We Did More Travel In 2021 Than Expected
We had no firm plans when we entered the year but were happy we did more travel in 2021 than expected. The Covid-19 pandemic impacted our travel plans. But we travelled when we could do it safely!
Early in the year most of our travels were local trips. By the summer of 2021, things started to settle. As vaccinated Canadians we were finally able to do a month long road trip to Eastern Canada. With that road trip experience in hand, we packed the car and headed to Western Canada for the fall.
Our travels in 2021 took us to the most easterly place in Canada at Cape Spear in Newfoundland. And we returned to the very west coast of Canada on Vancouver Island. And as we crossed Canada on our road trip from Toronto to Vancouver, we even stopped at the longitudinal centre of Canada. Travel to the far north of Canada was still on our travel wish list!
We had our first international travel experience as the year wound down with a cruise around the Caribbean. A great way to finish 2021 travel!
Travel In 2021 By The Numbers
We travelled a lot in 2019 and were away from home almost 6 months that year. Like most people, 2020 was a quieter year with mostly local travel. Although we did start with a long cruise around South America before we were stopped by the pandemic.
When we looked back at travel in 2021, we were not surprised to find how much we travelled by car:
Local Trips 1,284
Atlantic Canada Road Trip 6,090
Western Canada Road Trip 11,560
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Total 18,934 Km (11,765 Miles)
Many of our road trips required ferry rides as we moved from spot to spot. We enjoyed them on all of our road trip travels and covered over 1,043 Km (Miles) by ferry. On our Caribbean cruise, we added much more distance by sea.
Ferry Travel 1,043
Cruise Ship 5,356
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Total 6,399 Km (3,976 Miles)
With only one international trip, we only travelled by airplane with Air Canada for our cruise out of Miami. Sadly this was not enough to help with any loyalty status in 2021.
By Airplane 3,970 km (2,466 Miles)
With all of that travel in 2021, we sure spent many nights away from home. We stayed in a mix of accommodations. The hotel stays helped us achieve loyalty status for 2021. The AirBnb spots provided more space and kitchen facilities when we visited with family. One staycation we enjoyed a stay at a local winery. And we even spent many nights on the water.
Hotel Night Stays 76
Winery Stay 2
AirBnb 21
Ferry Overnight 1
Cruise Ship 10
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Total 110 Nights
The travel numbers we compiled definitely showed we did much more travel in 2021 than expected!
The Covid-19 Pandemic Impacted All Travel Planning In 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic raged as we entered the new year. Vaccines were just introduced and we had no idea when we might get them. Or if the vaccines would be the solution.
The winter months of early 2021 were really tough in Toronto. We had severe restrictions. With “stay at home” orders in place, we rarely left our condo in the city. When spring hit, the numbers were better and we left home for outdoor day trips. It was wonderful to discover new gems close to home.
We had our second vaccine shot in early June. This gave us a little protection so we took our first overnight local trip. When Canadian vaccination rates got high enough, the provinces across Canada opened their borders for vaccinated Canadians. We were delighted to finally be able to travel to Eastern Canada.
When we returned from the east, we headed to Western Canada for the fall and visited children we missed seeing for almost 2 years. When we returned, infection rates slowly trended back up as winter set in.
As we approached the end of 2021, we felt comfortable enough with Covid travel precautions and planned our first international trip. It was great to book last minute and head south for 10 days cruising around the Caribbean. But even before we left, news of the new Omicron variant broke and new travel restrictions were imposed.
We had a good time cruising and managed to stay safe. But by the time we arrived home, the Omicron variant gained prominence. The timing for our short vacation could not have been better!
We had a great year with more travel in 2021 than we expected. On our travels we were always careful to be extra cautious. We wore our masks and practiced good social distancing wherever there were people around – even if local restrictions were relaxed. Luckily many of the spots we visited had much fewer people than previous years. Sadly we suspected that early 2022 would be a tough time to travel again!
Heading Outdoors Close To Toronto
All through the fall of 2020 and into the winter and spring of 2021, we walked outside in our neighbourhood. We lived on Lake Ontario and there were paths all along the water. And if we headed out early in the day, we rarely had to worry about social distancing.
