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Car Camping: Before #VanLife, I Lived in a Yaris

Woman sitting atop a campervan, looking at the ocean and mountains as she contemplates her 2022 goals

Connecting the Dots

2022 Goals: Cautious Optimism

TMc's 2021 Goals Review

Connecting the Dots

2021 Goals Review: Embracing the Journey of Being My Own Venture Capitalist

Kitchener Make Tracks 5KM Challenge

Waterloo Region

Make Tracks 5KM Challenge – Exploring Kitchener’s Neighbourhoods and Community Centres

Trip Preparation

2021 Goals: Focused, Flexible, and Fun

A 2020 Goals Review with Travel with TMc

Trip Preparation

“I Didn’t See That Coming” A 2020 Goals Review

2020 Mid-Year Goals Review

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2020 Mid-Year Goals Review

2020 Goals, Here We Go!

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2020 Goals for a New Decade

Travel with TMc Working Website Around the World

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2019 Year in Review

2019 Mantra - Do More of What Makes You Happy

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2019 Goals, Let’s Get Going!

About TMc

Heya! I’m Tara (Tar-ah)! Welcome to Travel with TMc where you’ll find quirky language tidbits, travel hacks for Canadians, and stories from the road. I hope you enjoy!
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* MARK YOUR CALENDARS!* If you missed the @TOCide

* MARK YOUR CALENDARS!*

If you missed the @TOCiderFest this year, mark your calendars now for 2023. I attended my first Toronto Cider Festival down on the shores of Lake Ontario this past August and it was fantastic!

Not only were there over 100 (!!!) ciders to taste-test, there were summery cocktails, Calvados, low-alcohol drinks made with fresh pressed juice, and the innovative @vodkow to wet your whistle. Did I mention there were also food trucks? Of course there were food trucks - it was a Toronto summer festival! My favourite was the marshmallow treats from Ottawa's @LaGuimauverie . I may have gone back for seconds...

The 2-day event also featured a graffiti show, a flair bartending competition, DJs, and the Juno-award winning @StaceyKayMusic who has a crazy awesome set of pipes. After 2 years without music festivals, live gigs, and dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with other concert-goers, it's safe to say a huge smile was plastered on my face as I danced around barefoot to nostalgic throwbacks and bangin' new tunes.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm already contemplating firing up the summer festival Excel sheet (or some variation of that) for next year and this refreshing event is on the list. Any others I should add to it? Have you been to the TO Cider Fest before? Maybe catch ya next year!

#TravelwithTMc #OntarioCiderTrail #TOCiderFest #TOCiderFestival #OntarioCraftCider #MadeInOntario #OntarioCider #DrinkONApples #DrinkOntarioApples #OntarioMade #CiderLife #CiderLover #CraftCider #drycider #premiumcider #drinkcraft #discoverontario #goodthingsgrowinontario #Apples #LiveMusic #FoodTruck #SummerDrinking #CiderFestival #torontosummer #ciderparty #toronto #toevents #orchardtoglass #orchardbased

*SAVE FOR FUTURE TRAVELS!* There are so many inte

Next time you're in Niagara Falls, you've got to c

Next time you're in Niagara Falls, you've got to check out Zipline to the Falls. It's by far my favourite activity in the city, after marvelling at the Falls themselves, of course.

Whether you're a thrill seeker or not so fond of heights, 7 years old or 70, you're going to love gliding the 2,200 feet towards the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The ride is long enough that you get to enjoy the views and fast enough that you feel like a bird zooming through the air. What better way to enjoy such a stunning and iconic view?!

Here are a few pro travel tips for your trip:

• Wear closed-toe shoes (loose items and sandals can be placed in the kangaroo pouch)
• Dress for the weather as this ride runs rain or shine
• Avoid the crowds and book on a weekday or during shoulder seasons
• Want to skip the line? It's only an extra $20.
• Cell phones aren't allowed on the ride, but body cams are. I wore my @GoPro and made the mistake of not checking to see if the harness was blocking its view in my excitement. Learn from my mistake and get that crazy cool footage!
• Love it so much that you want to ride again? The 2nd ride is only $15
• Cap off your wild ride with a picture on the viewing platform when you land. You won’t be able to stop grinning!

Thanks so much to @wildplayniagarafalls for hosting us!

#TravelwithTMc #niagarafalls #niagarafallscanada #ZiplineToTheFalls #WildPlayNiagaraFalls #VisitNiagara #MyNiagara #NiagaraFallsOntario #NiagaraRegion #NiagaraEscarpment #LoveOntario #ExploreOntario #OntarioTravel #TravelOntario #GoProSummer #OntarioOutdoors #CanadaOutdoors #AdventureOntario #OntarioCanada #ExploringCanada #DiscoverOntario #OntarioAdventures #GirlsTrip #WomenWhoTravel #Adventure #eatsleeptravelrepeat

*SAVE FOR FUTURE TRIPS!* Ziplining towards Niagar

*SAVE FOR FUTURE TRIPS!*

Ziplining towards Niagara Falls with @wildplayniagarafalls has to be one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in a long time. We had perfect weather and the ride was such a blast, flying beside my Irish friend S and fellow blogger, Lindsay from @ibbtravel .

Here’s what you need to know for booking your Zipline experience:

💡 Ages 7+
💡 General or Skip-the-Line tickets
💡 Wear closed-toe shoes or put them (& purses & phones) in the kangaroo pouch
💡 Check in until 5pm

Have you ever ziplined before? Where did you go?

