Last summer my husband and I celebrated our Wedding Anniversary with an adults only trip! We had a few criteria for choosing the location. First, the location needed to be a cooler climate. (My husband doesn’t really care for the beach or being hot.)  Second, we wanted to go someplace that felt foreign without the jet lag.  We settled on Upstate New York and Montreal. Of course, Upstate New York really doesn’t feel foreign, but the weather reminds us of our Arizona winters! Also, my husband has always wanted to visit, Cooperstown, NY. For non-baseball loving fans, Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.

Itinerary

Drop kids off with my parents

Wake up super duper early and catch the flight to Albany, NY

Arrive in Albany late afternoon, check-in to the hotel, grab dinner

Next morning, drive three hours to Cooperstown, NY and explore the birthplace of baseball

Leave after lunch and drive five hours to Montreal

Arrive in Montreal around dinnertime and check-in to the hotel

Explore Montreal for three days (Old Montreal, Downtown, Norte Dame, Montreal Botanical Gardens, Mount-Royal, etc.)

Return to Albany and fly home

And enjoy an adults only trip!

Cuddle with the kids

Our first night, we stay in downtown Albany and found The Hollow Bar+ Kitchen.  Delicious food with gluten-free options for me! Early the next morning, we headed for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Things to do in Cooperstown, NY

1. visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame (for anyone who loves the game of baseball, it’s a must!)
2. dine at Doubleday Cafe (good gluten and gluten-free food)
3. visit local baseball memorabilia shops (there are plenty of shops on Mainstreet)
4. plan a return trip, truthfully, we didn’t schedule enough time in Cooperstown (perhaps visit during the offseason)

Our beloved Arizona Diamondback!

Arriving in Montreal just before dinner, our hotel clerk recommended heading toward the pier, grabbing a bite and watching the water show with fireworks.  Prior to our trip, we had no idea Montreal a. is an island, b. our trip coincided with the Juste pour rire or Just for Laughs Festival, c. it was the 150 anniversary of Canada and d. it was 375th anniversary of city of Montreal. (Lots of anniversaries being celebrated, not just ours!) We knew the weather would amazing (68-75 degrees most days), even if it did rain. Exploring Old Montreal was a great way to celebrate the first night of our adults only anniversary trip. We would spend the next few days exploring this 375-year-old city and learning about its history.

Things to do in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

1. visit the Notre-Dame Basicala
2. explore Old Montreal
3. hike Parc du Mount-Royal Park
4. Montreal Botanical Gardens
5. explore festivals

The view from Parc du Mount-Royal.

One of the highlights of our trip (for me) was taking anniversary photographs. This was a chance for us to celebrate and document the last 10 1/2 years of our marriage. Somehow I had forgotten how important anniversary photos are, not only for us but for our kids and future grandkids. And it completely gave me a new perspective and transformed my photography business. Now, I offer couples only sessions and all of my family sessions include a few minutes of just mom and dad.  Because 10 years from now, you’ll be glad you have them!

Photo of us, photo credit: Marie des Neiges  (thank you for the beautiful images!!)

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