. Built in red brick trimmed with sandstone and capped with slate, it’s less “quaint parish church” and more “statement piece you can see from half the city, just not inside!”

Morning coffee came at 6 and we were up and dressed quickly. we passed out tips and left the ship as soon as it was cleared. the line to et off was long but they made the announce ment that if you did not have all your luggage with you you had to stay on the ship until the checked luggage was on shore and organized. We were the second couple off. Our Uber driver came quickly and even though we had the NYC rush hour traffic to contend with we made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. we checked our bag and cleared security in record time and once we made the long walk to our terminal we had time for breakfast in the Delta Lounge. Once on board our flight it was 5 hours of nothingness but i listened to my book and it passed quickly. Once on the ground at SLC we made the walk from terminal B to baggage claim and there were our bags. Out at the curb we ran into our friend Sharon waiting for a ride also. One Uber ride later we were home! /susan