When thing opened up in the spring of 2021, we looked for outdoor experiences a little further from home. As the snow melted, we took our first day trip and hiked around Mono Cliffs just north of the city. We enjoyed a change of scenery. Hiking mid-week we had most of the park to ourselves.
Most years we travelled in April and May. We chased the cherry blossom season in Washington one year. But this year we were home and enjoyed Toronto High Park as the cherry blossoms sprung.
We were glad we found some great options for outdoor activities so close to home in Toronto.
Day Trips For Geological Wonders
David and I lived in the Toronto area for most of our lives. So we were surprised this year when we visited some of the great geological wonders that we never saw before.
One day we headed east along Lake Ontario and enjoyed the stunning cliffs at Bluffers Park. On our first visit, we headed east along the beach with the cliffs high above us. When we returned, we headed west and got under the great sandstone cliffs.
On both trips, we started high above the cliffs and tried to find a panoramic viewpoint. We got close. But it was not long before major barriers were installed which kept people back from the edge.
On another day trip we headed north to the Caledon area and finally visited the Cheltenham Badlands. These rolling rock structures reminded us of visits we made to the National Parks in Utah.
We were so glad we discovered some of the local geological gems so close to home in 2021.
A Staycation In Prince Edward County
By early summer, we were fully vaccinated and felt comfortable with a first staycation for the year. We started our mini vacation with a return to Kingston along Lake Ontario. We enjoyed the early patio season and opportunities to walk some new waterway paths.
From Kingston we went to Prince Edward County and stayed at a local winery. It was great to have a local base as we explored the art displayed all around the region. We checked out the beaches and the local attractions during our stay.
We cherished the opportunity to be away from home for a few days. It was more travel in 2021 than we expected when the year started so bad. We planned to return to Prince Edward County more times through the summer. But we eventually drifted much further from home.
Leaving Ontario For Eastern Canada
The provinces in Eastern Canada were closed to all visitors including Canadians for a long time as Covid-19 raged. When they finally opened to vaccinated Canadians, we planned our road trip to Eastern Canada immediately.
Our trip started and ended with several stops in the province of Quebec. We enjoyed some pampering city time in Montreal. And explored the waterfront too.
On our stop in Quebec City, we finally spent some time at the stunning Montmorency Falls. We went early when it opened and avoided all the tourist crowds!
A long weekend stop in the Saguenay region of Quebec brought us great outdoor adventures. We even planned a day excursion for whale watching from Tadoussac with a company that required everyone to wear masks.
Several stops in Quebec were great on our road trip to Eastern Canada. It added some interesting stops for more travel in 2021 than we expected.
Travelling Around The Atlantic Provinces
On our travels around the Atlantic provinces, we often chose the routes right along the water. This gave us the chance to enjoy the lighthouses, fishing villages and seafood as we travelled through New Brunswick.
The ferry trip to and from Newfoundland was a great choice. On the island we stayed in several different spots. And took exciting day trips on our stay in St. John’s.
Several stops in Nova Scotia gave us a variety of experiences. We used Halifax as a great base and explored the city. From there we headed off for a day trip to Peggy’s Cove and discovered the Ovens Natural Park.
A longer stay in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island (PEI) was a lovely break. We explored the local area and headed out to the national parks on PEI.
We had a wonderful road trip to Eastern Canada. There were lots of road trip tips that helped our next major journey.
A Long Road Trip To Western Canada
After our successful road trip to the east coast of Canada, we set off for a much longer road trip to Western Canada. The two days it took to leave our home province of Ontario gave us a chance to enjoy some new and repeat sights in Northern Ontario.
We slowed down a bit for two night stops in both Winnipeg in Manitoba and Regina in Saskatechewan. The weather was great for both stops. We explored these interesting Canadian cities and discovered many new gems.
Our western road trip then took us through Alberta and into the Rocky Mountains. On a stop in Banff we took in all the beauty.
From there we headed into British Columbia (BC). On a great two day stop in Revelstoke we enjoyed the local waterfalls. And then headed high up Mt Revelstoke.
We finished our road trip from Toronto to Vancouver having experienced so many great stops along the way.
