In the good ole days you would be getting kids ready for school, summer camps, organized sporting events, recitals you name it. Then you would head off to work and some would say that is a good balance in life. Now fast forward to the new world order and you are spending your day juggling work remotely with trying to keep the kids from ACTUALLY killing themselves…rinse and repeat for time unknown. This seems like a good time for that old commercial “Calgon…take me away” as the moment would be quite fitting in our current circumstances…;-)  So to channel our inner Calgon moment, close your eyes and let me take you away…

New York City

It is unfortunate what is going on in New York City and the surrounding areas with the outbreak and our prayers and well wishes go out to everyone involved for a speedy recovery. Now when things do get back to some sort of norm, New York is a place that during the summer it seems as if there is a festival going on every weekend. Street closures everywhere with mini pop up flea markets and food vendors. There are also marathons, bike rides and endless parades that are happening as well. Don’t forget Christmas and of course the infamous ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve. The point I am trying to make is that this is a year round city that never disappoints.

You can go from seeing pop up skating rinks, to a massive Christmas tree (69-100 ft tall) or maybe this spring take in the Easter Parade, how about a nice walk above the city along the old railroad turned into a park walk, shopping at Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall with over 200 stores or maybe in the summer renting a bike and riding through Central Park, maybe some upscale shopping on 5th Ave and ladies you really wanna do the Sex and the City bus tour.

So no matter what your heart desires, if it involves fun and non-stop action then New York City is a definite to do on your list.

Chicago

I don’t know Chicago that well, but I can say that this place has a vibe about it that is hard to explain. It could be the undeniable imagery you are faced with once arriving to the downtown area near Millennium Park. You will notice in parts of the city waterways that weave throughout carry passengers on boat tours one of which is an architecture tour. This is because when you are looking at the downtown buildings it is an amazing mixture of old, new and even circular buildings with a circular parking lot at least 3 or 4 stories above ground. Not to mention all the Jazz bars, clubs and restaurants in the area, it is just a different vibe as a whole and a good place to just lose yourself in yourself. A great time to visit Chicago would be in my opinion in the summer during the the food festival “The Taste Of Chicago” held in Millennium Park. Food, drink, jazz and architecture. What more can you ask for?

Montreal/Quebec City

Both places are great in their own right, so with Montreal summer is a great time from the Grand Prix to huge beach parties, Night life to please all. Not to mention New Years Eve in Montreal is a an amazing experience. As you can see from my description of Montreal it is quite the party town.

Having said that, Quebec City has a bit of a different feel from the old cobble stone buildings or the city block on both sides of the street lined with restaurants, bars, nightclubs all with outdoor patio seating. The vibe there on a summer night is absolutely amazing. This city is rich in history and I won’t go into details but it may be worth googling for some.

So those are my favourite places that I have visited on bus tours, what are your favourite places to visit. Let me know in the comments below. Have a look around on my site and see if there is anything that you like. Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list for first dibs on upcoming trips when all this madness ends.