Oh, Canada

 

The original plan was to drive from Columbus to Detroit to stay with my relatives that we saw at the Arkansas reunion, but it turned out they wouldn't be back home on time, so we pivoted and decided to go through Canada, from Niagara Falls to Toronto and around Lake Huron to drop back into the Upper Peninsula. 

First stop, Niagara Falls! I asked Mike to take more pictures of me and P together, since I have almost none of just us, and he is really coming through this trip.

It's doubly beneficial, because S never used to willingly take photos but is now jealous enough of me taking pictures with P that she's all of a sudden eager to take photos. Gotta take these accidental parenting wins when you can! 

Next stop, Toronto, Ontario! I hadn't been to Toronto since I took a solo backpacking trip across Canada in 2003 or 2004. It was just as cool as I remembered, with amazing parks, good public transportation, and delicious food. We stayed at a pretty HipCamp about 45 minutes out of town by train because the prices for staying anywhere near town were insane, and we had the issue of what to do with our trailer.

 The girls were very excited to ride the double decker train into Toronto. 

CN Tower baby!

We walked and took the Metro and trams all over downtown. First we went up to the Royal Ontario Museum, which was awesome. Then we went to explore the Kensington Market, a vibrant and happening neighborhood with lots of markets and restaurants, where we had the most delicious vegan Thai food at Saigon Lotus. 

Then we ate pie, lots of pie. Pinkies up! We walked back through downtown and stopped at another park on the way back before hitting up the Harborfront and then calling it a day after over 5 miles of walking. The girls were troopers. There's so much more to explore in Toronto (especially more parks) and I'm excited to go back someday for more than one day. 

Our HipCamp place had a creek running through it and there were strategically placed hammocks all over the property. Mike was doing what he does best, and I was lucky to catch these beautiful goofballs in action.