Enjoying Two Months In BC In The Fall
When we arrived on the west coast we settled in and enjoyed BC for a long fall visit. Several stays in Vancouver let us enjoy the city life and the great spots close to the city.
For a brief escape, we headed north of Vancouver and stayed in Whistler. Despite several rainy days, we explored outdoors and hiked many of the great waterfall sites.
Several long stays on the Sunshine Coast gave us a chance to slow down. We enjoyed the time with family. Wonderful outdoor spots kept us active on our visits.
When we headed over to Vancouver Island for two weeks, we travelled from north to south. On our stays in Courtenay and then outside of Nanaimo, we discovered more new outdoor areas. Although we were disappointed when we never found the salmon running.
On our last stop outside of Victoria, we discovered how colourful it was for a fall visit to the Butchart Gardens. And then explored the newly opened Malahat Skywalk.
When it was finally time to leave BC, we re-traced our road trip path from Vancouver to Toronto. This western adventure added much more travel in 2021 than we ever expected.
Escaping South For A Caribbean Cruise
As the year drew towards an end, we finally decided to leave the country for a short vacation. A short flight gave us one night in Miami before we went to the Oceania Cruises dock for a 10 day Caribbean cruise.
It was wonderful to enjoy a relaxing trip in the sun as we re-visited many ports – Antigua, St Barts, St Maarten, St Lucia and Puerto Rico. And we spent our last port day on the beach day at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. We loved re-connecting with many of the great Oceania staff we met over the years we cruised. It felt awesome to be at sea again!
We returned to Toronto as the Omicron variant raged through Canada. And we were so glad that our timing was perfect for a quick escape.
Food And Drink Treats Everywhere We Travelled
In 2021, we headed out to explore new places and we re-visited some of our favourites. Most of our time was spent in awesome outdoor experiences. But with all of that activity, we made sure we were well fuelled!
We loved our local excursions and the opportunity to try wineries, distilleries and cideries. And it was great to pick up local produce in season.
Our loyalty status for 2021 ensured we had some amazing hotel stays. And the luxury hotels we stayed at always had the best food.
When we finished our year with a trip with Oceania Cruises, we knew we would gain a pound or two with the “Finest Cuisine at Sea”.
We had great memories of the places we saw and the fun we had this year. But with more travel in 2021 than expected, we also ate and drank very well!
We Sure Enjoyed More Travel In 2021 Than Expected
When we started the year, we had no booked travel plans. So as the year unfolded, we were delighted when we enjoyed much more travel in 2021 than expected. We enjoyed the chance to explore more of Canada – both close to home and from coast to coast.
We are again entering 2022 with no firm travel booked. At least that means we have no trips that we might again cancel. We have a lot to travel dreams for 2022. I guess we will see how the year shapes up!
Did you do more travel in 2021 than expected? Was it very different you thought it would be?
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I’m so glad 2021 turned out better than expected. Just like you we also discovered so much more about our local area and country and also got to travel more than expected including Slovenia and a couple of trips to Spain. The cruise sounds like it was great!
Probably our biggest disappointment was that we did not get to Europe when the window was open for us to go. But our long trip out west was so worth it for the chance to re-connect with family. We have the advantage of being able to travel on a very flexible schedule. So we hope to pack and go when windows are open in 2022.
What a beautiful review of an otherwise difficult year for Travelers. You had the numbers and the lovely photos to show for it! We are now on our first international travel after Canada! Mexico!
Enjoy your trip to Mexico. It is great to get a bit more distance in our travels again.
Wow… you two did A LOT of travelling last year, Linda..!!!! I knew about a good part of it, following you here on your blog, but I was still seriously surprised. Amazing you’ve been lucky AGAIN going on a cruise just before a lockdown. My favourite bits are the nature and the great outdoors in Western Canada.
Happy New Year from Ellie & me.
It was indeed interesting to look back at how much travel we did get in 2021. We loved the chance to see so much of Canada. And to actually squeeze in a safe cruise was amazing. Happy New Year to you and Ellie!
Great that you managed to travel a lot in your own country in 2021! Canada has a lot to offer – we had actually planned a visit for 2020…we are still hoping to go this summer! Wish you all the best for 2022 – and alot of amazing travels!
I hope you do get to visit Canada this year. There is so much to discover in the country.
