In Autumn 2015, my husband, Scott, and I decided to take a two-week road trip to explore the East Coast of Canada. It’s always exciting to explore far off places, but it’s also fun to discover a whole new side of your own country. Canada is such a diverse country, boasting many different climates, terrain, and natural wonders. It’s also home to bustling city centers, each with their own uniqueness. We’re proud Canadians, and feel that it’s just as important to know and appreciate the country that you call home as it is to discover abroad.

Taking a roadtrip is a completely different experience than flying to a destination for a vacation. Not only does it bring you very close together with your travelling companion(s), roadtrips feed your wanderlust, allow you the flexibility to change your plans if you want to, and give you the freedom to stop in places you usually wouldn’t or might not have known about. They also usually result in some random adventures along the way!

Scott and I had taken a roadtrip together through the United States out to the West Coast of Canada when we moved to Kelowna, British Columbia a year into our relationship, but that was more out of necessity, rather than for the pleasure of the journey. We did stop in a few neat places along the way, like the mighty Mississippi River, Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, and Deadwood, South Dakota, but really, we were just trying to move our lives from point A to point B, so there wasn’t a lot of time to explore. When we moved back home to Toronto we took a road trip through the Canadian west, stopping in places like Banff, Alberta, the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller, Alberta, and Winnipeg, Manitoba to visit family. We had a little more time, but still we were on a schedule.

mount rushmore, south dakota, usa

nothing but road

the mountains of british columbia, canada

the royal tyrrell dinosaur museum and badlands of alberta, canada

So for our road trip throughout the East Coast of Canada, we wanted to take our time, visit the places that were important to us, and enjoy the drive. We drove from Toronto through Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and back again. It was an incredible two weeks! The only province we would have loved to see but didn’t was Newfoundland and Labrador. Unfortunately, you need at least three weeks to incorporate Newfoundland into an East Cast road trip, since the ferry ride, and vastness of the province, make it a time-consuming place to see by vehicle.

views of the st lawrence river in quebec city

hopewell rocks, new brunswick

the cabot trail, cape breton island, nova scotia

If you’re looking for a travel experience that’s different, jump in your car and start driving. The world is waiting to be explored, and some of the most incredible places might be closer than you think!

I strongly recommend taking on the full road trip experience at least once in your life… so buy a map, pick a direction, create the ultimate playlist and start driving.

*cue music* life is a highway… I wanna ride it all night long…

*All photos & opinions are my own.