Vacation rentals in Canada

I am always looking for family friendly destinations for my family of 4! This holiday season the number one gift the kids asked for was a vacation.  I must admit my initial thought went to fun in the sun but my son brought up the idea of Canada.  My husband and I have never been and as we researched it we grew more and more intrigued especially after viewing Luxury Retreat Properties.

Did you know that Lonely Planet ranked Canada as Best Country to Travel to in 2017! Canada is a North American country stretching from the U.S. in the south to the Arctic Circle in the north. Major cities include massive Toronto, west coast film Centre Vancouver, French-speaking Montréal and Québec City, and capital city Ottawa.
Canada’s vast swaths of wilderness include lake-filled Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains. It’s also home to Niagara Falls, a famous group of massive waterfalls and probably the first stop on our family agenda.

Although the list is limitless, there is one thing I know for sure we will be staying at the Luxury Retreats Properties. With over 27 Luxury Home Rentals in Canada I literally can’t decide which property is my favorite. They range in size and price point but one thing is consistent throughout, a combination of chic elegance and family warmth.  The properties have a host of amenities including billiards, hot tubs, sun decks, ping tables, fireplaces.  The larger of the properties even has its own home theatre with its own ticket booth for the ultimate luxury.  All properties have plenty of space for
après-ski entertaining for the family both immediate and extended.

There are so many things to do in Canada that I would love to share of some of my absolute favorite dream destinations that I hope to someday experience and report back!

The globe’s second-biggest country has an endless variety of landscapes. Sky-high mountains, gorgeous glaciers, huge rainforests and remote beaches are all in Canada, spread across six times zones. It’s the backdrop for plenty of ah-inspiring moments –

The terrain also makes for a fantastic playground. Whether it’s snowboarding Whistler’s mountains, surfing Nova Scotia’s swells or kayaking the white-frothed South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories, adventures are inevitable.  There are gentler options, too, like strolling Vancouver’s Stanley Park or swimming off Prince Edward Island’s pink-sand beaches which is actually more my cup of tea but like every Mom we go where and when the kids want to travel!

Canada is a local food smorgasbord. If you grazed from west to east across the country, you’d fill your plate like this: wild salmon and velvety scallops in British Columbia, poutine (golden fries topped with gravy and cheese curds) in Québec, and lobster with a dab of melted butter in the Maritime provinces. Tastemakers may not tout Canadian food the way they do, say, Italian or French fare but I  have heard from many sources that the food rivals that of any fine dining establishment.

Sip a café au lait and tear into a flaky croissant at a sidewalk bistro in Montréal; head to an Asian night market and eat noodles in Vancouver. You’ll hear it in the music, see it in the arts and taste
it in the cuisine.

The arts are an integral part of Canada’s cultural landscape. You’ll find it from the International Fringe Theater Festival (the world’s second-largest) in Edmonton to mega museums like Ottawa’s National Gallery. Montreal’s Jazz Festival and Toronto’s star-studded Film Festival draw global crowds.

Now back to the main reason why my oldest son Joseph wanted to travel to Canada…SKIING!! While he is not an avid skier yet, the is definitely skilled at skiing and snowboarding and I know Canada would be the trip of a lifetime.  After much research, I decided on Fairmount Chateau Whistler. Consistently voted near, if not at the top of almost every skier’s dream destination as well as most official rankings, Whistler always ranks high! This monolithic resort has hosted events like the 2010 Olympics and continues to draw in athletes, holiday makers and anyone else who visits with an intense, immeasurable and undiminishing pull. I can’t wait to see Joseph on the slopes and his little sister Gia not far behind mastering the bunny slopes.

No trip to Canada would be complete without a visit to Niagara Falls!! Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a Canadian city at the famous waterfalls of the same name, linked with the U.S. by the Rainbow Bridge. Its site on the Niagara River’s western shore overlooks the Horseshoe Falls, the cascades’ most expansive section. Elevators take visitors to a lower, wetter vantage point behind the falls. A Cliffside park features a
promenade alongside 520-ft.-high Skyline Tower with an observation deck.

I can only imagine how awe inspiring it must be to see the Falls first hand! Of all the sights to see I think the Falls will be my personal favorite.

Now that we have all the main sights out of the way we can talk about what is my favorite things to do regardless of where we go….SHOP!

From upscale neighborhoods with wonderful little boutiques to one of the biggest mega-malls in the world, Canada has some of the greatest places to shop. Here are a couple of top picks for all the shopaholics according to Reader’s Digest.

1. Yorkville, Toronto, Ont.

A quiet neighborhood of small streets sheltered from the overall noise and hubbub of downtown Toronto, Yorkville is arguably Canada’s poshest shopping district-store rent tops $300 per square foot, and those little streets are home to some of the biggest names in fashion and design, including Burberry, Prada, Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. (not to mention dealerships for Rolls Royce and Maserati). Bring a credit card-or three, actually just take the hubby’s wallet.

2. West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alta.

Although the “West Ed” relinquished the title of world’s largest mall back in 2004, this place is still a must-visit spot for serious shoppers, with some 800 stores and services spread across six million square feet of commercial space. It’s also a great place for those who are serious about partying, with a full-blown amusement park that includes the world’s tallest and longest indoor rollercoasters, a five-acre waterpark, an ice palace, mini golf and lots of other fun attractions. For the sake of my family’s happiness and overall financial well-being (revisit #1 mall for why) I think this will be
our first stop on our tour.  My husband can keep the kids entertained all day and Mommy can freely shop without worrying about bored kids in tow.

In short, we cannot wait to travel to Canada and experience all the sights, the food, the shopping and the unforgettable travel accommodations at Luxury Retreat Properties.