What a fun idea!! I love how you tracked all of your adventures like this, it gives me inspiration! Hi from the Niagara Region, by the way! I was fortunate to visit PEI twice this year – quite a difference from my previous travels, but now I’m hoping to see more of Canada. All the best in 2022!
We sure had a great year travelling around Canada this year. Hope you get to see more of Canada in this year.
great that you got to do that much traveling. I guess that’s the flip side of the pandemic getting to see more places closer to home
We were definitely glad to see so much of our own country this year. But I must say the urge to head further out is building strong.
Even without booked travel plans at the beginning of 2021, you certainly had a lot of adventures throughout the year. Your road trips look absolutely magical. Cheers to a happy, health 2022 full of more amazing travel stories. Looking forward to following along!
It was amazing when we looked back at 2021 and remembered all of our fun travels. We sure hope we can keep adding to our travels in 2022.
I am so glad you were able to travel this past year! I am sure, like us, it felt wonderful getting back out there, Looks like you visited some really amazing places!
We were quite happy with how much travelling we did in 2021. It was great to enjoy such a variety of places and experiences and do it safely.
What a fun calculation – I should do that for every year. For last year, I had to add 7 nights at a Spanish hospital on the island of Gran Canaria – does that count? Nevertheless, I did far more travel than I imagined in January. Despite a hard time beginning of the year and the above-mentioned traumatic accident, I’m quite relaxed and do look full of optimism and excitement forward to 2022.
Sorry to hear that part of your travel included some hospital time. We were certainly happy we did not have to include Covid quarantine time in our numbers in 2021!! It was great that we both got to do more travel than we imagined at the start of 2021. We are again going into 2022 with no idea of what travel might look like. But are eager to go when we can safely.
Considering the year that 2021 was, spending 110 nights away from your home was a seriously impressive feat! And what a year it was that you had, I can’t imagine anything better than exploring Canada and all that is has to offer. Here’s to 2022 and more fantastic travel plans!
It sure was a great year to explore Canada from coast to coast. So many new experiences for us – and some favourites re-visited. We have no idea what 2022 will bring. But we are sure to find more adventures.
We were also able to travel much more in 2021 than we expected. Lots of day trips or staying just one night if slightly too far to drive both ways in the same day. Our cruise was right at the end of the year when Omicron was emerging. Didn’t make it out of that one without our daughter getting covid for the second time 🙁 She’s vaccinated so no major symptoms, but she has to take time off work. She’s not happy as it is her semester break and was hoping to get in a lot of hours.
Sorry to read that your cruise at the end of the year did not go as planned. We were happy we got home from our cruise before things started to really get back. We are always happy to head out for day trips and short overnights for a break in scenery when we can. Hope your 2022 is a good one.
Wow, you had quite the adventure in 2021! I was able to travel more than I expected too, but didnt do any international trips. Missing that the most right now!
We too are missing international trips – especially getting away to Europe. Hopefully in 2022.
You have certainly done a lot in 2021 in spite of the world pandemic situation! I love your stunning images particularly the Western Canada. You are lucky to have explored a lot in your beautiful home region. I would love to do a trip to Eastern Canada and Halifax after the international flights get back to normal. Wish you more travels in 2022. 🙂
I hope you do get to visit Eastern Canada. It had been awhile since we were last there and found so many new spots to explore.
What a fabulous recap of your year! I love that you kept track of everything – the by the miles section is so interesting. My husband and I are looking forward to doing this someday, although I’ll probably work on the road as we travel. Such a fun phase of life!
It is always interesting to look back at the year and marvel at all that we did. David keeps track of key data as we travel so we can bring it all together at year end. We are sure happy we are at that point in life when we can travel …. when we can, safely!
I too did more travel in 2021 than expected. The longitudinal centre of Canada sounds interesting. So cool that you got to see different areas of Canada. Who knew there were cherry blossoms. Bummer that you weren’t able to keep your status with Air Canada. Hopefully you can get it back this year.
We were so excited with how much of Canada we saw in 2021. Sure hope that 2022 takes us further afield!
It’s funny how the things that go wrong or sideways on a trip become fond memories. You definitely have had your fair share of fond memories. Great content post!
