NEW YEARS IN MONTREAL

This year for New Years we took a road trip to Montreal with my family.  We wanted to ring in 2012 in a different city, and Montreal was a great choice.  Even though I'm a born New Yorker, I have such a thing for European cities, and this is as close as you can get to Paris without having to jump on a seven hour + flight.

We rented these wheels...a jumbo sized Ford Expedition e.l. to accommodate all seven of us and our luggage.  Montreal is less than a two hour flight away from New York City, but driving there took less than seven hours and it was fun, especially in this cool ride!  We really want one of these now...we feel like we would take so many more road trips.

Then we checked into the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal.  This was definitely a great hotel in the center of the city.  For starters, the location is just a couple of blocks away from shopping, restaurants and a metro stop, so we just parked the car at the hotel and explored the city on foot.  In addition, the rooms, although not the most modern of decor (although they are in the process of renovating and updating), were nice and spacious, and our room on the 28th floor had a great view of the city!  The fitness center has nice workout equipment, steam rooms, a hot tub and a pool.  And the service was excellent- what you would expect from an Omni property.  Plus, we got it at a great price during the New Years holiday weekend.  We paid about $175 a night...so it was a win-win situation for a great hotel.  I highly recommend the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal if you jet set to this Canadian city.

We spent about 3.5 days and four nights exploring every corner of this wonderful city.  So much so, that by the end, we said we could "put a fork in it, we had seen Montreal."   Yes, it was cold and snowy, but that was part of the charm because it was so festive.  We wandered around the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal.

We walked through Montreal's Chinatown neighborhood.

We went to see Montreal's Notre Dame Church which is so incredibly beautiful.

And need you ask...yes, of course we ate, and ate, and ate (and shopped).  I will have more on all of the great places where we stuffed ourselves silly tomorrow, and more on some of Montreal's good shopping this Friday in my Jet Set Stylin' Fridays post!

OUI OUI! IT'S PARIS FOR FREE!

Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world!!!  It is romantic, it has amazing shopping, awesomely delicious food, and it is just gorgeous.  But, all of that great stuff comes with a very expensive price tag- it is one pricey place to jet set to.  The good news is, there is some stuff that you can do in Paris that won't cost you a dime...or make that a euro!  Here they are:

1- Notre Dame: This Parision icon is a must see for every visitor.  It's absolutely beautiful and 100% free to enter.

2- Le Champ de Mars:  If you want to wait in long lines and pay a heavy price for a lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower, then go ahead.  Or instead you can hang out on Le Champ de Mars (the park area below) and glance up and snap all of the pictures you want for free.

3- Sacre Coeur: Located in the Montmarte district (a really interesting part of the city), climb your way to the top of the hill for a look at this stunning church with equally stunning views of Paris.

4- Canal St-Martin: Hang out with the locals and take a little time to enjoy the city, and watch the boats go by while sitting and having a picnic.

5- The Louvre: Home to the Mona Lisa and many more famous pieces of art- this museum is incredible and  if you visit on the first Sunday of the month, entrance is free!