Help! DH takes each of the kids on a special 15th birthday trip. The previous two have been to New Orleans, but Rob (March birthday) doesn't remember seeing snow (we moved home to Florida when he was 4) - so we thought that a trip to somewhere with snow would really please him. However, this is only a 3 day trip, so it would have to be in eastern Canada. They would also enjoy a city. Where would there be snow in mid-March?

In eastern Canada, most spots will have some snow. Look at http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/englis...r/endsnowcover for an idea of the average last date of snow cover.

This year has also been far from average. Toronto is on target for the 2nd heaviest snowfall season on record.

Thanks! It looks like Montreal with a trip out to Mont Tremblant would work very nicely.

Yeah, I think Montreal would be good for reasons including its flatness, its frenchness, and its large size relative to all but Toronto.

I have a sense that Montreal will make the 15yo feel like he is a lot farther from home than Toronto (regardless of the actual truth).

Make SURE you have full documentation as required for border crossing/customs.

IF one parent is going, and the other is not, it sure helps to have a note from the non-accompanying parent authorizing the trip. I'd say that a photo of both parents and the (son) {perhaps with a current issue of USA Today in the photo, to assure the photo being new/recent} couldn't hurt either.

Just some extra precautions to make sure the trip comes off without a hitch.

Looking out the window right now, I'm thinking you won't have trouble finding snow here in July...but thats just the cabin fever talking-however, seriously,I would caution your young man that the snow is not a given...unless you are thinking of Corner Brook, Newfoundlan (and I don't think you meant that far east!), a city and snow in March is not a for sure thing.

But snow at Mont Tremblant? That looks pretty high, and (hopefully) will have snow?

We had a son in school in Burlington, Vermont for two years, and I wanted so badly to get to Montreal. However, it was always get up to Burlington to either settle him in or pick him up - and hurry back to Florida because his vacations and his younger brother's vacations (the one who wants to see snow) NEVER overlapped! One day....

Another vote for MOntreal.

We're trying tofind time to take a 13 year old boy just from Toronto to Montreal for a visit.

Coming from Florida would be a much bigger deal.

Can you tell us of some of his interests?

There's a great rain museum nearby, there's a bug museum and a biosphere where you can sort of lookunder the St. Lawrence River -- completely different fish than he'd see in Florida.

Lots of interesting food for a teenager. Poutine, crepes, Montreal Smoked MEat, Montreal bagels -- for him to compare with food back home, while still staying away for the exotic. And if he's interested in exotic, there's a vast array of ethnic restaurants.

Plus, the Frenchness -- he'll get along fine with English, but being surrounded by French is quite an experience, too.

BAK

"But snow at Mont Tremblant?" I'd guess that would be *almost* a sure thing.

This winter a travel company in Canada had a "Let it snow" promotion: you'd get your trip down south free IF there was more than 5" (12.7 cm) of snow on Jan 1, 2008 in your area. Thousands of travellers in Quebec lucked out, since more than the requisite amount fell in Montreal. The travel company actually was rooting for snow too, since they had hedged the payouts with a British weather insurer. The publicity? Priceless.

The biosphere looks like a good idea, as does the Stewart Museum - Rob really likes history, especially military history. Poutine!!!!! We had that when we went to Nova Scotia about 9 years ago. We all thought it was wonderful, and we kidded our oldest boy that he was going to turn into it he ate it so often.

The Let it Snow campaign - what great marketing. I wonder if we could do some sort of reverse thing with hurricanes?

Thanks for your help. They were in Montreal last weekend and had a blast! They saw lots of snow, ate poutine, went on a dog sled ride, had numerous snowball fights, rode on the subway (a first for Rob), and just generally had a good time. The only minor disappointment was the biosphere - the line was too long, so they had to skip it.

Hi, thanks for the report back, and I hope that Montreal served you all with some pleasant memories.