We had such a good year on our travels in 2021 and have so many great memories. Love to share!
Your journeys in 2021 are amazing. The numbers are pretty impressive. It is significant that despite the pandemic, you managed to see and visit so many places and in addition by various means of transport. Great that you booked last-minute cruising around the Caribbean and had so many local tours as well! Wish you the best in 2022!
We were definitely happy that we managed to move quickly and take advantage of opportunities for safe travel in 2021. It sure helped fulfill some of our wanderlust!
I love how you’ve rounded up your year of travel this way. It’s like a light in all the craziness. Can’t wait to read more adventures! And those food photos make me hungry!
It is always great to look back and remember how much we actually did. Especially true when we sit in such restrictions right now and have no idea what 2022 might look like. But seeing 2021 reminded us that there are always safe ways to see a lot!
Those are some impressive travel stats given the ongoing travel restrictions! It looks like you were able to visit some beautiful places! I loved reading about the great outdoor destinations around Toronto, I’ll definitely be checking those out on my next visit! I can’t wait to read about your 2022 adventures!
It was indeed a great year in 2022. We took advantage of time when things were open and safe and just headed out. The advantage of having the flexibility to travel with little time constraints. I hope you get to visit some of the great outdoor spots close to Toronto when you visit.
Thanks for sharing all your gorgeous pics of Canada and food! The food pics make me hungry and the Canada pics remind me how much I love it and how much I want to visit more of the eastern part of the country soon.
I hope you do get to visit and see more of Eastern Canada. We sure added some lovely new spots on this trip.
Considering our lockdown and pandemic for the greater part of this year in Ontario you sure did have some great adventures. Agreed, it has been a couple of years of really getting a chance to explore our own province and country. I love how you have embraced your love of travel and continue to find some hidden gems near and far. I have yet to see the Chetland Badlands in Caledon- this might be the year to go!
It was an interesting year that mixed “run fast and far” with sitting in our condo wondering if travel would ever open up. We loved that we saw so much of Canada and found some new local gems too. We will see what 2022 brings!
Wow, you certainly managed to get around, despite the pandemic – even if you didn’t go as far as you would have liked. All we managed was 3 nights 200 miles from home – with the ever changing rules, we decided it wasn’t worth the hassle of going further.
I understand how hard it was to make plans to travel in 2021. We were glad we had the flexibility to be able to move quickly when we saw a window of opportunity. Road tripping in Canada gave us lots of options to travel and be safe. Hope your 2022 is better for travel!
You definitely got to travel to a lot of wonderful places in 2021! Even if you only made it out of the country once, it looks like it was great to explore more of your home country of Canada!
It was wonderful to see so much of Canada on our travels in 2021. We added some great new spots to our list of favourites and loved getting back to ones we missed.
You sure made the most out of 2021 when it came to fun adventures. Love your road trips on both the west and east coast of Canada especially! Here’s to a hopeful 2022 that we can roam more freely.
We sure hope that we will have far more international travel in 2022. It was great to do some much travel in Canada but we are pining for some Europe travel. Keeping our fingers crossed!
You two never stay put for long. I hope my husband and I can be just as active as empty nesters in a few years.
It was great that we could take off and go when the opportunities came up.
Wow, it looks like you managed to make the post of 2021. I’m glad that you were able to travel to beautiful destinations despite the pandemic and travel restrictions. Looking forward to more travel for all in 2022.
2021 was indeed a great travel year with many beautiful destinations!
For how the year started last year it really seems like you made up for it and visited some wonderful places. I’ve taken advantage of traveling around Canada locally too over the last year and it’s been really nice, but also good to do my first international trip after 2 years too. The cruise looks lovely and so many beautiful places you saw
It was definitely great to be able to travel in Canada in 2021 and see so many great spots. We sure hope we can wander further internationally in 2022. I guess we will see.
It’s great that you could still do so much in 2021 – well done! Here’s to an even better year of travelling in 2022!
We are definitely hoping that 2022 will be a good travel year. We know we will need to be very proactive and make quick decisions to travel when we see windows of opportunity.
What an incredible year seeing so many gorgeous cities, landscapes and coastline! I’ve always wanted to take a road trip through Canada. Top cities that I’d love to explore are Vancouver, Toronto and New Brunswick!
