2 weeks road trip great lake
 

Hi !

we are very slowly looking for our next summer trip. We already have a 2 weeks italian trip without the kids and now we are looking for a 2 weeks roadtrip around the great lakes.

We have 2 kids of 6 and 10 and we are from Montreal. We dont have any idea waht the ideal road could/would be. We have to make a stop in Toronto because a friend of us live there but thats about it. We also want to get to Chicago.

any suggestion or ideas ?

Thanks !

Nobody ?

I posted a lengthy post to help you out for part of your trip but hit a button and "poof" it was gone. I'm too lazy to re-post the whole thing but I'll give you the abridged version.

Montreal to Kingston: Visit The Thousand Islands. Boat trip with stop at Boldt castle. The Thousand Islands are spectacular.

Toronto: Plenty to do and then some. You probably know that.

Toronto to Niagara Falls: Same as above...plenty to do and then some.

Niagara on the Lake: Lovely, historic town. Boring for kids (in my opinion, anyhow). And you are from Montreal, so.....

I would, instead, opt for Old Fort Niagara on the American side north of the falls. Oldest fort and buildings on the Great Lakes going back to the French and Indian War. My son and his friends LOVED going there when they were kids. Beautiful and historic. There is a small, interesting museum and gift shop of course. The fort sits at the mouth of the lower Niagara where it empties into Lake Ontario. On a clear day you can see Toronto. The fort sits within a state park and there are some large, clean, public swimming pools (one or two with pool slides) and bathrooms, playgrounds, etc. There is a large grassy slope that goes down to Lake Ontario. The beach is narrow and not swimmable; however, it's a fun place to throw rocks and sticks and dig around for old pottery and sea glass. Pack a lunch and spend the day.

You can consider the Whirlpool Jetboat tours of the lower Niagara rapids. I'm not sure if there is an age limit (thinking of your 6 year old).

I posted a lengthy post to help you out for part of your trip but hit a button and "poof" it was gone. I'm too lazy to re-post the whole thing but I'll give you the abridged version.

Montreal to Kingston: Visit The Thousand Islands. Boat trip with stop at Boldt castle. The Thousand Islands are spectacular.

Toronto: Plenty to do and then some. You probably know that.

Toronto to Niagara Falls: Same as above...plenty to do and then some.

Niagara on the Lake: Lovely, historic town. Boring for kids (in my opinion, anyhow). And you are from Montreal, so.....

I would, instead, opt for Old Fort Niagara on the American side north of the falls. Oldest fort and buildings on the Great Lakes going back to the French and Indian War. My son and his friends LOVED going there when they were kids. Beautiful and historic. There is a small, interesting museum and gift shop of course. The fort sits at the mouth of the lower Niagara where it empties into Lake Ontario. On a clear day you can see Toronto. The fort sits within a state park and there are some large, clean, public swimming pools (one or two with pool slides) and bathrooms, playgrounds, etc. There is a large grassy slope that goes down to Lake Ontario. The beach is narrow and not swimmable; however, it's a fun place to throw rocks and sticks and dig around for old pottery and sea glass. Pack a lunch and spend the day.

Then there are the Whirlpool Jetboat Tours of the lower Niagara rapids. Not sure if there is an age limit (thinking of your 6 year old).

https://www.whirlpooljet.com/

Come on over to Buffalo. It has had a major renaissance. A children's museum is supposed to open next year at Canalside, but I'm not certain of its' completion date. Canalside has a lot going on. It was the terminus of the Erie Canal. Some of the walls are visible and there are continuous activities all summer long on the boardwalk. You can rent water pedal bikes or race those little remote controlled boats, etc.

https://www.canalsidebuffalo.com/

Next to Canalside is the Buffalo Naval Park. You can tour the ships (and a submarine). Here is some info.

(((((The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park is a museum on the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker. Along with the ships, there are a variety of smaller vehicles, vessels, and aircraft on display at the park.)))))

http://buffalonavalpark.org/

Also, there is a nice little amusement park on Grand Island called Fantasy Island. Grand Island is, well, an island in the Niagara River that is a suburb between Niagara Falls and Buffalo. It's just the right size for your boys and close to everywhere I mentioned above.

I hope this helps!

Well, after reading my above post it looks like I added my lost post to my new post!!! Computers.......

Wow I.ve just noticed that cery long and precise answer. Thankas a lot, that give me a lot to think and read about !

We plan to stay more tim in The Usa side than the canadian one since we already have seen Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara region. I,ll read all that and come back if more questions are needed.

Thanaks a lot once again, it's people like you who made that kind of forum living !