#travelwithtmc #visitniagara #myniagara #ziplinetothefalls #niagarafallscanada #niagarafallsontario #niagararegion #wildplayniagarafalls #ziplining #zipliningadventures #canadiantraveller #exploreontario #discoveron #discoverontario #ontariotravel #exploringcanada

*SAVE AND SHARE* The Whistlestop Trail in Ontario

*SAVE AND SHARE*

The Whistlestop Trail in Ontario, Canada from St. Thomas to Port Stanley is a must add to your southwestern Ontario road trip list.🚙🚴🏽‍♀️🚐🚶🏼‍♀️

What is the Whistlestop Trail❔

Running from the historic Railway City to the beachy shores of Port Stanley on Lake Erie, the Whistlestop Trail takes you along old rail routes from one beautiful town to another. You can “Run Ride Roam” along the natural trail by bike, foot, or car, leisurely taking a day or two to complete the self-guided itinerary.

What stops are along the Whistlestop Trail❔

There are 24 stops in total, with 12 in St. Thomas, 4 in the countryside, and 8 in Port Stanley. During my 1-day trip, I visited 9 of the stops which included:

* Jumbo the Elephant🐘
* Princess Ave Playhouse🎭
* Horton Farmers’ Market🧺
* CASO Station🚂
* Elgin County Railway Museum🚃
* Pinafore Park🎠
* Shaw’s Ice Cream🍨
* the Port Stanley Lift Bridge🌉
* the Main Beach on William Street in Port Stanley🏖

The Whistlestop Trail is free for anyone to complete and there’s a helpful map on the @railwaycitytourism website to help guide your trip.

Have you been on the Whistlestop Trail or parts of it before? Tag me on your adventures! Oh and pro travel tip: order the Port Stanley Sunken Treasure @shawsicecream . It was soooo good!😋

Happy adventuring!

#TravelwithTMc #WhistlestopTrail #StThomasOntario #PortStanley #railwaycity #railwaycitytourism #portstanleybeach #PortStanleyOntario #ElginCounty #discoverON #ontariotravel #canadatravel #explorecanada #southwesternontario #yourstodiscover

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for 2023!!! Wow. I just got ba

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for 2023!!!

Wow. I just got back from attending the inaugural St. Thomas Track to the Future Mural Festival in southwestern Ontario and the art blew my mind!!!

The festival had everything you could want for singles, couples on a day date, and families out enjoying the sun. There were:

• 6 live murals being created
• various live music acts for kids and adults
• food trucks
• beer gardens
• sidewalk chalk for the kiddos
• interactive art projects
• downtown shopping discounts
• buskers
• local artisan vendors
• and the return of the annual @beerlesqueshow !

Talk about a summer celebration.☀️

COST: Free!
DATE: July
ATTENDEES: You and your crew😉

For more information, visit TravelwithTMc.com or the Railway City Tourism website. 🔗

#travelwithtmc #tracktothefuturemuralfest #railwaycity #railwaycitytourism #tracktothefuturemuralproject #stthomasontario #streetartaddicted #urbanart #muralfestival #discoveron #ontariotravel #canadatravel #canadianfestivals #explorecanada #southwesternontario #yourstodiscover

Good morning, fellow adventurers! Last night didn

Good morning, fellow adventurers!

Last night didn’t quite go as planned. I spent over 2 hours trying to get wifi so I could work, and I lost a lot of time. It happens when you’re on the road, but I was bummed since I was ready and raring to write. Last night was also the first time I stealth parked the van. Thankfully all went well…until I had to pee at 5:30am. 🤪 For the record, I’m not a morning person. I drove to the closest McDonalds, did my business, and had every intention of going back to bed once I found a new parking spot by the water. And then I saw the sunrise and thought, “No way am I going to miss this - this is why I’m living this way, in a van, back to my nomadic ways, welcoming the unexpected treasures of life”.

Whether it’s life on the road, or within your four walls, life has this way of balancing the ups and the downs, wouldn’t you say?

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday and enjoy the little unexpected surprises along the way!

-Tara

#travelwithtmc #vanlifediaries #vanlife #earlymornings #sunriseoftheday #vanlifeviews #beautifulmoments❤️ #georgianbay #discoveron #ontariotravel

Sun☀️, Cider🍎, and Smiles😎 - there’s n

Sun☀️, Cider🍎, and Smiles😎 - there’s nothing better than a summer day filled with each of those things (and great people, of course)!

This past weekend I visited @spirittreecider for their 2nd annual Get Spirited Cider Festival.

There were 15+ local craft cider, beer, and wine vendors, 2 delicious food trucks, a DJ, and even a live band! My favourite were the cideries, which included Ontario’s own @spydistillery , @johnstons_cranberries , @howellroadciderco , @forbiddendrycider , and @duntrooncyderhouse .

It was the perfect kickoff to summer, getting to sample new flavours at each stand, meet new people, and bring home a few goodies to enjoy later.

ANNOUNCEMENT: This was also the kickoff to the Travel with TMc Cider Trail summer series! There are about 70 cideries in Ontario and I’ll be visiting and featuring as many as I can with the van this summer. If you’ve got any favourites, leave them in the comments below. Cheers! Sláinte!🍎🥂

#travelwithtmc #duntrooncyderhouse
#MuskokaLakesFarmandWinery #LifeofSpy #SpiritTreeCider #OntarioCraftCider #MadeInOntario #OntarioCider #CiderLife #CiderLover #SupportLocal #CraftCider
#drycider #PremiumCider #CiderFlights #NewCider
#eatlocal #Apples #OutdoorPatio #LiveMusic #FoodTruck #SummerDrinking #CiderLover #CiderFestival #outdoorevents

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