I hope you do get to do a road trip in Canada one day. So many amazing stops!
Also for me year 2021 was better for travelling then expected. Montmorency Falls.look just awesome. I would love to visit the someday, Thanks for sharing!.
It was great that so many people did so much more travelling than expected!
I love your journey! In the beginning, there’s that element of second-guessing plans and now you look back and on hindsight, you realize it was all worth the decision. All the best in 2022 and cheers to more travelling! Thanks for taking us through your trips!
I must agree that we spent far more time thinking about travel and making plans with multiple contingencies than we did in any other year. But we were so glad we did.
I’ve def learned to be more flexible with travel plans this last year or two. It was great exploring closer to home though!
We too have had to learn to be more flexible with travel plans. And we ready to go quickly when the opportunity is there.
What beautiful places to visit! The lake in monto cliffs is so clear! And I would love to visit the waterfallsjj be in british colombia
It was great to visit so many awesome outdoor spots on our travels in 2021.
Wow! You traveled some good miles in 2021! Very lucky!
It was great that we were able to get out when the going was good in 2021!
wow! What a fun year! It was really fun to see your trips by the numbers! I love that idea. Canada is so beautiful, I’d love to explore more of it as I’ve only ever been to Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria
I hope you do get to visit more of Canada one day. We were indeed blessed to be able to visit both the east and west coast in 2021.
I loved how you sumup all your travel journies under one roof. Even I too travelled a lot and visited a lot of places. Loved this post
I am glad you enjoyed our summary view of travel in 2021. It is always a great trip down memory lane when we look back our year in travel. Especially when we started the year with little expectations.
Happy new year Linda. It was so heartening to read your travel reflections. Definitely the same for me where I traveled more in 2021 than expected. I should also, map the same in terms of stats and see how it looks. The pandemic actually was an opportunity to explore our own backyards – something that we tend to ignore. Here is to an even better 2022. Cheers
2021 was indeed a great year to explore in our own backyards. We loved when things opened up and we could leave just our local area. But I must admit I am pining for a trip abroad.
Sounds like you guys had an amazing travel year in 2021, all things considered. I love stats, so it was really fun to see all your data on kms traveled and nights away. That’s immersive amount of distance covered on a ferry! I’m glad you were able to enjoy a cruise before Omicron really went wild.
We were happy we got so much good travel in for 2021 even if we did not escape internationally like we wanted to. And our decision to squeeze in one cruise before things when crazy turned out to be perfect in hindsight.
Happy New Year!
Goodness that turned out to be a pretty epic year of travel for you! What an impressive number of miles by car, and I love that you made it over to the West Coast as well as seeing sooo many incredible adventures closer to home. We’re so lucky that there is so much to do, even within Canada. 🙂
We are indeed lucky that there is so much to see across Canada. We did so much travel and yet there is much we want to go back and explore more. Who knows what 2022 might bring!
I love reading other bloggers’ end-of-year review posts and this is a great one, Linda! It’s great that you were able to travel more in Canada, and the Caribbean cruise you took sounded like the perfect escape. I’ve wanted to see Canada’s eastern side for a while now, and your pictures make me want to go even more in 2022. I also like that you include so many travel metrics! Right now I only really track states and countries, but maybe I should start keeping track of miles, hotels and Airbnbs too.
I hope you do get to visit Eastern Canada this year. These provinces were not open even to Canadians in 2020. So when they opened in 2021 we booked a full month trip with less than 10 days notice. And we were sure glad we did.
Cheers to a great travel year! I continue to be endlessly impressed by the amount of wonders so close to home. The blessing in disguise from the pandemic has been to stay more local and really uncover all that our state has to offer. Your trips looked amazing and cheers to an even better travel year in 2022!
We too have been glad to discover more great places close to home. And to help our local tourism economy in tough years was good too. We will see how far from home we get in 2022!
You still had a great year of local travel in 2021. I’d love to see more of Canada, especially Quebec and you inspired me to go there even more! I always enjoy reading about your cruises, as I haven’t yet been on one, I know what to expect.
I hope you do get to visit and see more of Canada. We were certainly glad we saw so much in 2021.